Ken and I ventured out to enjoy one last kayaking trip. We visited the Rouge River in hopes of glimpsing the changing of the leaves and to witness sparks of color.
The sounds of the Go Train faded into the background as I became centered in the sacred space around me. There was that one blue jay that kept getting annoyed with us as a we invaded its personal space. I was determined that I was not going to let the blue jays of the world invade this sacred space. As we kayaked the sounds of the world faded into the background until there was simply pure “peaceness”…our Granddaughter Hannah’s word.
We continued to paddle knowing that this river went as far as the 401. Now we all know what the 401 represents – noise, traffic, just a whole lot of craziness. But as I kayaked under the 401 I realized that the traffic and its noises weren’t bothering me because I was centered on the journey ahead and the noise simply faded into the background. So even though I could see the 401 and remember what it represented my heart chose to be at rest.
I recalled the words of an old hymn:
’Mid all the traffic of the ways,
Turmoils without, within,
Make in my heart a quiet place,
And come and dwell therein.
A little shrine of quietness,
All sacred to Thyself,
Where Thou shalt all my soul possess,
And I may find myself.
A little shelter from life’s stress,
Where I may lay me prone,
And bare my soul in loneliness,
And know as I am known.
A little place of mystic grace,
Of self and sin swept bare,
Where I may look upon Thy face,
And talk with Thee in prayer.
So when you feel like the 401’s in your life are crowding in and around you, choose to focus on the journey ahead and look into the Peace of Jesus’ face and allow the noise of this world’s “401’s” to fade into the background as you stay centered in HIM.
