Face Down

One of my favorite worship songs is "Face Down" by Matt Redman. The lyrics go like this:

Welcomed in to the courts of the king, I've been ushered into your presence.
Lord, I stand on your merciful ground, yet with every step, tread with reverence.
There is none in heavens like you, and upon the earth, who's your equal?
You are far above, You're the highest of heights, and I'm bowing down to exalt you.
And I'll fall face down as Your glory shines around.
Yes I'll fall face down as Your glory shines around.
Let Your glory shine around, let you glory shine around.
King of glory here be found, King of glory!

My Tuesday night ladies' Bible study has just started Beth Moore's study on the Psalms of Ascent. One of the challenges she calls us to meet is going face down before God every day. Needless to say, that's challenging for many of us.

Some of us are easily distracted. Some of us fiddle. Some of us feel uncomfortable and vulnerable.

And then there's poor Janey, who is WAY past her due date and is just ready for that darn boy to make his appearance into this world! Pray for her. :~)

Nich and I spent Saturday in Lake Placid on Saturday. You can read more about that here. My face down time up until that point had felt forced and a bit awkward. I've felt the discomfort of lying on the rough and scratchy cheap carpet of our bedroom, turning my face from side to side, praying bland prayers. And I'm not even pregnant. Although I'm sure being pregnant probably makes prayer time more focused.

Anyway. I'm glad God listens even when I'm boring.

Saturday was refreshingly different. Nich and I had taken the day to be together, and it was an absolutely gorgeous day. We strolled around downtown Lake Placid, sipped coffee, window-shopped, laughed at the antics of small children, wished for our own puppy...

Then we spread our blankets in a shaded spot by the lake and ate our picnic lunch. Nich dozed off as I started my face down time for the day with God. As I lay down, God reminded me to quiet my spirit. I listened to Nich's breathing slowly growing softer, the rustle of the steady breeze through the carpet of pine needles and pine cones, the unsteady thwack of an amateur tennis game in the distance, the giggling bravado of children on the beach sticking their toes in the shaved-ice-covered lake.

And I realized: THIS is beauty, and this, this noticing, this awareness, is worship.