"A presence that disturbs me with the joy / of elevated thoughts, a sense sublime . . ."

. . .And this prayer I make,
Knowing that nature never did betray
The heart that loved her; 'tis her privilege,
Through all the years of this our life, to lead
From joy to joy, for she can so inform
The mind that is within us, so impress
With quietness and beauty, and so feed
With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,
Rash judgements, nor the sneers of selfish men,
Nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all
The dreary intercourse of daily life,
Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb
Our cheerful faith that all which we behold
Is full of blessings.

"Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey,
On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye During a Tour, 13 July 1798"
(Lyrical Ballads, 1798)

William Wordsworth

Thinking of the coming departure of another of the special young people I have watched grow up fills me with another moment of joy mixed with sadness. For Nikki Rogers, my blog will focus more on the intellectual beauty that defines who and what she is. The lines above come from my favorite poet and poem. Not only am I a big marshmallow, I am a romantic at heart. When I think of Nikki, what I think of is beauty, a beauty that is far more than just a skin deep phenomenon. Indeed, the title of this blog post is probably the single most, famous line from the British romantic period. And Nikki is that "sense sublime" because she is always capable of bringing a smile to my face.

Nikki joined our church family as a small child in foster care with the Rogers family who later adopted her. She very quickly stole our hearts. For me, as an intellectual who enjoys thinking and discussing literature and poetry, I have especially enjoyed the last few years as I have watched her love of learning infuse her life. Her excitement over the new ideas and concepts she encountered as she grew both physically and intellectually was and is a true joy for me, someone who truly has the heart of a teacher, to embrace and to foster as she grew as a whole person. Wordsworth speaks of nature impressing us "with quietness and beauty." That image of nature using its simple quiet and its simple beauty to impress upon us vast lessons of the creation and of natural morality define to me the person that Nikki has become for nature is strong, nature is powerful, but nature impresses with its slow progress and unfailing faithfulness to the purpose that God gave it. This image of nature reminds me of Nikki because she has a quiet inner strength that is capable of encouraging each of us in the hardest of moments and in the saddest of times. And for that reason, I love her dearly and will miss seeing her.

But, nature teaches us another important lesson that I believe defines Nikki. Wordsworth says that "the dreary intercourse of daily life" cannot prevail against us because it cannot stop our "cheerful faith" that all "that we behold is full of blessings." Nikki is a blessing to us that we did not deserve and a reminder that all that we behold is a life full of the blessings of God. Like Jordan, Nikki's faith is strong; it is sold; and it is a cheerful faith. It defines who she is and will always define her.

But, lest we forget, nature is strong; and, if you know Nikki, like I know Nikki, she is strong. Another romantic poet, William Blake, described nature as red in tooth and claw meaning that sometimes nature gets tough. I've watched Nikki through the years and although she is tender-hearted, more tender-hearted than she wants us to know, she is tough as nails and can battle when the battle is called for; I would expect nothing less of her. And it is a characteristic that will serve her well as she moves out into the sometime cruel "real world".

So my final thoughts to Nikki are similar to what I shared for Jordan. When you arrive in Boone to join the "Boone Goons" as they are called, remember to read your Bible daily, pray without ceasing, and find a local church to become your church family while you are away from us. Remember to study hard but take time to enjoy your time in college because those years will be past before you know it. But know that our love, our prayers, and our best hopes for all the blessings God has in store for you go with you to Boone. We love you Nikki and know that great things will come! Go forth and enjoy your experience with higher education!