What a beautiful weekend we had in Utah. The fall colors are so amazing. I enjoy the sights and smells of fall. The yellows, oranges, reds, and pale greens amongst the evergreens are vibrant. The slight breeze had the leaves swirling through the air with grace and ease to settle on the road as we passed by at a crawl.
Driving the Alpine Loop is a favorite pastime in the fall, and everyone seemed to have had the same idea as us.
It was such a blessing to sit on the back of the Harley and take it all in. It sank into my heart that the Lord had made all this beauty for us, and I thanked Him for it. I turned my face to the sun and felt it’s warmth. I breathed deeply and smelled the earthy tones of autumn. I wanted to stretch out my arms and let it bath me, but I held back.
I remembered the movie City of Angles with Meg Ryan. There’s a scene where she’s riding her bicycle on a back country road. She’s enjoying life and all it has to offer. She has the sun on her face and the wind in her hair. She puts her arms out turning her palms up to receive and throws back her head putting her face to the sun. It’s blissful and serene.
This idyllic moment is shattered by a logging truck pulling out in front of her and she dies as a result of her injuries. That fictional moment has stopped me from enjoying moments in my life. It has kept me from truly drinking in and savoring every moment because I was afraid of what might happen.
And then my husband asked me what I was thinking. We do that often to check in and understand one another better. I asked him if he remembered the City of Angles movie.
“Do you remember the part where she puts her arms out enjoying to moment and then dies?” I asked.
“Yes” he replied.
“Well, I was thinking of doing that, but I remembered that scene. I was thinking about the horrible part of it, so I didn’t put my arms out.”
“Yeah, but she was driving. She should have kept her eyes on the road. I’m driving so you’re safe.”
And just like that my world changed. As I thought about it more with my arms stretched wide and the sun on my face, I realized when I give my life to God and let Him drive, I’m safe.
I can relax because He’s got this. When I try to do things with my strength, I fail. I’m not strong enough and when I allow God to add His strength to my weakness, we can do anything.
In Ephesians Paul is praying for the spiritual growth of the church and in chapter 3 verse 16 he says, “I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.” NLT
That is what God does when we ask Him into our hearts. He empowers us to do the things we need and want to do. He gives us strength to live according to His will.
That’s my wish for you today. That you will be filled with the Holy Spirit so you can do all things as well.
