With the fencing on the farm complete, I opened the gate into the middle pasture,

They were home, and so was I.

The joy and abandon they felt made my heart swell, and as I continued to watch, a phrase from Romans 5:2 (MSG) whispered in the quiet of my soul—“the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory.” This particular phrase has echoed in my soul for years after reading my friend Beth Booram’s book, The Wide Open Spaces of God: A Journey with God through the Landscapes of Life.

“The Wide Open Spaces of God (referring to her book) is an invitation to open up our lives to a bigger God and a bigger life. It is a summons toward a more expansive life, one that is characterized by a keen awareness and responsiveness to God’s presence and grace embedded in the terrain of our personal journey.”

Both metaphor and invitation, the farm woos me with its quiet beauty and expansive landscapes. It represents for me, as Beth aptly points out, leaving “the safety and security of the known for the unknown, uncharted, wide open spaces of God.” After decades of living in a situation that was neither safe nor secure, God placed me in green pastures as far as the eye could see, and he invited me to rest and to heal.

But that is a story for another day.

For now, let me introduce you to the farm and some of the furry and feathered companions that share it with me.

If something inside of you stirs at reading these words or while enjoying these images, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I’d love to support and walk alongside you as you explore what it means for you to live an expansive life.

Together, let’s throw open our doors to God and explore the wide open space of God’s grace and glory.