“Lying in the Shade”

I feel all stirred up inside... Tears from either sorrow or joy
I am unsure
Keep bubbling up to the surface
My grass isn't plush anymore
For days, when our mower was broken down
I could feel tall, lush, cool grass
Beneath my feet
Then a kind friend mowed it for us
I know it needed it, but I miss it...

Today, my emotions are oversensitive
I came home…
Felt the wind…
Glanced at my freshly mowed yard
Actually paying attention to the world around me
Starred at the sunshine and shade of the big tree
Then, it hit me…
How long had it been since I had sat outside?
On a sunny day, in the shade?
And I ached…

So I went inside
Grabbed an old tattered quilt and spread it out
Ran back inside to grab the cordless phone
Just in case…
On my way back out
My heart stopped
Just the look of the patchwork quilt spread out in the grass
Suddenly, peace filled me

So, here I lie
For everyone to see
In my own, heaven made sanctuary

For God has always used
His creation to soothe my troubled soul
As a child…
As a young harried mother of two…
As a divorced single mom, working way too many days
For way too long…
As a mature woman of peace…

Let God’s world be for you
What it has always been for me…
Take a walk…
Lie in the shade…
Turn off the TV and look at the stars tonight
It’s all the same
God is everywhere
He won’t turn you away
I found Him
Lying in the shade…

-- Tammy Hornbeck