Inner Vision

Christine's blog post on Monday was beautiful, quite poetic.  I received an email from a member of St John's to explain why I hadn't been able to get hold of him on my ring round to see if everyone is alright.  The email said how he and his wife had been on their daily walk, and he commented on how lucky we are to have such pleasant country walks nearby.  This made me think about both those people who don't have such places nearby to help them see the goodness of God, and those people who do, but don't take joy in it, perhaps envious of others who might have, say, the sea to walk by.  Then I came across this poem by Wordsworth:

The Inner Vision 

Most sweet it is with unuplifted eyes

To pace the ground, if path there be or none,

While a fair region round the traveller lies

Which he forbears again to look upon;

Pleased rather with some soft ideal scene,

The work of Fancy, or some happy tone 

Of meditation, slipping in between

The beauty coming and the beauty gone. —

If Thought and Love desert us, from that day

Let us break off all commerce with the Muse:

With Thought and Love companions of our way—

Whate’er the senses take or may refuse,—

The Mind’s internal heaven shall shed her dews

Of inspiration on the humblest lay.

— William Wordsworth

As Christine challenged us, let us all look for something beautiful, and if we don't have access to country walks, or poor health prevents our taking such walks, let us pray that God will give us the inner vision to be transported to a place of beauty with Him.  Let us also make the most of what we have, allowing the mind's internal heaven to shed her dews of inspiration.

God bless you all.