Eleven years ago, I wrote this manuscript and "tucked" it away. It has survived two computers crashing and many other changes. Dad is no longer on the earth with us. Several of the trees have fared poorly in thunderstorms. Yet God and how He relates to us remains the same.
Lessons Learned at an
Archaic Clothesline
One Saturday morning, I was hanging damp laundry out
to dry on the clothesline in the back yard of my parents’ farm home. The mindless task allowed time to simply
enjoy the natural surroundings. The exceptionally slow-paced activity enabled
me to absorb the moment and in an uncanny way, relax and energize my mind and
body.
A slight breeze began to blow stirring the hot July
air a bit. Suddenly the verdant leaves
of the red bud tree, the apricot trees, the plum trees, the pecan trees, the
maple tree, the mimosa tree, and the monstrous Chinese elm commenced rustling
ever so slightly, emitting a soft, mesmerizing sound. As I lifted my eyes from the clothesline,
over the chain-link fence bounding the back yard, I spotted the large leaves of
the twelve-foot sunflowers in Dad’s garden giving the appearance of
clapping. Instantly, I was reminded of
the scripture in Isaiah 55:12 that joyously states, “…all the trees of the
field shall clap their hands.” “Then all
the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord,” the psalmist says in
Psalm 96:12. What a worshipful
experience to be in the very presence of God’s majestic creations praising Him
and rejoicing in their adulation of the Lord of all!
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| Dad with his sunflowers that I saw "clapping." |
Then to my surprise the breezy atmosphere in the
back yard unexpectedly quieted. The gentle wafting ceased, creating an
enveloping stillness that slowly pervaded the entire back yard. Momentarily almost a holy hush fell over my
little part of the world. Flooding from
my early memory was the remembrance of a large reminder that hung at the front
of the sanctuary of the Big Bend Baptist Church where my family attended during my
early elementary school days. “The Lord
is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” was
emblazoned in gilt lettering on the rich blue background. These beautifully
inscribed words, taken from Habakkuk 2:20, seemed so appropriate to describe
this present continuation of my backyard worship experience.
As I placed a clothespin on a towel, the
unmistakably clean scent of freshly washed laundry drifted to my nose. I reflected on all God was bringing to the
forefront of my spiritual consciousness.
I realized that so frequently worship experiences
consist of a time of audible praise, whether spoken testimony, a corporate
responsive reading, a verbalized prayer, or a hymn sung to His honor. This initial aspect of worship is active in
nature. It involves the worshiper doing
something to show devotion, love, or adoration to the Lord.
Secondly, almost in a cyclical manner, a quiet time
of reflection follows the outward praise experience. It replicates a “worshipful breathing.” The exhalation of praise on our part is much
like our lungs exhaling in a rhythmic manner. Then in our physical bodies, our lungs immediately inhale the necessary
oxygen. In the same way, a worshiper
must inhale moments of solitude in God’s presence, just reflecting on His
attributes. A clear understanding of
these qualities of the Living God enables us to implicitly entrust our eternity,
as well as day-to-day living, into His care.
What powerful, life-altering lessons God
can teach from His creations! I will
never look at swaying branches or a slight breeze in quite the same
manner. Perhaps both natural occurrences
will always inspire a brief personal worship time simply by recalling the
impromptu, spiritual lesson gained at an archaic clothesline.
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