“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.”
Psalm 23:1-3
The cows above have become morning friends during my attempts to stay healthy with my morning runs. I share a greeting whenever I pass by this pasture, trying to be a good neighbor. I would like to believe when they stop and stare at me, this is their silent acknowledgment of my greeting and encouragement of my striving to take care of myself.
Today, some of the cows were lying down, while others were standing. In upstate NY, this meant there would be scattered showers that day.
The contrast of me running off to another appointment and the cows resting in their pasture gave me pause today. For I was running to get new tires for my car, having worn out the tread with the miles traveled across this beautiful district. Running to get new tires so that I can keep doing the work of ministry. Yet the cows, they were simply being still in the pasture.
In David Tomlinson’s book, Still waters and skyscrapers: the 23rd Psalm for the 21st century, he shares about his friend Mike Yaconelli, who “realized his whole life was consumed with doing rather than being.” Mike is the author of Messy Spirituality and wrote these words:
I knew what it meant to believe in Jesus, I didn’t know what it meant to be with Jesus. I knew how to talk with Jesus, I didn’t know how to sit still long enough to let Jesus talk to me. I found it easy to do the work of God, but I had no idea how to let God work in me. I understood soul-saving, but I was clueless about soul making. I knew how to be busy, but I didn’t know how to be still. I could talk about God; I just couldn’t listen to God. I felt comfortable with God’s people, but I felt uncomfortable alone with God. I was acquainted with the God ‘out there’, but I was a complete stranger to the God ‘in-here’. I could meet God anywhere … except in my heart, in my soul, in my being.
Perhaps this resonates with you today. What if we all took a moment, an hour, a day, and accepted the promise of verse 2, He makes me lie down in green pastures. To be still and know that God is God. To be aware of the restorative work God has done, is doing, and will do. To be loved by God in a quiet and safe place of peace and tranquility. Oh, how good this can be, as we take time to replace our worn out tread.
Blessings, 
David
[With thanks to Odell Watkins, who allowed me access to her backyard for the photo above in Camden County – March 2023]