“A Noble Theme”
WHERE: Littleton, CO - “Hine Lake” in the ‘Waters Edge’ neighborhood off of Coal Mine Rd. and Van Gordon St.
WHEN: In the afternoon when the sun feels warm
BLESSED SPOT: The bench by itself facing the lake past the basketball courts
“A Noble Theme”
“My heart is stirred by a noble theme..” - Psalm 45:1
What a fabulous verse! It’s one of those verses that’s tucked away inside the pages of this historic book like an undiscovered treasure. I picture an ancient book you find in a hidden nook of a very old and dusty house that hums of history and bygones, life and oh so many stories that echo in its walls. The yellowed pages have a musty smell. You carefully open it and a small fragile piece of paper flutters out. ‘My heart is stirred by a noble theme’ is all it says. Why was that tucked in there? Who wrote it and why? How long ago was this written? Everything about those words are moving.
My heart is stirred….
Sit with that for a moment. When you read that, does that make your heart beat just a tiny bit faster? It has melodies of epic movies. Love stories. Overcoming. Anticipation. Glorious nature. Starry skies.
….. by a noble theme
The music of that epic movie started to crescendo a little. It took another step forward and got a little louder. There’s always a story behind a noble theme - always.
Noble
WHAT comes to mind when you think of something noble? A knight in shining armor. A healthcare worker sacrificing long hours to care for those with COVID. Someone who makes a great sacrifice. Selfless abandon that gives and gives. Royalty. A prince. A queen. The honor of remembering.
WHO comes to mind when you think of someone noble? Is there someone in your life now that you see as noble?
In loving memory of….
There is a plaque on this bench that simply says, “In loving memory of Lynn Cooper and Gracie”. Whoever dedicated this bench wanted people, strangers, anyone who sat down here to know that Lynn Cooper and Gracie were wonderful people, people to be remembered, people with a story and there are devoted people who loved them dearly and miss them. Remembering and honoring people is a noble theme that stirs our hearts doesn’t it? Even when we don’t know who the people were.
“One finds nobility in the oddest places” - Cassandra Clare
As I walked this lake I listened to the music from Finding Nemo (click the link to listen - trust me, it’s more epic than you probably remember). It was a very different experience to listen to an epic symphony of music at the same time. The ripples from ducks seemed to reverberate with melody. The dip and soar from the birds felt inspiring with a new beauty. There was a kind of purpose and direction to it. It felt like I was anticipating something very exciting in everything I looked at. A father and son riding bikes was a story I was watching with emotion injected that wasn’t there before. It gave me fresh eyes to see the world around me on ‘just another walk’ with a gloriousness that only adding the music could bring. At one point, the music climaxed and as if on cue, a huge flock of birds took flight - spectacular. It made me smile. It was a unique experience that stirred my heart. You should try it!
The ultimate noble theme
I am writing this, the evening before Easter. Easter - the resurrection of Christ - the noblest of themes! The ultimate sacrifice by a perfect God because of how much he desperately loves us. Desperate, sacrificial love that gave us eternal life - the most noble of themes in all of history actually. It’s something that we will never fully comprehend. When I stop and actually take a moment to ponder his sacrifice and all he endured FOR ME it makes me want to fall on my face before Him. Maybe I should. It’s one of those things we actually rarely do - physically prostrate ourselves before God. It feels vulnerable and I think I will be emotional if I do it. It feels kind of weird. But I think I will this week … (when no one is around).
The Bible is a hidden treasure of noble themes - we just often don’t read it with the filter of a ‘noble theme’ before us.
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for HE HAS RISEN, just as he said he would.” - Mathew 28:5
This spot has been prayed for
I prayed that today the Lord would stir your heart to see him with fresh eyes
I prayed that the Lord brings someone noble to mind that might surprise you - tell them how much you appreciate them.
I pray that the next time you read the Bible it will speak of a ‘noble theme’ you never saw before
Things you can do:
Read the story of Jehoshaphat in II Chronicles 20 - one of my favorite stories of crazy trust in God. His responses to ‘alarming news’ is fabulous (v. 3 “….alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord…”)
Listen to the soundtrack of some movies Planet Earth II Suite, The Chronicles of Narnia while you take a walk
Look for something this week that ‘stirs your heart’ and ponder why
Prostrate yourself before God this week and see what it stirs in you
Leave a comment, a prayer or request below
My Favorite Meme of the Day
For anyone who knows me, I love to crochet so…. maybe I’m not quite THAT bored