Prelude To Psalm 23

Prelude to Psalm 23 Nothing could have been more pleasing to me Than walking on this bed of soft green grass Until feeling the gentle slope beneath my feet And seeing the blue hue of the sky above Thinking that if I didn’t ease forward just one step more before turning round And didn’t keep my eyes closed and my breath held in That the moment would somehow be made less perfect Than I wanted it to be. It wasn't the view but the sight Of my young daughter’s face that made me wonder Until feeling the distance between us grow While losing my balance and falling backwards. It was then that I saw You Lord reaching towards me. The tug on my sleeve was just enough to sway my balance forward. Your look of concern was more than enough to let me know that you cared about Me more than anyone I’d ever met because... (Psalm 23) The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for You are with me your rod and your staff - they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. by Jean McLoughlin A Note from the Author This poem was written about a dream I had one night. Perhaps it's not obvious in the poem but in my dream I was walking up a hill which, unbeknownst to me, had a steep ravine cut into it. The moment I realised that I was about to fall to my death my life passed before my eyes. My biggest concern was for my baby daughter, who had followed me. I didn't want to leave her on her own and knew that she would most certainly fall over the edge too. I can still see the rocks below and the stones built into the edge of the cliff. When I looked into my Savior's face I could see more love and understanding than there had been in any of my previous relationships. This was the moment I knew that He was the one for me and I awoke with this feeling and a deeper understanding of Psalm 23. Praise the Lord!