Everything That Falls Has Purpose

I love Fall.  From the moment things begin to transform, my heart leaps for joy in anticipation of the glory display my Creator is about to perform right in front of my eyes.  A favorite place to frequent in Fall is Stones River Battlefield.  Everywhere I look, there is a story.  As I was at the end of my run this morning, this small acorn caught my eye.  I began to think of what this acorn means for the squirrel that may gather it, or the soil that may start a sapling in the Spring.  But what God showed me this morning is that it had to fall for the squirrel or for new life.  

I have had some very close people to me experience a fall of sorts over the past few weeks, and when I was looking at the acorn, I was thinking of them, only to realize that the lesson of the fallen acorn was really for me today.

I got the most exciting news today.  A young pregnant girl that I had spoken to back in the Spring and encouraged (pretty much begged) not to have an abortion, delivered her baby girl today.  I was elated!  My heart leapt out of my chest this morning as I thanked God that a baby was saved.  The reality of my own abortion weighs so heavily at times when I see the magnitude of lives being lost because of fear.  The elation that I felt this morning was soon clouded by the old tapes that have played in my head for over 25 years.  "Why couldn't you have been strong and saved your baby?"  "You are a loser."  "You are worthless."  As soon as I got home, I quickly told my husband Mike my struggle, and he prayed that the joy of a life saved would not be overshadowed by lies that the enemy would use to steal the joy of the day.

I know the Truth…and He has set me free from the condemnation that I have spoken over myself for years.  I am loved…I am forgiven…I have no condemnation awaiting me…I am worthy…I am white as snow because of the blood of the Lamb…I am strong…I am victorious because of Christ.

25 years ago I fell into the trap of the enemy who told me I had no way out, that I was too young, and that I had my whole life ahead of me to have babies.  I fell into 15 years of shame and secrecy that said I would only be accepted if no one knew the truth of my sin.  But because I fell, a baby got life today.  Because I fell, I have had the amazing opportunity to lead other women to freedom in Christ who have suffered from the secrecy and shame of having an abortion.  Because I fell, I have had, and continue to have open, honest conversations with countless young people about what it means to live in purity, and speak love and grace to them when they haven't.  And because I fell, I know the love of Christ and grace that amazes me every day that I wouldn't trade for anything.  Because I am loved much, I know that God gives me the capacity to love even more.

So I don't know where you've fallen from, and I know from experience that the enemy of your soul wants to keep you down, but rest assured…if you have fallen, there is a purpose, a purpose that you may not see now, but will be used for good.  God's word promises that.  Look beyond the broken, the seemingly wasted, the fallen, to see the God that is the Restorer of LIFE.

I'll Start Monday

John 4 was the text that we studied last night at Recharge @ The Refuge.  As I was rereading the passage this morning, verses 34-38 leapt off the page.

 "Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest?  I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields!  They are ripe for harvest.  Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.  Thus the saying, 'One sows and another reaps is true.  I sent you to reap what you have not worked for.  Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." 

The words that stuck with me most were "Four months more and then the harvest?"  How many times have I said that in my own heart?  "I'll share Jesus with that loved one the 'next time' I get the opportunity."  "I need to call ________, but I can't now."  "_________is not ready to hear about what God is doing in my life, maybe next time."  "I know You're urging me to share You, Jesus, but I'm just not ready yet.  Maybe when I know the Bible better, take a class, and pray more eloquently, maybe then, maybe then.

Am I secretly waiting for the "Farmer"or someone more qualified, better at it, more skilled, more versed to come and harvest the field?  At times I think so, but I know that is just the evil one trying to keep the "workers few".  What I need is a daily reminder that the Spirit of the Living God lives IN ME, and it's HIM that is the true harvester.  All He asks of me is to be totally available to Him and His living His Life through me.  He is the Farmer.  He has all the tools, the skills, the Combine to harvest the plentiful fields, but because Jesus isn't here in the flesh anymore, He chooses to use earthly vessels (you and me) to harvest the plentiful fields.

So let's take "I'll start Monday" out of our vocabulary.  Let's seize the opportunities that God puts in front of us every day to be His Hands, His Feet, and His Voice.  He doesn't call us to be scholars.  If He did, He wouldn't have chosen 12 unschooled, ordinary men to be His disciples.  He uses ordinary people like you and me every day.  He doesn't need perfection, He just needs our availability.

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  (Matthew 9:37)

Pruned For More Beauty

Summer is a time of renewing for me.  School is out, the pool opens, and the pace slows for me somewhat.  I have made an every year commitment to God and myself to put to paper the list of things that I've committed myself to over the past year.  After I've made the list, I begin to pray over the course of the summer if God still wants me to commit myself to whatever I've written.  It is hard for me, because the evil one will whisper in my ear that I'm a "loser" if if "quit", that "surely you can do it all", "everyone is counting on you".  God has grown me so much over the years to know His sweet voice that says, "Here is where I best can use you" and "this has run it's course, and it's time to move on and let someone else."

I was reminded of my "list" that I compile every year as I was pruning my rose bushes today.  Sidenote: I usually NEVER prune them, but with my man and baby girl out of town, I've had a bit of extra time on my hands.  Here's what I saw...

Slowly fading blooms...others looked like this...

Still others this...

God gently reminded me that the fading blooms, and even the ones that had no bloom at all represent those things on my list that God is no longer calling me to.  What I've found with pruning is that the more you prune, the healthier the flower is, so the more pruning I allow God to do in my heart and life, the more healthy I will be in Him!  But what do I do at times?  I try to get life out of a flower that has no bloom left in it.  It's seen it's beauty, and now it's time to prune it back and allow God to birth new blooms...

So what about you?  What on your list of things that you "do for God" need to be prayed over, and maybe cut back because they are no longer blooming, so that He can bloom anew in you??

Waiting To Be Fed

My man and my middle child are in Haiti.  My oldest child has flown the coop, and my 12 year old flits from place to place.  God is teaching me alot as my house is quiet.  With bermuda higher than my man would ever let it grow, I ventured out yesterday to love on him by cutting his grass before he returns.  He loves to mow grass and calls it something that "massages his skull" and gives him alone time with Jesus.  All I can say is that I needed a massage and an IV with fluids after I tackled the yard.  But just as I was emptying out grass clippings on the street, God gave me the most beautiful site...

A dad and mom cardinal feeding their newly "nestless" babes in the grass.  Both mom and dad were doing the feeding (which is a whole different post in itself with its own lessons), but what I found so interesting and cool was that the babies sat and waited for both parents to go and gather the food, and then come back and feed them.


Taste and see that the Lord is good;^(A)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge^(B) in him. (Psalm 34:8)


All I could do is sit and weep as I watched the total dependency of the babies on their parents.  They didn't wander off, didn't think "this is taking too long, I'll make this happen myself".  They patiently waited for their Provider to give them all they needed.  


One of the reasons this has meant so much to me is that God has shown me over the past week how hard it is for me to "sit and wait" for HIM to satisfy and fill me.

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.  (Isaiah 55:2)

The thing I do so often is that I seek Godly counsel from others as if it were coming from the Lord.  Why?  Because I can see them, touch them, feel them.  I do this especially with my man.  God has shown me this week because I haven't had my man with me, that HE is the Provider. He is the answer.  He has the right timing.  His Word has the answer.  In my loud life, I sometimes need reminders to be still enough to hear.  Take time to see what He has for me, and to remind me so lovingly that He's got this, He's got me, and He's totally crazy about me.

Lord, I thank you for your forgiveness when I knowingly or unknowingly put someone or something else on Your throne.  You are the King, and you are not taking applications for Your Position! You know best and desire only the very best for my life.  Thank you that your tapestry of my life is not finished and you are continuing to make a masterpiece of me.  I am CRAZY about You too!  Amen

Not Always What They Seem

Strawberries in the winter...I love strawberries, so when i saw these beauties at the store, I was quick to grab a few cartons.  As I carefully washed and prepared to cut them, the anticipation to take a taste overwhelmed me, so I plopped large berry into my mouth.

Ughhhh!  It was bitter! I thought to myself, "You should have known better than to buy strawberries in the 

winter!  Not wanting to trash the beauties, I went to my natural "go to" when things don't taste right.  SUGAR  A little sugar just makes everything taste better, and it did.

 ⁸ "Taste and see that the LORD is good;
   blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8)

Since Adam and Eve decided that they didn't "need" God, and a life of independence and knowledge would suffice, our lives as humans have been like the berries without the sugar.  We may look beautiful on the outside, appetizing, and desirable, but without the sweetening of Jesus in our lives, we just taste bitter.

Add the sweetening of Jesus to your life today!

Darkness

Making sense of madness...of things we don't understand is so hard.  Trying to look for the light in the darkness is almost an impossible task, but we keep searching, searching, looking for the light that will lead us out.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways," declares the LORD.  (Isaiah 55:8)

The Light is seen most clearly in darkness.  The rays streaming through, beckoning the way, guiding the feet to the Source of the light.  Jesus is the source of the Light.  He is Light, and "in Him there is no darkness at all" (1John 1:5)

The darkness is not Jesus.  He is Light.  He is the way out of the darkness.  He is the beacon that guides you to Him and takes you home.

"Arise, shine, for you light has come

and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth and

thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the LORD rises upon you

and His glory appears over you.

Nations will come to your light

and kings to the brightness of your dawn."  (Isaiah 60:1-3)

Steadfast

Sunrise...

The picture of God's steadfast Love for us.

Sunday has become true Sabbath for me.  During my time with Him this morning in my warm bed with the sun streaming in through the window, my Bible, journal, pen, devotions, and my Itunes, He led me to a series of verses, and the word that God made jump off the pages was STEADFAST.

"O God, my heart is steadfast." (Psalm 108:1)

I love to look up the original meanings of words through Blue Letter Bible, and the meanings for steadfast are so much richer than the word itself.  

"to be firm, be stable, be established, be fixed, be secure"

"to lean, lay, support, rest upon"

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3)

The sunrise and the sunset remind me of the steadfast Spirit of our God.  Both are firm, stable, established, fixed, and we are able to lean and rest upon the fact that they will come up and go down each day like clock work (literally).

Sunset...The picture of God's steadfast Love for us.

No matter how unsteady life seems, insecure, not fixed, unstable, not supportive, unable to rely on or rest upon, our TRUE stability and security is found in the Person of Jesus Christ, our Savior.  He came in the chaos of our world to show that true rest can only be found in Him.

"He will not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is steadfast, trusting the Lord.  His heart is upheld, he will not be afraid, until he looks with satisfaction on his adversaries."  (Psalm 112:7-8)