redemption of promise - walking in the garden again

Our lives bump up against the margins of eternity all the time...

If you have been praying for our family over the past few days, thanks. The power of prayer is mysterious yet undeniable. I have no idea what actually transpires when people pause out of love and concern, get on their knees (either literally or figuratively) and invite God into the ongoing conversation; but I do know that something happens, and that God is a faithful and gracious presence we can count on. "Thank you."

So this morning I read today's chapter from REACHING TOWARD EASTER (believe me, you really would enjoy this book!), and I came across the following couple of paragraphs:

But the good news is this: because of Jesus, we can walk with God in the Garden once again. That, my friends, is a wonderful privilege...

... And, grace upon grace, the result of such clear communication is the redemption of promise, a new relationship with God and the opportunity to make our way, one pilgrim step at a time, back to the Garden.

Scoutie!

So I took Scout out for her long morning walk, rambling around the neighborhood and the edges of the golf course, and I watched the morning mist collect in pockets in the low places as the contours of the landscape emerged with the morning light. We live in a beautiful world, full with clues about its creator, and our lives bump up against the margins of eternity all the time. I felt the presence of the eternal, both in the deep ache in my heart and the solid reality of the earth under my feet and the large exuberant dog tugging at her leash.

And I realized that my brother, Geoff, is walking with God in the Garden once again. It is the redemption of promise.

My prayer at the end of the chapter also works well for today:

No more veil. No more hiding behind the bushes. Lord, we are humbled by our admission into your presence, the redemption of promise. Sometimes we're tempted to wish that we would glimpse more of your glory than we can reasonably handle. Surprise us, Lord, but surprise us gently. Amen.