“With Me”
Kunming Park, Denver Colorado—Near Harvard Gulch
WHERE: Head to Kunming Park (200 E. Harvard Ave, Denver CO 80210)
WHEN: Anytime, but the sunsets are spectacular
BLESSED SPOT: Find the benches facing the mountains and choose the right-hand bench—sit or stand near it.
Find this bench and have a seat
I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. He won't let you stumble, your Guardian God won't fall asleep. —Psalm 121:1-3
“With Me”
Hazel “Crazel” is our sweet little Aussiedoodle puppy. We somehow thought walking on a leash would come naturally to her—our dog must be brilliant, right? Well, no! She looked possessed as she would spin around us, suddenly throw herself on the ground, bite at her leash, and dart at anything that fluttered in her way. We walked down the street in shame, feeling the eyes of judgment from passing neighbors. Thank God for the dog trainer. Jonteray taught us “with me” a calmer, kinder, more positive way of saying “heel.” We would walk with a loose-leash coaxing her along with a gentle but firm “with me” as we handed her treats for staying close and attentive. It wasn’t long before “with me” encouraged her to stay by our side, look to us for affirmation, and of course the tasty snack in our hands.
I was reminded of her training as I walked to this spot at Kunming Park. Thank goodness she is many months into training and a “with me” gets her sweet attention and she promptly obeys. I love this park and I love that it is a bit hidden. It has become a place of quiet for me. I love the rolling grassy hills and watching families come to play frisbee, or throw the dog a ball, or eat a picnic, and then applaud the sun as it sets behind the mountains. Hazel and I walked to our bench, the one you are sitting on now, to reflect on what I wanted to write for this entry. And I was quickly touched by the idea that God wants us to be “with him” to abide in Him. He is gentle, kind, and affirming of us when we walk with him and trust in Him. Not behind Him, not ahead of Him, but with him.
John 15:4 says "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."
Zephaniah 3:17 says "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."
Isaiah 41:10 says "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Hazel’s training took time, it was a course in “practice makes perfect.” We spent a lot of time repeating our sessions, trying to get her to link her behavior with the reward. Similarly we need to practice our trust in God, practice being “with Him.” That practice consists of taking prayer walks, reading the Bible, learning from others, listening to a great sermon, being still, and just stopping long enough to feel his presence around us. As you sit here on the bench, take a breath, look to the mountains and realize God is in your midst—He is literally in your midst. He formed the mountains you are looking at. He is gently trying to teach us to not get ahead of him, or thrash on the ground, or dart at the next shiny object or depressing news headline. Sit still and ask God to sit next to you and treat you with his amazing grace, calm, peace, and hope.
My prayer for this sacred space is that you would feel that God is “with you”.
I pray that you sense His presence, His deep love for you that started before you were born, His complete acceptance of who you are and what you have done—good, bad, and the ugly. You have been declared His! And, I am praying that you ask God to prompt to show you how a friend, a stranger, a neighbor, or maybe a family member you have been avoiding can be “with you”. Who haven’t you had the courage to be with (maybe virtually at this time—a phone call, video chat, online scrabble game)? Maybe someone really different from you, with wildly different views? I have prayed that you feel empowered to reach out and to be a little uncomfortable.
Joshua 1:9 says "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Romans 15:13 says "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 8:38-39 says "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
This space at Kunming park has been prayed for:
For you to have courage as you are facing Covid-19 and the impact on the world around you
For meaningful and creative connections
For calm and hope
For inclusion
For you to be aware of what God is prompting you to do.
For you to sense that God is saying “stick by my side and I will gently guide you along your path—you are never ever alone because you are with me!”
Things you can do:
Post a comment, a thought, a prayer, or a prayer request
Clap and shout "Bravo" as the sun sets
Smile and tell someone hello as they pass (6 feet apart from you :)
Call or text someone who could really use a conversation, share what you are seeing and experiencing
Remember God is bigger than C-19 and this too will pass!
