For the Law of the Spirit...

Has set me free..."
Romans 8:2
NKJV

Ever feel like you had just stepped, barefoot, into the middle of a hornet's nest? You know you are in trouble and it feels like you can't outrun it, it is chasing you down and you are going to lose...

My friend is going through exactly that. She is trying to survive what feels like is impossible to overcome. She is being attacked all around her at a time in her life when she already feels extremely vulnerable. As she and I sat together yesterday, she shared some of the very hurtful things that have been going on in her life recently. She was wounded and bleeding all over the place, figuratively speaking. My heart goes out to her. I sorta wanted to grab the people responsible for this pain and beat them up the way they have mistreated my friend. But, she had come to me to pray with her, not to fight for her. 

And so, together, we sought the Lord. And as we did, He showed up at the table and sat with us and touched us both with the overwhelming and tender grace of a God who loves us and understands our griefs and our struggles. You could feel Him unwinding the rope around her neck that was threatening to strangle her. She began to smile and I watched as the tension dropped from her weary face – the clock seemed to move backward to a younger, freer, sweeter time in my friend's life. She was like a desperately thirsty woman, gasping to get a drink of water that would bring her back from the edge of life and death.

At moments like this, I am a witness to the glory of a God who shows up when I least expect Him but so desperately need Him. I step back and watch in awe as the God of All Compassion visits my house and answers my prayer. Who am I to have Him visit me? Who am I? I am nobody. But, He comes immediately, without hesitation. He sits down in my living room on my beat up old couch. He leans over and looks in my eyes. He doesn't have to say a word. It is clear that He understands. He knows the depth of hurt that words cannot express. He knows the shame. He sees it all, better than I.

Suddenly, there is a joy filling up the room. He throws His head back and laughs and laughs. I feel the freedom He is inviting me to enjoy. I love this God of Healing, God of Grace, God of Laughter, Peace and Joy... I laugh along with Him. He is the God Who Sets Me Free...

I hope you enjoy this beautiful song, one of my favorites: "Be Still My Soul" by Selah

(Just click on the Youtube link below the picture to hear and see the video.)

Source: youtube.com 

In the Rustling Grass, I Hear Him Pass...

"This is My Father's World..."

This has been one of those years I will remember for the many challenges to my faith and my commitment to Christ. It has been anything but fun. Health problems; loss of a job and the ensuing change in my financial stability; loss of family that moved and no longer live close; vision problems that required surgery - all changes I did not plan on and definitely did not welcome. I am not a hero or a saint, by any stretch of the imagination. I am reminded, when unexpected trials invade my comfortable, “safe” world, that I have feet of clay. I do not suffer well in silence, but find myself escalating my protests until, surely , they reach the ears of God (and everyone else who happens to cross my path!) I must have kept God Our Father up many a night, weeping and gnashing my teeth. It didn't help me to read the Word of God, which informed me, rather insensitively, I thought, that 'His strength is sufficient for me.' Decidedly NOT what I wanted to hear!

It truly is not a case of me handling it all well. But this week, I realized all over again just how much I feel the smile of God on my face, even though I have been an uncooperative, even rebellious and difficult child in His household. He has never put me out! He has never closed me off. He has never told me to stop whining. Instead, He has pulled me close, like a mother wanting to comfort her hurting child. He has done just exactly that. He has comforted me in my losses, over and over and over again. He has lifted my head to look in the eyes of Love that knows no bounds.  He has held onto me tightly and would not let me go. He has patiently led me to a place of rest and recovery, uniquely fashioned for me, in ways that take my breath away. For that, this day, I am incredibly grateful and humbled, all over again, by the Love of My God.

Nature writes on my heart the signature of God.  I find Him everywhere I look in the beauty of His creation. Surely, He who  made me to love Him in that way, knows that about me even better than I do at times. As if in a coma, sometimes, I actually forget how much I love the creative world that surrounds me.  This week, He brought it all before me in a way that I couldn't miss it - He is in the game - He hasn't left the house - He loves me and is healing me.   I decided, just "out of the blue" (God must laugh at how lame I am at catching on to His healing hand in my life, sometimes!) to take an art class that is just pure joy for me to be part of. One of my assignments was to “just go outside and photograph nature” in order to study different forms for drawing. So I grabbed my camera and hung out at the park today. Here are a few of the beautiful and funny pictures I took today. 

Now, while I was walking in the park, basking in the simple and spectacular beauty all around me, there happened to be a free concert from a christian group playing in the background. I laughed to myself, realizing how perfectly God, the Master Artist and Music Maker, had orchestrated this day to custom fit me as an instrument of healing and loving me. I am going to share some of those shots with you here. I hope you enjoy them and see the Magnificent Beauty of Our God, and even, the God of All Laughter, smiling down on you as He did on me today. This is how God is loving me back to life right now. How about you? How do you find Him loving on you, healing you, encouraging you, comforting you in your losses and your struggles? Because He is you know. 

I love to look around me and be surprised to find Him looking back at me!  Do you see Him over there - spreading His beauty out for you to see?  Do you see Him waving to you in the branches of that gorgeous tree swaying in the wind? Do you feel His kiss on your cheek in the warmth of the noonday sun? Do you hear Him singing to you in the music that is winding itself around you everywhere?  Do you hear Him, now?  He's singing a love song over you today.  He's saying, "I'm with you in it all...don't be afraid...I have you covered...I am the Maker of the wind and the stars and the sea...they all know Me and answer when I call.  Trust Me.  Run to Me.  I love you more than all..."

"...and to my listening ears, all nature sings..."

"and round me rings the music of the spheres."

"The morning light, the lily white,
declare the Maker's praise..."

"I rest me in the thought, of rocks and trees,
of skies and seas, His hand the wonders wrought."

"This is My Father's world - O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet." -

(All of the above captions taken from one of my favorite hymns,
"This is My Father's World, by Maltbie D. Babcock, 1858-1901)

This is just a funny picture of a gnarled old tree that, if you look real closely,
you can see eyes looking back at you!
I do believe I even see a wink!!
I love the quirky things I see in nature that make me think
God must have a sense of humor!

"Just another quirky picture that appealed to my sense of humor!
Made me think of the truth that God writes his loves letters to us all the time -
but He doesn't use straight lines...!

He Touched Me...

A Jesus story, retold...

I'm not feeling well today.  Nothing unusual there.  I've been sick for longer than I can remember now.  I suppose people just think I'm used to it.  But, I'll never get used to it. 

I hate everything about it.  I can't really go anywhere - people avoid me when they see me coming.  Nobody wants to be around me,  I see them whispering behind my back.  I see them telling their kids to stay away from me.  I see the pity in their eyes.  For some its more like hatred.  They hate being reminded that this could happen to them...

I can't remember what it feels like to have hope.  What does that even mean to someone like me?  I remember, in the beginning, I was full of hope.  I was sure I would go to the doctor and he would give me something to heal me and that would be that. The first one I went to gave me some medicine that he said would fix my problem.  It only made it worse.  The second guy had a new experimental thing he wanted to try.  It didn't work.  And then the third doctor, and the fourth - really, I've lost count.  All of them said they could help me.  I believed them.  Now I think what a fool I was.  They were just taking my money.  I wonder - were they all laughing at me too?

I'm not permitted to go out in public and be around the people.  I stay by myself most of the time.  It's extremely lonely.  Sometimes I think I'd be better off - well you know.  It's hard not to give up sometimes.  Anyway, when I do have to go out, I always go after dark.  I wear a lot of clothes and hide my face to keep from being noticed.  I just can't handle the shame of everybody making fun of me and pushing me away.  I'm considered "unclean" - dirty.  They've called me that for so long that even I think of myself that way.  I feel so dirty.

The thing is, yesterday, I overheard them talking about some new healer.  I've heard so much about how amazing He is.  They say He can heal anyone.  I know what you're thinking.  He can't possibly heal someone like me.  Why would He even care?  How would I get there?  The crowds will be huge around Him.  I don't have the nerve to just ask Him to heal me.  Who am I that He would take pity on me?  But, oh, how much I wish I could just get close enough to touch Him.  Maybe that would be enough.  Just a little touch might make all the difference for me.  I have to try.  It's my last chance.  I believe if I can just get to Him, I'll be healed.  He is different.  There's just something different about this Jesus.

I have to risk it.  I'll just sneak in and sneak out.  Nobody will notice me.  I'm just a nobody in a crowd of important people who will demand the Healer's attention.  I am so desperate.  I have to try...

I'm so scared.  The crowd is so massive.  They're all pushing and shoving.  I fell several times.  I don't feel well at all.  Maybe I shouldn't have come.  But, there He is!  He's so close to me now, if I can just push my way through... My pain is throbbing now - maybe I should turn back.  No.  Nobody has noticed me yet.  I have to just push toward Him - I have to touch Him.  If He only knew how desperately I need Him...

Wait - wait - He's here!  I just reached Him.  I just stretched out my arm and touched the hem of his garment.  He was looking the other way, so He didn't see me!  But, suddenly, everything has changed.  I'm healed, I know it!  I felt something go through me the moment I touched the Master.

Oh, yes - that's what I call Him now. He is the Master of everything to me!  I felt strength flow into my body as if I was young again!  I'm just going to run home - yes, RUN!  I have to get out of here before anyone notices me - they would hate me for breaking the rules and coming into the crowd and...

Oh, no.  He's looking for me.  He said he felt someone touch Him.  He wants to know who it was.  What can I do?  I'm terrified.  I'm so ashamed of - of me.  I shouldn't have done it.  I broke all the rules to get to Him.  I have to go to Him.  It's too late now.  He knows it was me...

I'm sorry Jesus, I start to say - it was me.  He sees me.  He knows it was me.  I am just so scared, I'm shaking.  Can I please just go away and hide like I always do? They're all looking at me now.  They know it's me.  It's too late...

But, wait - what's happening?  He's lifting my head to look in His eyes. His eyes are so beautiful.  They are actually looking on me with love.  I haven't seen that look in so long.  Can it be true that He not only healed me, but He loves me? Why would He love me?  I don't understand a love like this.

He only just met me and yet He seems to know me.   He's looking at me as though He sees right through me.  He sees it all.  All the hurt, all the suffering, all the loneliness, all the shame.  He took it all from me today.  He gave me back my body.  But, more than that, He gave me back myself.  He cleaned away every last speck of sickness and shame that has kept me prisoner all of these years!  I have met my Healer!  I have met my Savior!  I have met my God!

Maybe you're wondering - was it worth it? All the years of pain and suffering for this? I can't explain it to you, but, yes, a thousand times, yes. If it hadn't been for all that, I never would have taken the risk to seek Him. I actually believe He was just waiting for me to come after Him!

Funny.  I hated my illness all these years. But that's the very thing He used  to help me find Him! I thought I was going to touch Him.  But, no. He touched me.  He didn't care that I was 'unclean'. He didn't hesitate to touch me. He saw me and it was OK - I didn't have to hide from Him.  He even called me 'Daughter'! 

 

He bent down and pulled me up and pressed my face close to His heart. I felt the embrace of love unspeakable and full of mercy. 

 

He touched me.  And I will never be the same.

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Scripture Reference: Luke 8: 43-48   The Message

"...Jesus said, 'Daughter, you took a risk trusting me and now you are healed and whole..."