August 20, 2020. Today, thanks to a suggestion from our beloved neighbor Clara, we adventured on (and off) the Wolf Run Trail. The trail runs right along the Black Earth Creek and we throughly enjoyed both (the trail and the creek). Despite the fact that it was a creek and not a river, it had us thinking a lot about what it means to have peace like a river. I’ve sung that song countless times to my kids (I’ve got peace like a river…love like an ocean…joy like a fountain), yet, I’ve never fully understood the meaning of peace like a river.
My visual for rivers has always been the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. They are big and, in many spots, quite fierce. I have vivid childhood memories of the all too frequent news reports of people dying on those rivers. I have never associated them with peacefulness. Forceful… powerful… always moving… sure. Peaceful, not as much. With this in mind, I looked at the creek today and wondered, how can something that never sits still be considered peaceful? What does “peace” like a river even mean?
In our family, when big questions bubble up, we often use one of our favorite meditations to hold a space for them. We imagine a peaceful place with an owl in a tree. We sit under the tree and get to ask the “wise old owl” questions. Then, we sit in silent contemplation (quieting our minds and opening our hearts) as we listen for the wise old owl’s reply. While engaging this practice, Elijah and Penelope have ascertained some remarkable questions AND acquired profound insight. It is always a gift when they share the questions they asked the wise old owl and the guidance they received. In essence, this meditation guides us out of our heads and into our hearts.
For me, my heart is where I hear God. When I’m able to leave the noise in my mind and be still in the presence of the wise old owl, things become more clear—at least as clear as they need to be for me at that point in time. Today, I asked the wise old owl, “What makes the creek peaceful if it never sits still?” Here is what I heard…
The peace lies in the truth that even though I don’t do a thing, the water still moves. I don’t have to control it. I’m not responsible for it. It just moves. I also heard the wise old owl’s reminder that bidden or not bidden, God is here. Whether I want the creek to move or not, it does. And, whether I accept it or not, God loves me.
I am powerless to make the creek move, yet it does. I don’t have to be responsible for making the creek move, it will. The peace God offers surpasses understanding and it will not dry up. I don’t always understand that peace in my head. Yet, today, I intend to welcome it in my heart.
KNEP Hikes 