This morning I awoke within the realm of the fairy tale.
This isn't even typical over-exaggeration like you have probably come to expect from me. I'm still convinced that when my eyes opened this morning I was in such a tale.
Yesterday was a glorious day. Besides the experience that I shared with you all, I finished reading Phantastes by George Macdonald and so went for a walk before catching the bus up to the university for my second-last class of the semester. There is a song sung by an old woman with young eyes (I am convinced that when age has weathered me I still want my eyes to remain young) in Macdonald's book. It goes like this:
Better to sit at the water's birth,
Than a sea of waves to win;
To live in the love that floweth forth,
Than the love that cometh in.
Be thy heart a well of love, my child,
Flowing, and free, and sure;
For a cistern of love, though undefiled,
Keeps not the spirit pure.
That song stuck with me for my walk as I discussed it, among many other things, with God. It seemed to tie in with my earlier experience of worship. I realized that I had been on the receiving end of God's love consistently--this is not a bad thing. But simply living in a moment of storing up that love is not enough. I need to show that love. Give that love. So yesterday I started by returning that love to God. It was amazing.
Despite all of this I was feeling somewhat ill by that night. I ended up staying in all night and went to bed around ten-thirty. I still awoke throughout the night, but when I was sleeping it was the slumber of true restfulness. When I awoke this morning it seemed like I was Sleeping Beauty, awakened by True Love's kiss--I was ready.
Then came the truly Fairy Tale-esque moment. As I stretched in bed, my eyes still closed, I heard a faint sound. It persisted and then began to develop.
There were birds singing somewhere outside my window.
It was as if a magic spell had woven itself around my heart and I could not remain in bed any longer. I nearly hopped from my bed and rushed to get ready. In almost no time at all I and my red coat headed out for a morning walk.
It was crisp but the sun was shining and the song of the birds followed me throughout the entirety of my walk. The sky was that spring shade of blue, not as deep as it is in the summer but lacking the frosty edge of winter.
This is no secret I am revealing to you: I am a hopeless romantic. Words, poetry, fairy stories... they all speak to an inner part of my being. What I discovered today is that I am not the only hopeless romantic. God is too.
All morning I have felt like the maiden of a tale being pursued by a Knight so faithful and so true. A Knight at whose command the birds sing and the sun shines. A Knight whose hands envelop my heart, holding it safe and keeping it warm.
As I returned home from my adventure I found myself dancing along the walkway to my entrance. For one brief moment I was transported to another place where I was instead dancing across stepping stones in a creek. Even now, wrapped within the folds of a blanket and typing this message I am convinced that I am still within the fairy tale.
Such is the life of a Christian single.
This isn't even typical over-exaggeration like you have probably come to expect from me. I'm still convinced that when my eyes opened this morning I was in such a tale.
Yesterday was a glorious day. Besides the experience that I shared with you all, I finished reading Phantastes by George Macdonald and so went for a walk before catching the bus up to the university for my second-last class of the semester. There is a song sung by an old woman with young eyes (I am convinced that when age has weathered me I still want my eyes to remain young) in Macdonald's book. It goes like this:
Better to sit at the water's birth,
Than a sea of waves to win;
To live in the love that floweth forth,
Than the love that cometh in.
Be thy heart a well of love, my child,
Flowing, and free, and sure;
For a cistern of love, though undefiled,
Keeps not the spirit pure.
That song stuck with me for my walk as I discussed it, among many other things, with God. It seemed to tie in with my earlier experience of worship. I realized that I had been on the receiving end of God's love consistently--this is not a bad thing. But simply living in a moment of storing up that love is not enough. I need to show that love. Give that love. So yesterday I started by returning that love to God. It was amazing.
Despite all of this I was feeling somewhat ill by that night. I ended up staying in all night and went to bed around ten-thirty. I still awoke throughout the night, but when I was sleeping it was the slumber of true restfulness. When I awoke this morning it seemed like I was Sleeping Beauty, awakened by True Love's kiss--I was ready.
Then came the truly Fairy Tale-esque moment. As I stretched in bed, my eyes still closed, I heard a faint sound. It persisted and then began to develop.
There were birds singing somewhere outside my window.
It was as if a magic spell had woven itself around my heart and I could not remain in bed any longer. I nearly hopped from my bed and rushed to get ready. In almost no time at all I and my red coat headed out for a morning walk.
It was crisp but the sun was shining and the song of the birds followed me throughout the entirety of my walk. The sky was that spring shade of blue, not as deep as it is in the summer but lacking the frosty edge of winter.
This is no secret I am revealing to you: I am a hopeless romantic. Words, poetry, fairy stories... they all speak to an inner part of my being. What I discovered today is that I am not the only hopeless romantic. God is too.
All morning I have felt like the maiden of a tale being pursued by a Knight so faithful and so true. A Knight at whose command the birds sing and the sun shines. A Knight whose hands envelop my heart, holding it safe and keeping it warm.
As I returned home from my adventure I found myself dancing along the walkway to my entrance. For one brief moment I was transported to another place where I was instead dancing across stepping stones in a creek. Even now, wrapped within the folds of a blanket and typing this message I am convinced that I am still within the fairy tale.
Such is the life of a Christian single.
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