I’ve always wanted to live in a rural setting, but up to this point I haven’t made it happen.  I grew up in the big city, moved to a small town and now live in an urban setting once again.

I realize that wherever you live there are advantages and disadvantages; I’m better at dealing with urban disadvantages than rural ones…  but there’s something about a rural setting that has a pull on me.

Maybe it’s just the novelty of it when I visit, but it seems like you can be closer to God in the country.  The air is pure, nature is all around and you can hear the birds and crickets instead of trucks, sirens, horns and people shouting. Yet, there is really more to it, I think.  When God created man, He put the man into a garden and the man had the job of tending the garden for God.  In the country, man and God are working together again to craft nature for a life-sustaining purpose; maybe that’s it.

Or, maybe that’s just my imagination getting the best of me!

In any event, I like to visit the countryside, to have my ears ringing because of the absence of noise and to breathe in clear air.  It has the effect of renewal for me, and it gives me a chance to hear that still small voice that tells me I’m in good hands and within loving arms that never grow tired.

Thank you Lord for times spent in pastoral settings…