Daily Guideposts - September 3, 2005

September 3

Saturday

When I consider...the work of thy fingers.... —Psalm 8:3

It was early September and I was far away from home, vacationing in northern Maine. As evening settled across the countryside, I was walking along the edge of a conifer forest that bordered a field of oats. The sun was going down across the wide horizon in an orange blaze that gave the oat field a vibrant golden glow. In the distance was a small town perfectly placed in the landscape.

And yet, as I tried to shake the clutter from my mind, I wondered why I couldn’t lose myself in the peace of the place. I knew that the moment I got home the stresses would hit me and all the problems life dishes out would be waiting. As an investment adviser, I could already feel the crush of responsibility for my clients.  My three-year-old, Harrison, meant the world to me, but life as a single parent was daunting, to say the least.

In the midst of this pristine beauty I prayed, Father, fill my soul with the calm of this landscape.

In the stillness I waited. No connection. I still felt small and alone. Then the words of Psalm 8:3–4 came to me, committed to memory at the insistence of some long-ago Sunday-school teacher: “When I consider . . . the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”

Slowly, as the sun went down, my spirit rose. Even though conflict seems to be built into our nature, and life never falls into perfect order like this rural setting, still I was important to God. The words of the Psalm made the connection for me.

Father, even when I stray from You, I thank You for always being mindful of me.

—Brock Kidd