I have not felt this peaceful in years, if not ever… Rest has been a totally foreign concept for the past thirteen years. I can finally BREATHE… Inhale. Exhale. Thoughts are no longer bouncing off the sides of my head forming a kaleidoscope in my mind. They are gradually slowing down as if I am approaching a traffic light as it turns from yellow to red. Waking up each day has been like eating some exquisite dessert. Life has slowed down to a breath of fresh air. It feels like hope is being revived. Dreams are coming back into view because my vision had become blurry. Joy seems to be bubbling up inside of me and a well spring will come forth, whether it is through my smile, my pen, an embrace, laughter or just the serenity that is beginning to encapsulate my aura. This feels really amazing and I wonder why I didn’t make this decision sooner. Now infinite possibilities lay before me like an open landscape. A pathway lined with all sorts of precious stones that has been illuminated like some “yellow brick road” goes through this landscape and I have taken the first step on to it. It leads to a place called “Wholeness.” Glimpses of this place appear in my imagination, only they seem real. Forgiveness soaks the ground like morning dew giving life. As I walk to water’s edge, I see that there is another place even more magnificent than this one. However, to get to it I must walk on water across the crystal sea. This is exciting, yet alarming at the same time.

I imagine myself lying in a hammock tied to a couple of fruit trees just passing the day away at it gently sways from side to side. Maybe this is a picture of His rest. The way that He has always meant for us to live, despite whatever circumstances are before us. My face looks calmer than I can ever remember. Even my facial features seem to have a glow that paints my countenance a beautiful shade of new beginnings. The bags that had begun to form under my eyes are already fading away, as if they were intruders. Scales that fell from my eyes litter the ground beneath me and a renewed perspective comes into view. It tells me that it is okay to start over. It is okay to be what the world calls a “late bloomer.” Because this soul flower will be one of great radiance and will be one that has never been seen!

I am a magnificent eagle of a rare breed that has just been freed from captivity. It is one that resulted from my own decisions, but now this bird has been given another chance. My Lord, look at my wings glide through the air, reflecting the light of the sun! Soaring to new heights! Soaring into new territory and foreign lands! Gliding into panoramic views that show truths that the former false self could not see…

All of this now awaits me. Former things have passed away. It is a new day, a new chapter, a new season. Time for my decisions to be soaked in an oil called finality. This is a glorious opportunity to become a clean vessel that will be used for His glory. A chance to know what it means to live as a son of God and an heir of Christ. This new season is a tangible form of mercy, inspiring me to put on hinds feet and climb to high places. An assurance that He has a marvelous destiny in store for me. A chance to just be…

Nathan Allen Copyright ©2013