Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Daddy

Last night I was reminded of St. Patrick's Breastplate, a beautiful prayer that speaks of the presence of Christ in my life:
Christ before me
Christ behind me
Christ above me
Christ below me
Christ to left
and Christ to right
Christ within both day and night

It was a good reminder. Because I cannot see His face, hear His voice, feel His touch in the same way I feel, hear, and see others in this world, the hiss of the serpent is too often believed, "you are alone, you are helpless." I suppose that is why community is so important. They are the embodiment of Christ to me, for encouragement, comfort, companionship. And I am the same to them.

Technology has made it possible to reach out to each other on the internet as this post did for me today. The picture of a young father holding his newborn spoke volumes to me about the fatherhood of God, especially the tender love He has for me in my weakness and vulnerability.

"Daddy loves to hold me." 

I encourage you to take a look and experience your Father's love in a new way today.

God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"  Hebrews 13:5-6  (NIV)

 The LORD appeared to us in the past,  saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."  Jeremiah 31:3  (NIV)

jas sig

Friday, August 7, 2009

Waste

While we were gone on vacation, the garden tractor went on strike, and our large side yard remained unmown for a month. We left a manicured lawn behind and returned to an abundance of Queen Anne's Lace, clover, chicory and lawn daisy. I love taking pictures of them, they are such bright spots in waste places.

As I focused on the chicory bloom by the roadside, I noted a lot of activity from tiny butterflies and bees. That wild bloom was providing life where none had been before.

In man's economy there is an abhorrence of waste. Waste of time, waste of space, waste of money, waste of lives. In God's economy there is no waste. God is redemptive. While we cast off the old for the new, God transforms it.

There have been, and will continue to be, many waste places in my life. Places of pain, regret, humiliation. I would like to throw them all out and forget, but my Creator God finds opportunity for beauty, life, and places of refreshment in my chaos.

The redemptive power of the Cross, my Savior's sacrifice, is making my waste a place of beauty in this world.
Isaiah 61 (KJV)

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. 7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. 8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
How great is our God!
jas sig

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Hunger

Hunger is a gift.

I just wrote that as a comment on a young friend's blog. I don't know what that will mean to her. I'm not sure what it means to me. I do know God is asking me to sit with that thought for awhile, that there is a treasure to be found hidden in the words.

Hunger is a gift.

At a conference this summer, I heard someone say that God loves me too much to allow me to be satisfied with anything less than Himself, His Presence.

Hunger is a gift.

I just read this in the book Real Church, by Larry Crabb: "Spirit of God, deliver me from the illusion that someone or something available now, in this life, can satisfy my soul so completely that no longing remains unmet."

Hunger is a gift.

Perhaps I need to pray that prayer. I'm delusional. Perhaps I'm living like a dog eating scraps under the table when I could be seated and dining as a daughter.

I fear I am not hungry enough, but I also fear what will bring that hunger--the losses, the unmet expectations, the difficulties, the chaos, the pain.

But "God loves me too much to allow me to be satisfied with anything less than Himself, His Presence." Isn't that what I really desire?

Hunger is a gift.

jas sig