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Inviting you to see the world anew

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Published on Saturday, October 1, 2016

By Rita Friesen

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Every once in a while, a verse from the King James version of the bible says what I see more succinctly than any other version. Possibly because it is the first version from which I learned, possibly because I appreciate good poetry.

As I walked this morning, dogs at leash, of course, the voice in my head comforted me with the words of Psalm 121, ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’ Much of my studying now seeks the words from the New International version, but this morning the translation doesn’t capture the depth of the moving of my spirit by the Spirit. ‘I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.’ Perhaps the opening phrase – I will – meets my need this morning. Looking upward is a choice. A decision, a will. As I mature, and hopefully get wiser, I recognize more and more that attitude is a choice. I will. I will be thankful, I will give thanks, I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. No question about it, my help comes from the Lord which made heaven and earth. I like the use of the word ‘which’ in there as well. Interesting, not ‘who’ but ‘which’.

Makes one thankful not to live inside my head, doesn’t it? It is a routine walk to exercise the dogs and get me up and out and moving. It took a moment to stop and look around me to once again see the beauty of this earth. With fall comes further vistas. The leaves are thinning and my world looks different. As I stand in awe I can see the colours of autumn on the hillside. Golden stubble contrasting with the green of the meadows and hayfields. In the morning it is common, no, never common, but frequent, to see the mountains kissed with a mist, a veil, hiding the beauty, leaving me wanting more. Restful for the eyes and soul, I am reminded again how, when coming home from away, when I see the gentle curve of the mountains edge, my heart is at home. I have seen far away places, world renowned attractions and they were good, but seeing my mountains brings me home, in every sense of the word.

A bit of a ramble of thoughts, inviting you to see our world anew. The beauty of a sun reddened apple, the last rose of season, the rich brown of the ripened weeds in the ditch, the call of the crow, the ‘V’ of geese, all wondrous in themselves. The sound of the wind in the drying leaves, the rhythmic beat of wings of a low flying raven. Make it a choice. I will lift up my eyes.