Brackett waterfall island kitchen12/8/2023 He aligns my path with someone difficult, with a situation that requires vulnerability and humility, with a scenario where the Unknown is markedly in my face like the smack of harsh Winter wind on bare, reddened cheeks. To this day, I carry a deep regret for the fear that held me back, and long to climb the crest of that tree and sit among her branches, free.Ĭoming back to the present moment, I say in earnest, “God - free me from my fear,” and I recognize as I whisper this that He is faithful to do it, for “Perfect Love casts out fear.” However, the ways in which Love works to bring this about are not always as easy as climbing a small apple tree. I felt so alone, so ashamed, wishing I could figure out how to overcome the subliminal effect of fear on my body and mind. She’d laugh and stare out at the wild world, one with nature, submerged in the present moment. My hands scraped raw, my legs weak and jittery with anxiety, I’d eventually give up and stand at the base of my dream, worriedly telling her to be careful. I’d stretch for the lowest hanging limb, still high above my head, making conflicted attempts to jump and grab hold of that first rung toward freedom. She melded with that wide open azure sky and the frill of late Spring’s pink and white blossoms, her long chestnut hair blowing about her innocent face as she giggled and squinted down at me. If I could only make it to the top, I’d break free from the terror I carried on my back that weighed me down into my own personal nightmare. I’d stare up at her through the rustling leaves, heart racing with fear intermixed with longing, desire clutching my chest to experience that adventure and freedom. My younger sister, Rachel, would finagle her way up the swaying branches and sit proudly in the little natural “seat”, peering down over her kingdom - a large green field spotted with glowing yellow dandelions between our house and the neighbors’ and her big sister’s small, nervous face. I flash back to childhood, to the apple tree in our front yard which had a three-pronged branch at the tippy top that held itself like an outstretched hand. The next breath, my heart feels a sense of apprehension, for I am a person who fears heights of most any variety. I imagine what it might be like to have that same prowess, that calm confidence and determination in the face of great heights. A moment later, Tasha is showing off, climbing even higher, as if to say, “Let your momma show you how it’s done!” I laugh to myself as I watch them play, their athleticism filling me with awe. It never ceases to bring my heart to wonder, the sounds and sensations of nature enveloping me when I pause to pay attention and tune in.Ĭlive dashes with lightning speed up a locust tree, balancing on a high thin bow, before turning and scuttling back down. The light breeze tickles the melodic wind chimes and flaps the Stars and Stripes hanging from the porch. Our barn kitties, Clive and Tasha, are exploring a few yards from where I sit with our Bernedoodle, Sophie, sprawled at my feet. My heart aches to enter in, to feel alive throughout every part of me - body, mind, soul and spirit. The glow of mid-morning feels alive, resilient, popping the cheerful goldenrod as it dots our field with Autumnal whimsy. ![]() ![]() The whirring of mountain crickets and trilling of birds mixes with cool air as I rock in my chair on our deep-set front porch. Oh! The ecstasy within Your manifest Presence! Oh! The longing in these weighted, throbbing bones! Miraculously bouncing in tight contraction,Īn encounter with Love’s liberating embrace, ![]() Painting a stunning, living, shifting canvas: Those setting sunbeams kept pushing through, Stacked as wide and high and deep as Heaven. ![]() Piles and piles and piles of storm-clouds Held within ripe cornfields growing lush and tall, Homebound, winding upon those country roads I was born to breathe under this tidal flow. Photos by Brackett Studios: SeriesĮternity pulls back her fine curtain, winking,Īnd the unutterable clutches at our chest,
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