I'd love to give a brief summary of the hike I took in KY since it was fabulous, and I said I would do so. : ) So I started on a trail that Caleb had recommended. But I, in my curiosity, do not like to follow the path that is perfectly cleared for all to walk. I came upon a path that was cleared of some shrubbery decided, "I'm gonna check that out!" It was walkable, although it was not as easy because it was highly populated with thorn-covered branches. Fortunately, I was wearing two pairs of pants, so it wasn't too painful. As I followed the path, I saw a big, open area of green grass and lots of trees on a hill. I got pretty excited to be in the open area all by myself. Walking up the hill, I approached the top of it, at which point I gasped at the awesome sight of a gorgeous body of water. Once my breath returned, I let out a vocal sigh, and then I giggled for a bit. It was so obvious that the Spirit led me there because my Love wanted some intimate time with me. And He knew I would absolutely delight in it. I ventured around it to sit on the perfect layer of rocks where I had some of the sweetest time with my Love, singing, talking, laughing. Some people would probably think me crazy. But I seriously do-not-care. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life thus far. And what an amazingly perfect way that He set it up!! It was until writing this that I even realized how much the "path" represented the truth revealed in Scripture about the path not being easy, not commonly walked, but how it led to a paradise that I could not have dreamed up. Wow...
I also got to climb a tree that I saw along the way. And I saw a huge, huge, huge open area of grass that, as soon as I saw it, I stopped on the trail, naturally grinned a cunning grin, and then dashed down the field with a huge smile, running as fast as I could, splashing myself with the swampy grass, and it was a BLAST! I even ended up on a different walking path amidst it all. It was a great, great day. : D
I did think I was going to fall over once I reach the peak of my hike because it was pretty steep uphill, and I was feeling the lack of youth in me. Haha.
Since I have been in Nashville, Father has put me in play rooms with brothers and sisters who are on such a similar journey in their faith. Four people, thus far, have said, "I'm from [given place], but I really believed that the Lord was calling me to Nashville for some reason. I don't really know why yet, but I just believe He was telling me to come here." AWESOME!!! One of the young ladies with whom I was having this conversation gave me a really good word regarding all of it, and Father gave me discernment that it was the Spirit's words. Hallelujah, right?!?!
The following is the post that I read from an online subscription today. I'm posting it because it really resonated within my Spirit. If you read it, praise God. If you don't, praise God.
"Father, thank You for Your gift of the Holy Spirit, and for the beautiful ways He moves in us. I praise You for Your perfect provision, and I trust You with the eyes that come upon this page. In Your name of Love, Amen."
T. Austin-Sparks
From the latter days of the Apostles till now, the history of Christianity is a history of prisons. This history is not of literal or material prisons, though there have been not a few of these. It is a history of prisons, which are the result of man's long established habit of bringing theSpirit into bondage.
How many times has the Spirit broken loose and moved in a new and free way only to have that way brought under man's control and crystallized into another form, creed, organization, denomination, sect, order,community, or the like! The invariable result has been that the Spirit's free movement and life has been cramped or even killed by the prison of the framework into which He has been drawn or forced.
Every time we seek to express something divine in word or form, we at once limit it. When that expression or form becomes the established and recognized formula, we have, in effect, put fetters on the Spirit. God gives a vision, and every God-given vision has unlimited potential and possibilities. But all too soon the vision is laid hold of by men who never received it by the Spirit. Then the grapes of Eschol turn to raisins in their hands. So very many of the living fruits of the heavenly country have sufferedin this way and become dried, shrunken, and unctionless shadows of their earlyglory.
Successors, sponsors, or adherents build an earthlyorganization on a living movement of the Spirit, born with fire in the heart ofsome prophet. They imprison the vision in a tradition. A message becomes acreed; a heavenly vision becomes an earthly institution; a movement of theSpirit becomes a work, which must be kept going by the steam of human energyand maintained by man's resourcefulness.
Any real (or seeming) departure or diversion from therecognized and traditional order of creed or practice will sooner or laterbecome heresy, to be violently suspected, repressed, and cast out. What was, atits beginning, a spiritual energy-producing living organism, expressingsomething that God really wanted and to which He gave birth has too oftenbecome something which the next generation has to sustain and struggle hard atto keep going. The thing has developed a self-interest, and it will go hard with anyone or anything interfering or seeming to interfere with it. The Spirit has become the prisoner of the institution or system, and as a result thepeople become limited spiritually.
All along the way the Spirit must be referred to anddeferred to. In anything in which the Spirit may have His liberties limited,the Spirit will be a rebel. And if He is in us, He will make us to rebelagainst unspiritual restrictions.
