A Glimpse Into a Life

A friend of mine is going through a divorce.  Consequently, the house must be sold along with much of its contents.  She decided to have a garage sale to get rid of most of the items.  God has given me the gift of time, so I offered to help.  After the garage sale, a storage building out back still needed to be cleaned out.  Everything had to be sorted into piles: donate, keep or trash.  So many things were donated as well as trashed.  Relatively speaking she kept very little. 

 

We have only been friends for a few months, so I don’t know her that well.  I watch her examine the contents of each box.  Boxes filled with memories of her life, treasures from her parents, accomplishments from projects at work, artwork the kids have made in school, photos....

Sometimes she would laugh and say, “Oh, I remember this…”, and she would share her memory with me.  Other boxes she could quickly glance at and immediately send to the trash pile.  The hardest boxes were moved to the ‘keep’ pile, to deal with another time.   

 

I saw the pain on her face as her lips quivered and eyes filled with tears.  A lifetime of memories, a marriage torn apart, children’s hearts broken. 

 

There is nothing I can say.  No words can describe the devastation my friend feels.  Only God knows her heart and all that has happened.  He knows what each box meant to her.  He knows the rest of her story. 

 

Jeremiah 29:11-12

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord.  Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.

mamapossum



 





Grab an Oar

Grab an Oar

 

 

Last Sunday morning, before church, I had my usual quiet time with the Lord.  I didn't know what to read or pray.  I felt an old familiar sadness rolling in.  I am not an artist, but I drew a picture of myself in a rowboat with the oars floating off in the distance, out of reach.  I wasn't sure exactly what this was about, but it's how I felt.  I closed my eyes and held up my arms, with open hands, in total surrender to the Lord.  I would like to say that the sadness immediately went away, but that did not happen.  It lingered, as it often does.

 

I spoke to my mom on the phone later that day and she said she has started praying for me to find my niche, my ministry, here in Colleyville.  I hadn't told her about what I drew.  I was relieved and grateful for her prayers because I know what kind of power is be behind a praying mom.  I've experienced it firsthand with my own kids.  Later in the conversation I did tell her about the picture I drew and tried to explain some of what I was feeling.

 

Today I read in Sparkling Gems From the Greek by Rick Renner the following:

The bottom of the boat may not be the most pleasurable place to be.  Serving day in and day out may seem monotonous and almost boring at times.  But sticking with the vision and continuing to row will eventually produce eternal results for the Kingdom of God! So surrender to the plan of God, take your place in the ship, grab an oar, and start rowing!  If you want to get to your destination more quickly, put your whole heart and soul into rowing that boat.

JOY is what I feel today!  I feel it like I haven't in a very long time.  I know it can only come from the Lord.
God is beginning to blow the gentle breeze of direction.  It's up to me to grab an oar and start rowing.  His wind will carry me exactly where I need to be.

Colossians 3:23 "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"

Irrevocable Gifts

 

 

"...for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."  Romans 11:29

 

This verse jumped off the page this morning.  The word gifts is plural, so not only have we been given a gift, we have received more than one.  AND it's irrevocable!

Irrevocable by definition is irreversible, unalterable, unchangeable, immutable, final, binding, permanent, and (my favorite) carved in stone.

 

The particular gift discussed here is the gift of mercy.  Verse 30 goes on to say, "Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy..."  Mercy that is irreversible, final, carved in stone.  I am going to be on the lookout for a stone that has the word MERCY engraved on it.  I never want to forget or take for granted the gift God has given me.  I was disobedient to God and He gave me a gift in return?  Yes.  Yes he did--undeserved mercy. 

 

Alongside mercy is His call.  Again, irrevocable, final, carved in stone.  I attended a Beth Moore conference a few weeks ago.  I received confirmation of the Lords' call on my life to teach others through writing (along with being a Godly wife and mother).  Since that time I have started this blog and hopefully someone has benefited.  My audience is small, but God is in the business of multiplying.

 

Here's the thing...

                       "...for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."  Romans 11:29