Psalm 72:3
“The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.”
I have always loved this verse because it applies directly to me and the peace that I feel when I’m in the mountains. We’re blessed to have a second home in Canaan Valley, WV, and every time we drive up the mountain from Elkins, WV, toward Canaan, I look ahead at the mountainous landscape…which Bill calls my “view”…and I feel a sense of peace come over me.
We have been going to Canaan since the mid-80’s mainly to ski. I imagine that I didn’t feel much “peace” there at that point because we had three children, lots of clothes and skis to haul, food to pack, and much more. However, several years ago I had a different experience.
I was an itinerate teacher in Cabell County at the time and had been assigned a new school in addition to my home school. While I was teaching the same three grades in both schools, I quickly realized that the same lesson plans weren’t going to work. The students were poles apart in their knowledge and educational backgrounds. Plus the fact that they had had a substitute teacher for two years didn’t help. They had been running the show! This was going to have to take some serious planning. It was at that point on the next Friday afternoon that I packed up every resource I had and headed to the mountains!!
During the drive I kept trying to figure out just how I was going to get the students in that new school to where I knew that they needed to be. While I’ve never thought of myself as an anxious person, I think my anxiety had kicked in. As I crossed the first mountain out of Elkins that day, I looked out and noticed the magnitude and beauty in front of me, and a “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) came over me. I knew that everything would be all right; I’d figure it out.
During this Advent season, we focus on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. I can’t help but wonder what was going through Mary’s mind as she rode on the back of that donkey, nine months pregnant. I doubt that she was at peace!! Then she had to spend the night in a stable. How could it get any worse???? However, after Jesus was born and she held that precious baby in her arms, I’m sure that she felt a peace much greater than I felt, and still feel, every time I head up the mountain out of Elkins and look at my “view.”
Several years ago, our daughter surprised us with a plaque that has the words of Psalm 72:3 on it. It’s a constant reminder of how blessed I am to experience the peace that the mountains bring to me. My prayer is that you, too, will somehow find peace during this crazy, COVID-filled, busy Holiday season.
Please pray with me…
Dear Lord, as we go through this troubled time and busy season, help us to find peace in our busiest of days. Amen.
Marilyn Murdock
I have always loved this verse because it applies directly to me and the peace that I feel when I’m in the mountains. We’re blessed to have a second home in Canaan Valley, WV, and every time we drive up the mountain from Elkins, WV, toward Canaan, I look ahead at the mountainous landscape…which Bill calls my “view”…and I feel a sense of peace come over me.
We have been going to Canaan since the mid-80’s mainly to ski. I imagine that I didn’t feel much “peace” there at that point because we had three children, lots of clothes and skis to haul, food to pack, and much more. However, several years ago I had a different experience.
I was an itinerate teacher in Cabell County at the time and had been assigned a new school in addition to my home school. While I was teaching the same three grades in both schools, I quickly realized that the same lesson plans weren’t going to work. The students were poles apart in their knowledge and educational backgrounds. Plus the fact that they had had a substitute teacher for two years didn’t help. They had been running the show! This was going to have to take some serious planning. It was at that point on the next Friday afternoon that I packed up every resource I had and headed to the mountains!!
During the drive I kept trying to figure out just how I was going to get the students in that new school to where I knew that they needed to be. While I’ve never thought of myself as an anxious person, I think my anxiety had kicked in. As I crossed the first mountain out of Elkins that day, I looked out and noticed the magnitude and beauty in front of me, and a “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) came over me. I knew that everything would be all right; I’d figure it out.
During this Advent season, we focus on Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. I can’t help but wonder what was going through Mary’s mind as she rode on the back of that donkey, nine months pregnant. I doubt that she was at peace!! Then she had to spend the night in a stable. How could it get any worse???? However, after Jesus was born and she held that precious baby in her arms, I’m sure that she felt a peace much greater than I felt, and still feel, every time I head up the mountain out of Elkins and look at my “view.”
Several years ago, our daughter surprised us with a plaque that has the words of Psalm 72:3 on it. It’s a constant reminder of how blessed I am to experience the peace that the mountains bring to me. My prayer is that you, too, will somehow find peace during this crazy, COVID-filled, busy Holiday season.
Please pray with me…
Dear Lord, as we go through this troubled time and busy season, help us to find peace in our busiest of days. Amen.
Marilyn Murdock
No comments:
Post a Comment