Tuesday, October 2, 2012

When dreams are in pieces!

Troubling news, information I do not want, yet in my heart I know it's reality.

 "Lord? I don't want to feel this pain! I don't want to walk this road!
It hurts, Lord. The dreams I cherished are in pieces. 
 I grieve for them.
 I fear the unknown of tomorrow.
I am angry. Others seem to move through life
with ease.
Their dreams blossoming and bright."
 
Silence
 
"Lord? I see no  path, only  a wall.
I need Your light, I need Your hand."
 
Movement
 
"Lord? Is it for my growth the pieces lie on the floor?
A gentle nudge to ask for Your dream?
A loving whisper to hold fast to Your hand?
A tender touch to stand strong in who You are?"
 
Footsteps
 
"Lord?
You love me with an infinite love.
Your hands tenderly mold my heart into Your likeness.
Your ways are not my ways.
You hold me in the palm of Your hand and
my name is written there.
Your hear my prayers
and know my voice.
You love my dear ones more than I.
You created them.
You are moving and working,
creating dreams for them.
You are God!"
 
Embrace
 
 
 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Help along the way - Part 2

The fog clears.We find ourselves staring into a bottomless chasm. In the distance we see peaks of ranges yet to be climbed. We collapse, weary, exhausted, discouraged against the mountainside.
 No way to cross, no path down, no way out.  We are helpless and alone!

Night falls, darkness - no light, no warmth only chilly gusts of icy wind and strange, guttural sounds that keep us awake.  We cry out, "Lord, protect me, I'm scared, I need You!" The growls are louder now,  closer - suddenly we hear footsteps, a shout and a thud then a yelping, paws scurrying away.

All is quiet. We are not alone! We fall into a fitful sleep. A loving hand covers us with His robe and His singing quietens our hearts.

We awaken and slowly rise to greet a new day.  Rubbing our eyes we move stiffly to the edge of the cliff  and see what was not there before, a small ledge along the walls of granite.

We hear the Voice.
 We follow.


A breeze, gentle and warm caresses our face as we stumble down the path. It's less steep, less rocky, easier to walk. We enter a small cave behind a large boulder and emerge quickly into a small pasture.

Sheep graze contentedly and cows lounge in the shade of a large stand of trees. Butterflies float from flower to flower, birds sing sweetly.  Fruit trees welcome us will branches heavy with delicious, sweet, fruits of all varieties. Cool, refreshing water flows beside the tress offering relief to a very thirsty traveler. Pillows and blankets lay scattered on the grass in the shade.There's a table by the stream with platters  filled with meat, cheese and bread for us to enjoy.

We  gratefully relax.
 We gather strength for the next leg of our journey.

Rested and refreshed we hear the call of the Shepherd to continue our way Home.

More mountains to climb-
More meadows to rest
but never alone!


Psalm 23

 
 
 


Monday, September 24, 2012

Help along the way? - part 1

Our journey - This walk through time on a path full of surprises. Some roads incredibly joyful while others painful, difficult. We look ahead and see that glow in the distance - our Home.

We step forward, surefooted and confident.

Around us, a beautiful meadow -  lush green grass rippling in the warm, summer breeze,
 flowers of all colors filling the fresh air with their perfume while bobbing their heads in time to the music of the birds flying overhead. Water flows nearby, skipping happily around and over smooth multicolored rocks. Clouds dance in the breeze,  the sky, a brilliant blue.
 Stopping to rest by the stream we reach up and pick a luscious, red apple from a hanging branch nearby and laugh as the juice runs down our chin with the first bite.

A call,
A sweet voice in the distance asks us to follow.
We rise and walk happily toward our Shepherd
 
Leaving the meadow, we round a corner to see a rock strewn road winding back and forth up the side of a hill. Off we go, following the footsteps in the dust. We walk for hours finding the path steeper, harder. We climb on and around boulders, duck under jagged pieces  of granite and slide on slopes of shale.

The wind turns cold and gusts push us back down the path. We teeter on the edge of sheer drop-offs. The fog rolls in. It's difficult to see. We are cold, hungry and exhausted. We grope along the wall of the mountain, our hands cut and bleeding from sharp edges. We fall to our knees, crawling, crying out for help, reaching out blindly in front of us.





 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

brooding - rehashing and stewing

Brooding - rehashing and stewing over last night.

 I opened my mouth to share a very intelligent observation about Esther. (I attend a weekly bible study) Out poured words in no particular order. The few important words to tie the statement together flew away into the unknown before they could be spoken. Thankfully, from across the room, a fellow attendee picked up the thought and spoke eloquently, filling in the missing details.

So on my morning walk with my faithful companion I analyzed each second - tore apart every word to discover the reason of my ineptness. Freud would be proud of my scientific approach and dissection of the issue to form a brilliant conclusion.

Thoroughly depressed and disheartened I shuffled to the couch when I got home to begin my morning devotional time.

First I read:       
"God uses us to make know His wisdom
to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places."
 
"Not last night!" I mutter. What? I hear a chuckle . . .
 
Opening "Jesus Calling" I continue my morning routine:
 
"See things from My perspective . . ."
 
""When little things don't go as you hoped -
Look to Me lightheartedly and say
"OH WELL" '
 
I burst out laughing! I hear loving laughter joining me.
 
I "totally in my mind" blew it last night! The fact is, last night was not about me but about Him!
His greatness in working behind the scenes to accomplish His purpose and will using fallible and imperfect beings to fulfill His plan. This was the lesson He taught the principalities and powers in heavenly places last night!
 
A gentle reminder to NOT take life (me) so seriously. Not to waste our limited energy on the "what ifs" and the "if onlys". To lighten up and enjoy the moment. So join me in saying:
 
"OH WELL" often and
sharing a sweet smile with our King"
 


Monday, September 17, 2012

Lord, I am so afraid!

"Lord, I am so afraid! I can't shake off this heart tightness.This dread, this anticipation of a fearful thing I can't even name makes me weak.  The heaviness is weighing me down. Nightmares disturb my sleep! I am obsessing over the what ifs.  My stomach's tied in knots. It's hard to breath."

Past failures flood my mind. Stupid actions, careless words - "God, help me!" I cry!
"Where are You?  Are You listening? Are You  there? Do You care?"
 I pace back and forth. I can't sit any longer.

"NO! Stop it! These thoughts are wrong! I know who's whispering these words and I will not listen!"

Sitting down I open my Bible. Out falls a note of verses that I copied  last week. Reaching down I pick up the note and  read:
 
Sit still, my daughter.
Listen and be quiet;
do not fear or be fainthearted.
Be still and know that I am God.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.
Do not fret . . .
My child, have no fear of bad news;
make your heart steadfast, trust in the Lord. 
Be secure in ME, have no fear!
You do not realize now what I am doing,
but later you will understand.
You shall remember that the Lord led you all the way. . .
to humble you and test you to reveal your heart.
I redeemed you
You are MINE!
Your light affliction is for but a moment.
The reward is beautiful and glorious.
Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God,
that I may lift you up in due time.
Cast all you anxiety on Me
because I love you unconditionally!
 
 
 
 


Friday, September 14, 2012

Life lessons from an omelet


"This is so frustrating!" staring at the soupy mess in the pan, he shrugs and walk away.
"I can't make an omelet. It looks so easy on TV!" He mutters, looking at me for help.
 
 
"You can do it" I reply. "It just takes practice and patience"
 
Practice and patience, so easy to say, so hard to do!
 
In this day of pre-packed goodies and microwave, there is no waiting. We can have it now.
But in the scary kingdom of Culinary, a different principle reigns. Time, patience and practice are the buzz words of creating something beautiful and delicious.
 
Like life!
 
How often do we wish we could be "perfect" the first time we try something. Do you stand up the first time you try to water ski? What about swimming? Do you fly across the pool like the Olympians a few weeks ago the first time you put your foot in the water? Remember that thing called walking? Not many of us do till we see little ones struggle to take that first step. Time, practice and patience - key words for life!
 
 
Time and temperature
 
In cooking, timing is everything. Too much time in the oven or on the stove and the results aren't pretty. Not enough time isn't appealing either. Too hot or too cool and you throw your dinner away! Timing is essential.
 
We are cared for by a loving, Heavenly Father who knows just how much time and heat is needed in our lives to reveal a beautiful, complete and mature daughter or son. He never takes His eye off the clock and His strong fingers rest on the temperature control.
 
His timing  and temperature are perfect.
 
Practice and Patience
 
When gathering ingredients for your culinary creation, you choose the best you can find.
You lay everything on the counter and follow the instructions to the letter. You watch the timer and check the temp often, anticipating a yummy treat when the buzzer sounds.
You check the pan and  it's not right. Your omelet is not as high, the crust is too brown, the inside is runny! 
 
So you give up, throw up your hands in disappointment and fling the omelet into the garbage!
 
No! You persevere. You read the recipe again. You ask for help. You try again! And little by little you improve your technique and soon you see the most beautiful omelet on your plate.
 
It is ok to mess up! It's ok not to be perfect in our walk with Christ, our relationships with others, our dealing with our kids. We learn by doing, by redoing, by forgiving others and ourselves. We are persistent, not perfect.
 
Our perfect God showers us with GRACE and LOVE. We are His creation, formed in His image and nurtured by His love. He does not condemn us but picks us up, holds our hand and walks with us in this life.
 
Each day He sees growth.
 
He molds our hearts to be more like Him.
He fills us with His Word
He sits with us in our quiet times.
He dances with us in our joys.
He holds us close in the dark times.
 
 He is lovingly patient and expects us to practice, practice, practice!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A Dream? Part Two


Ever so softly I hear footsteps.
There is a rustling of fabric all around me.
Gentle fingers lower my hands from my face.
 
I open my eyes and gasp!
His knees are touching mine!
My God, my Jesus is kneeling in front of me -
My King!
The thundering of my heart deafens me.
I cry out, "Oh, my God!"
I sob - great shaking sobs.
Emotions well up and choke me -
I can't breath!
 
"Peace", softly whispered
 
All is calm
My heart beat slows and steadies.
I breath in His sweetness.
I am not afraid.
 
He wraps His arms around me
and pulls me close.
The softness of his robe is like down on a  bird's breast.
 
I listen.
I hear His heart beat.
Quick, joyful beating -
I am stunned!
 He is excited to see me!
It slows to a steady rhythm and
mine follows its beat.
 
From deep inside I hear a murmur
becoming a melody - a song!
All else quietens -
Heaven listens to the song of my King!
 
We are rocking gently,
My King and I.
He is singing over me -
Rejoicing over me.
Filling me with love, joy and peace,
 
We stay like this, lost in time.
All  worries, responsibilities,
fears, doubts, inadequacies vanish.
Only the Song remains!
 
The singing stops.
He helps up.
I feel his gentle hand under my chin
slowly tilting my face upward.
He's smiling!
His sparkling eyes filled with love!
They crinkle around the edges like I remember my
Daddy's eyes doing when he looked at me and Mom.
 
"I love you."
 He softly murmurs.
 
"You are my precious one."
He declares.
 
"You are mine -
now and forever!" 
He shouts joyfully!