Encountering God’s peace and blessings.

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It was a very hot and humid day that I happened to choose for my family to visit the city of New York. We spent time visiting the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and Wall Street. We were sweaty and we were tired. There was an ominous looking storm heading our way but we had one last stop on our pilgrimage. We all wanted to visit Ground Zero.

I was struck by the peace we encountered there. The memorial waterfalls pour into two reflecting pools set in the places where the twin towers once stood. Water flows down into a seemingly bottomless pit. The sound silences all other city noises.

The storm moved in quickly. We entered the museum just before hard rain began to fall, lightning struck and thunder pounded.  The next two hours we walked through the memories and stories of September 11, 2001. The museum brought out unexpected emotions. It has been nearly fifteen years since these events occurred, and yet the sorrow and anger from the past resurfaced. I lived in New York when this event took place and my memories of that day became vivid.

We left the museum and the storm had passed. I took this picture with the remnants of the rain and the rose, remembering someone lost while again encountering the peace of that fountain. The heat of the day was gone and replaced by the refreshing water around us.

Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
Psalm 84:6 New American Standard Bible

In this Psalm the people are making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Baca is translated as “weeping,” and “spring” is better translated as a well. The psalmist declares that it is good to go through this desert place to draw nearer to God. God provides wells of water to refresh them and blesses them on their journey.

When you encounter a place of weeping during your pilgrimage, remember that God will make it into an endless well of blessings and allow Him to fill you with His peace.

Photo and Text copyright Richelle Hecker