While reading Psalm 23 today I began to remember a day when I was 8 years old. I will not tell you how long ago that was because it will give my age away. But believe me when I say, It was a loooooong time ago!

Anyway, back to the story of when I was 8. On this particular day I was sitting on a blanket in our back yard watching the horses on the other side of the fence. It was a peaceful day in the life of an 8 year old. Just playing with my baby cousin and watching my mom in the pasture picking up apples. All of sudden our horse, Rocket, hauled off and kicked mom right in the tush. I do not think he liked the idea of her taking his apples. I have never seen my mom so mad in my entire life and still to this day have never seen her that mad again. She picked up the biggest tree limb, not just a switch size but the size of a small tree and chased that horse around the barn lot for what seemed like hours. Now to tell you I was in shock would be an understatement. At first I was shocked,,,but then the laughter at the site began to take over. I never laughed where mom could see me. I knew better than to do that. But boy did I laugh!!!

From that day on mom would have nothing to do with Rocket. But she didn’t let that horse detour her from picking apples in the barn lot. She was determined to have fresh apples to make those apple pies we all loved so much. And boy was I thankful for that. There is nothing like fresh apple fritters in your lunch box each day.

Psalm 23 tells me to take time to lay down in green pastures. Many times, I allow the dangers, like a horse kicking me, to detour me from peaceful pasture times in my life. God so wants to spend some quit time with me. When I take time to spend in the green pastures of peace and quit with Him, He leads me beside the still waters so He can restore me. His path of righteousness can then be seen and taken. His name is lifted up to others around me when I walk down this peace filled path. But I can only walk down it after I have spent time in the green pasture and beside the still water. As I walk this path of righteousness God gives me strength day by day to fight the good fight, to not live in fear, His rod and His staff bring me comfort.

Today I am encouraged to take time in the green pasture so my soul can be restored. I know there may be many “Rockets the Horse” in the green pasture, but I also know they cannot harm me. The God of Heaven wants to spend time with me and you today just walking beside the still waters and restoring our soul. What I glorious fact to know. The God of Heaven loves spending time with me!!!!