I was just thinking about how quickly some things change and yet how slowly others do. So many times we can compare seasons of our lives to the seasons of the earth. I believe, as my Pastor confirmed, I am in a season of Spring. When I think of Spring time I think of new life and growth, the bursting forth of a plant out of it's seed casing or the slow opening of a rose. I have a devotional I read called, "Come Away My Beloved", authored by Frances Roberts. It is my favorite devotional right now and has been for the past five years. Nothing conveys God's message of how he loves me individually as much as this book. An excerpt I want to share is a little lengthy but stick with me:
"I love you, My child-My very dear and special child. Through your childhood years I walked very close to you, and in your childlike way you were very conscious of My presence and reality. You have made an arduous journey. You have climbed many mountains that you could easily have walked around. You have not chosen the pleasant path nor sought joys though they were readily accessible."
"You have often misconstrued My will and felt that only in sacrifice and suffering could you please Me, while much of the time I have longed to deliver you out of the very pains you inflict upon yourself. You meant to please me, but in truth you were only marring your own beauty which is precious to Me."
"I cannot rejoice in a blighted rose. You have gone far enough in this way. I offer you My path now, if you are strong enough to accept it. Life, liberty, love and joy. Health and peace--simplicity and rest. It has been there for you all along. You can have it even now if you will."
"I do not want you to work for me under pressure and tension like a machine--striving to produce, produce. I only want you to live with Me as a person. I have waited for you to wear yourself out. I knew you would find it eventually--the secret of silence and rest, of solitude and of song."
"I will rebuild your strength--not to work again in foolish frenzy, but just for the sake of making you strong and well. To Me this is an end in itself. Make it your aim and join with Me wholeheartedly in the project. Many joys are waiting yet."
The parts that stand out to me the most in the above section is first the statement, "I cannot rejoice in a blighted rose." I have a visualization of me being a rose, long before I read this I had the picture in my head. I am a beautiful rose that God has been cultivating and I am just about to bloom, no longer a tightly closed bud but not yet showing it's true colors. Secondly, I love the part about, "I only want you to live with Me as a person." So many times life expects more of us, others expect more of us than we are able to give. It is okay to be human! Perhaps it is better to realize one's humanity as opposed to assuming one's deity. This way I can be me and not God, that is comforting to me.
Now I have to say that this day, that I read the above passage from the devotional, I cried. I mean what kind of God would write this to a mere human? What God would love so much? What God would accept me, would accept you just as you are, a human? What God would die to spend time with me? with you? What God?
Another issue I have been thinking about it control and how I like to be in it; however, only to realize that no one is in control. The exception,...God. I guess with my recent experience of divorce cinched it, preceded by numerous deaths including my husband Daniel. I have realized that there really is nothing that we can control in this life. We sure like to tell ourselves we do have control or even act like it, even if it means overloarding over another person in our life. But the reality is that we really have no control over others, and what they choose to do and not to do. We only have control over how we react to them and the situations and circumstances around us. I don't know about you, but for me I usually make a mess of that too. But I do think that accepting God's divine control in my life has alleviated a lot of stress in my life. I am learning that it is simply foolish to argue with my maker. As in Romans 9:20:
"No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?"
Oooops! I have done this. The phrase, "kicking against the goads," comes to mind! Uh! Well, I'm human and God knows that. I accept His divine plan for me, ask Him to control my response to people and things around me, and try to learn from Him in this great adventurous journey called. "Life."
Blessings to you on your journey!
Follow this link for the video that I wanted to go with this post!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAPTJayqd8k
