Vol.14 No.2
Intelligent, Inspirational & Fun!
Intelligent, Inspirational & Fun!
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The Antidote for A Weary Soul<br />
“When I look at your heavens, the work of<br />
your fingers, the moon and the stars,<br />
which you have set in place, what is man<br />
that you are mindful of him, and the son of<br />
man that you care for him?” Psalm 8:34<br />
(ESV)<br />
We are wrapping up our evening meal on<br />
the deck when his eyes shift from the sliver<br />
of pink watermelon in his hand to the<br />
streaks of salmon sunlight hovering above<br />
the horizon.<br />
“It’s gonna be a great sunset tonight,” my<br />
youngest boy declares.<br />
“Mm-hmm …” I murmur as I gather dirty<br />
plates and wrinkled napkins, empty milk<br />
glasses and sticky silverware.<br />
“Can we chase it, Mom?” Joshua begs, “Can<br />
we?”<br />
I’ve already spent the day chasing children<br />
across the yard and chasing the dog around<br />
the neighborhood. I’ve chased down<br />
missing keys, missing shoes and my own<br />
missing patience. And the only thing I really<br />
want to chase is a little peace and quiet.<br />
My body is weary. My soul is sapped. But I<br />
let my gaze roam from the dirty dishes in<br />
my hands to the shimmer of sunset in the<br />
sky, and I think of the lesson God has been<br />
teaching me lately:<br />
We who are created in the image of a<br />
marvelous God are made to marvel. And<br />
sometimes our quest for solace is really just<br />
an ache for awe.<br />
So, I set those dirty dishes in the sink and<br />
return my giddy boy’s grin. “We’d better<br />
hurry. The sun is sinking fast.”<br />
We hop in the car and drive to that place<br />
where the thick tree line gives way to<br />
sprawling sky. And for a brief moment, I’m<br />
not just a weary mom with dirty dishes<br />
piled high at home. I’m a wonder-seeker<br />
lifting my eyes above my daily grind to get<br />
a glimpse of the divine.<br />
I breathe deeply and let heaven’s hush<br />
invade my haggard heart. My son sighs<br />
happily and wraps his slender fingers<br />
around mine. “I’m glad we chased the<br />
sunset, Mom,” he whispers. “‘Cause that’s<br />
just what we do.”<br />
The sky is growing dark, but I can finally<br />
see it clearly — how wonder is an antidote<br />
to weariness. And awe revives a flagging<br />
soul like water fuels a drooping body.<br />
I’m not the first to discover it, of course.<br />
King David knew it, too. He had a nation to<br />
rule and a family to tend, decisions to make<br />
and conflicts to mend; yet David lifted his<br />
eyes above the demands of his days to see<br />
the wonder of God’s ways.<br />
do not let familiarity breed contempt<br />
He applauded God’s handiwork in his own<br />
life (Psalm 139) and relished God’s artistry<br />
in the world around him (Psalm 8). He<br />
celebrated the magnificence of God’s Word<br />
(Psalm 119) and the brilliance of His deeds<br />
(Psalm 145).<br />
In Psalm 8:3-4, David writes: “When I look<br />
at your heavens, the work of your fingers,<br />
the moon and the stars, which you have set<br />
in place, what is man that you are mindful<br />
of him, and the son of man that you care for<br />
him?”<br />
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VOL.14 #2 | WWW.AMERICAN CHRISTIAN VOICE.COM 9