What brings you life?

In this morning’s Fruit of the Vine, Bethany Lee asks, “What brings you life? What do you love?”

I think of waterfalls.

This summer I’ve been taking time whenever I can find it to chase waterfalls. Old topographical maps and an online database of satellite images have helped me find ten so far in the county where I live. During one of those trips, I fell and broke my phone. During another, I had to hike in because the road had washed out. Another time, I had a run-in with a bear. Fortunately, he was more interested in berries than in me. 

Bethany writes that these questions work better than more spiritual questions like, “How do you pray?” or “What’s your favorite Bible verse?” because of how easy it is for us to “get stuck thinking there are only a few acceptable ways to connect with God. And often the ones that seem most holy to us are the ones we find the most difficult.”

Bethany’s right. And it is good to be reminded that God is present, not only in my morning devotions, but also in outdoor adventure, in quiet spaces, in rushing water, in a close call with a bear.

Bethany writes that “when we start noticing what it is that brings us life, what revives us, we can learn to spot the ways God interacts with us. . . . So what brings you life?”

Eric Muhr