As much as I love hearing it recited at funerals, I have also found that it has become extremely useful when it comes to my mind. Our mind is what separates us from the rest of creation. We have the ability to think, and not only do we have the ability to think, we have freedom about what we will think. We can choose which thoughts will fill our minds. And if we were able to write down absolutely every single thought we've ever had, word for word, we would be shocked at some of the thoughts we allow ourselves to entertain. Some of these thoughts need to be offered up to the Shepherd and laid to rest.
The first line in Psalm 23 states that God is our shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. If this is true, and there isn't anything that I could want because God is protecting us, feeding us, guiding us, and making sure we never get lost, then I should have absolutely no worries. We are being called in this very first line of this Psalm of LIFE, to let our worries die, to let them rest in green meadows. The green meadows being a quiet mind, a mind of silent meditation, and empty of thinking. We have the ability to stop any thought at any time, allowing the life we gave them to pass. We have the ability to go to the pastures of silence and let our worries rest in peace. Our minds need rest from all the ridiculous, crazy thinking we do, and the stories we make up about our life. Burying our worries and giving them back to the earth to decay, we are led beside the peaceful streams of new thinking.
My oldest daughter came to me, worried that some of the "mean girls" were trying to take her friends. She had convinced herself that everyone in her classroom was on the "mean girls" side. She thought that single thought enough so that she believed everyone was "against" her and no one wanted to be her friend. Of course there were tears involved. But as I began to question her to get the facts about the situation, she discovered that even though some of her friends did other things with the "mean girls", they still came back to her,, wanting to do things with her too. Clare was thinking and believing a certain thought that needed to be laid to rest in order to make space for the truth. Once she allowed that false thought to pass, peaceful streams filled her mind and her heart. Not only had a false thought died, but so did an underlying fear that no one would like her. Once she could name that fear, her strength to go back into the classroom was renewed. God could now lead her on a right path. She began to change her thought from no one likes me to a new thought, I have plenty of friends and I am likable. One thought kept her walking in a dark valley of fear, afraid of being alone. The new thought enabled her to survive the darkest valley while the light of her new thinking began to dawn on her mind and dissolve it day by day. By burying an old thought, she found a rod of strength in her Center that would protect her from repeating that experience. She also found a staff of hope to comfort her when she felt that old thought trying to resurrect itself from the grave where she had once laid it to rest.
Her enemies, the "mean girls" had a feast prepared for her spirit. If it weren't for them, the self-confidence that she had gained would not have grown deeper and stronger. Were it not for them, she wouldn't have been able to identify an underlying issue with self-esteem. Were it not for them, the feast of seeing herself in a new light, a light of being loveable, likeable for who she is, without having to change herself, would never have emerged. That is a "feast" that will last for a lifetime. She began to realize that nothing was done to her and everything that the "enemy" had done, was done for her. So now her feast includes thanksgiving and gratitude for the "mean girls". Clare's mind, her head, was anointed with the oil of insight, understanding, and wisdom. The cup of her life now overflows with blessings of friendship, honesty, true self-esteem, and right thinking toward her enemy. Goodness and unfailing love can pursue her because she won't let that fear pursue her anymore, having laid it in its proper grave. The death of that thought, and the story of fear she believed to be true, is gone, dead, lifeless, never to rise and live again. And Clare can live in the house of the LORD forever. Her house being inside her built upon love's foundation, a healthy love of who she is, a respect for what our mis-guided thoughts and made up stories about our reality can do to us, and a love of who she really is, not who she thinks others need her to be.
Clare didn't totally buy all of this at first. Finding something that she would listen to, and could connect with, was key. She is completely obsessed with Titanic. She can't get enough of the stories, the people who experienced it, what happened, and why that great ship went down. She could probably teach a college course on it, and she has written James Cameron to tell him of how much she loves this ship's story. When I explained to her that what we think can "sink her ship" then she started to listen. I explained to her that thoughts can cause death or life. And what we think will cause us to either sink to a cold, icy death or enable us to stay afloat and swim to a lifeboat. We had been able to visit the Titanic Museum in Branson, and there you receive a card with a name on it, and at the end of the tour, you get to find out if you lived or died. All of our family members were survivors. I reminded her of this, and told her to start thinking "survivor" thoughts. Then I could see this lesson start to click. I can imagine how many times Psalm 23 must have been recited on that unsinkable ship's night of death. Some thoughts must die a cold death if we are going to live in the house of the Lord for the rest of our lives.
Identify the stories you tell yourself based on thoughts of fear. Lay them in their dark graves, and then go to your green meadow of a mind fixed on nothing but God. Sit beside the peaceful streams of loving thoughts and be renewed by the strength of Truth. The shepherd who provides you with all you need will guide you on a right path and will get you through the darkest valley of fear, of which you will not be afraid, because your fears were never real. God will stay close beside you, holding a rod of strength and a staff of hope to comfort and protect you.You will dine on the feast of friendship and your mind will have been anointed with the oil of self-love, knowledge, and wisdom. The cup of your heart will overflow with blessings and gratitude at what God has brought to life inside you. Because you've thought a different thought, only good things can pursue you because you believe in your goodness. What has died in your mind has caused you to live in the House of the Lord forever because love lives forever, not fear.
When that famous line in the Walton's comes at the end of the show, "Good Night, John Boy", it really is a good night. A night without valleys of fear, a night of strength and hope, a night with only friends, no enemies in sight, a night of dreams filled with green meadows.... a night of walking the right path, with a Shepherd that provided, even during the Great Depression. The Walton house was the Lord's house in many ways. A simple love lived there. That's why I loved that show and that's why my kids love it too. Love always prevailed.
An excerpt of Psalm 23 from MPMW Vol. 1
Lord, you are my Shepherd
I shall not want.
Lead me, God, to stillness and quiet,
make my worries lie down
in the greenest pastures of your presence.
Please restore me, God.
Please change me.
Let me feel your love.
Make me new,
And awaken me to right thinking and lead me on
love's perfect path.
Meet me in the valley of my fear, worry, and lack
and save me from myself.
Reflect On Your Life
1. Pray the 23rd Psalm before you meditate. Give one worry that you have to God.
2. What helps take you to your "green meadow"? What helps you quiet your mind?
3. Tell God everything about your worries. Listen for a response. What did God tell you?
