Psalm 23:1-3 – The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. (NIV)

At a YWAM (Youth with a Mission) Base in Belize, where my husband, Terry, and I volunteered in 2016, I had several responsibilities: baking, preparing a cabin for the weekly guest speaker, washing and drying the kitchen cloths and towels daily, and working in the concession.

Life on the base was a challenge. Tiny fleas from the beach sand covered my legs with bites, while mosquitoes made their presence known in the early evening. To counteract the insects, a "mosquito blower" would come by at 5:30 a.m. Our little casita was permeated with noxious fumes, which came through the window slats we'd had open, trying to coax a night breeze into our bedroom. I got caught up in what invaded my senses, instead of trusting the Lord.

One morning, when I heard that our fellow volunteers were going out in the kayaks, I asked to go with them. I quickly dealt with my first duty, the kitchen towels, so I was free for a couple of hours.

The sea was like glass as my friend and I set out, her three-year-old daughter tucked between us, following her husband and the two boys. Soon, we reached a white buoy marking the edge of a traffic lane where the water taxis would speed by. We lowered cement-block anchors. Here, the ocean floor was only about ten feet (three metres) below. My friend's husband, the base chef, wanted to dive for conches to cook. I slipped into the water to practise my snorkelling. How peaceful! The stresses of the preceding several days fell away as I leisurely swam, gazing at the sandy bottom, with sea grass moving gently back and forth.

No conches were to be seen, however, so we all headed back to the base. I was refreshed, and the kitchen cloths were bone dry.

Years later, as I pondered this interlude in my busy days in Belize, God spoke to me. The traffic lane in the ocean is like our sometimes-hectic days today, filled with frenetic activity. How often we rush through our responsibilities or waste energy reacting to our surroundings and circumstances! We may even be doing things the Lord has not appointed us to do.

The calm spot just next to the traffic lane is like the quiet waters of Psalm 23. The Lord, our Shepherd, marks out pastures where what we need is lush and plentiful. Our tasks will be much easier, as He leads us along right paths. Let us be at rest, knowing that He guides and strengthens us as we trust in Him.

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for providing green pastures and quiet waters for us, so that we can refresh our souls. Amen.