The Joy Challenge: Sunday March 9th 2014

The beautiful Xanna reminded me of a Barrett Browning poem I texted her recently: 

Earth's crammed with heaven, / And every common bush afire with God, / But only he who sees takes off his shoes;/ The rest sit round and pluck blackberries. Oh that today would be a day of removed shoes. A sabbath day of stopping, seeing, lifting up our eyes. The ridiculously happy daffodils strain their faces upwards to catch the sun and so must we. Stop. Look up. Look round. Breath in. Be changed. For we who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory -n this heaven-crammed earth - are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory. Say what?! Be-ing transformed. Present continuous. Ongoing. Right now is the opportune moment to look to Him and be made new.