The Quiet Time of the Day

Casi just arrived to pick up Melanie and Mei-Ling on his way home from work. They were here all afternoon, Mei-Ling napping and Melanie sewing quilt blocks for Mei-Lings quilt. We had such an enjoyable time sewing together. Lots of laughs and good conversation. The house feels very quiet right now so I thought to stop for a minute, reflect on the joys in my life and watch the sun lower in the western sky for a few minutes, before I head out to do chores, feed the goats, gather eggs and pick some goodies from the garden for supper. The cats will be beside the hay stacked high in the barn, waiting for their food and the goats will be pacing by the gate, impatient for their grain. The chickens will all come running towards me, hoping for some treat. The kitchen will be filled with good smells and a kettle filled with hot water for a cup of tea to be enjoyed in that moment just after chores and just before Emery arrives home from a long day of work.

There will be some candles lit and tonight with the time change, perhaps a lantern will be casting golden light across the shining wood of kitchen table.

Many more quilt blocks arrived in the mail today and with each package opened, Melanie and I gave a sigh of awe for their beauty and thoughtfulness. Such love.

In this moment of quiet I remembered a psalm I memorized long ago... I wonder, does my soul wait for the Lord ? Do I put my hope in his word or cave into the worlds view of life, so filled with uncertainty and greed ?

Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2 O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love

and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

and then I remembered this psalm and understood the joy I find in this quiet time of the day

Psalm 8
1 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise

because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Life is good.

Some photos from my trip out back to do chores this evening.