Walking in Olive Groves
Michael and I are in Tuscany at the moment. We are at a villa in the countryside and there are vineyards and olive farms all around. Our balcony overlooks a valley of vines, it is so romantic. There are even these lovely little bottles of olive lotion and honey “latte corpo” body milk in the bathroom.
On our first day we went for a walk through the olive groves. It is remote here and so it was only very occasionally that we passed anyone. Maybe a farmer pruning wth a little barking dog for company. Otherwise it was just the two of us and it was very peaceful.
We talked about God along the way, the way that He is changing things so much for us at the moment. It is a really exciting time because of this. It is so easy to become settled with God. Instead of revolving our lives around Him and being stirred by Him, we become distracted by day to day. The vitality of God in our lives grows dim. His “realness” becomes less evident.
But God has reawakened something. It is like a captivation for Jesus. There is so much in life to enjoy, but nothing compares to Him. Nothing comes close.
The disciples were busy with their lives when they encountered Jesus. Simon Peter and Andrew, the fishermen, were casting their nets into the sea and Jesus said “Follow Me.” Their reaction was immediate and total. They set aside their nets and their lives and went after Him (Matthew 4:18-20). Levi, the tax collector was “sitting in the tax office” when Jesus said “Follow Me.” He was at work! The gospel says about Levi, “and he left all, rose up, and followed Him” (Luke 5:27-28).
The disciples were so compelled by Jesus that they set everything aside to be close to Him, to be led by Him, to learn from Him, to live for Him. Jesus captivated them so much, the Kingdom of God inspired them so much, that it was what their lives became about.
As His disciple, I want that too. To set aside everything that distracts, to experience Him, to hear from Him. To make Him the definer and driver of my life. Jesus says “seek first the Kingdom” (Matthew 6:36) – with all that He has blessed me with in my life so far, there is nothing that compares to Jesus Himself and to knowing Him.
We have just arrived back to the villa from Florence. Tomorrow we are visiting a beautiful Tuscan village called San Gimignano. I am really looking foward to writing more about this romantic place and posting some photos. Praise God for His amazing goodness.
Olive Grove… Today at Mass it was Palm or Passion Sunday, and the Lord’s Passion was read out. It never ceases to give me the tingles, and even though I have read and heard it so many times I heard something new today. When in the upper room, Jesus says the scriptures are being fulfilled, and checks on the fact that they have swords. Interesting, he’s trying to give his apostles an insight into his prophetic abilities, as we know later on that night Peter uses the sword on the soldier Malchus’ ear. I never really pictured the disciples as carrying swords around, but when he checks one disciple tells him there are two swords, and Jesus says that will be enough. Isn’t it great that you can always hear something more each time you hear or read God’s word?