Forgiveness is a path--not summit to be claimed--
That all the way is stained
With secret tears
And blood-red mercy-drops,
The Lord's and mine.
Forgiveness is a path.
The Betrayed One's nail-marked hand
Will safely guide
My Cross-ward steps
Through valley hemmed with pain
And dark as death.
Forgiveness is a path
I do not walk alone.
Before, beside, within,
The One-Who-Sees
Is present to beseech
When I cannot,
"Father, forgive."
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Shack (Book)
I recently finished reading, “The Shack,” a controversial but wildly popular new book of Christian fiction. (A few days ago, #2 on the USA Today bestseller list of trade paperbacks; yesterday #1 on the NY Times list of the same!) It has big-name recommendations printed right on the cover, and can a million or so people be wrong? (Yes, of course.) Even so, I found it less than engaging as a novel, not having the captivating beauty or staggering clarity I was told to expect. It does have, however, many very long passages of didactics by God the Father who appears to the main character as a large, outspoken black woman who loves to cook. Aided by an Asian-woman Holy Spirit who gardens in blue jeans, and by Jesus—a Jewish carpenter, naturally—God (called Papa) proceeds to teach Mack about the Trinity, and the suffering in life, and the ultimate plan of God.
Some readers can’t get past the “heresy” these characterizations represent to them. I’ll admit it wasn’t easy. Nevertheless, I came away from the reading with a new insight of significance. It is this: We will never quite understand the Trinity, because we cannot understand the Trinity. Mack marvels at the simple, beautiful, easy way the Three relate to each other. He can’t figure out who’s in charge; he’s always thought of God as being the Boss, but then that doesn’t seem to fit in this situation. So he asks about the chain of command.
God explains that there is no hierarchy because they are in a circle of relationship. Among themselves, they do not recognize the concept of a final authority. That is a problem only humans have; they are so damaged in their relationships that they cannot imagine—let alone function in—a situation where there is not someone in charge. He (She) goes on to say that once hierarchy has been established, rules have to be made to protect and administer it, hence laws and enforcers of law. People then end up with a system that destroys relationships rather than building them, and seldom experience any relationships without some expression of power. That is the human paradigm.
Mack objects that after all we’ve adapted pretty well to that system, and the Holy Spirit girl is quick to point out that he must not confuse adaptation with intention. Made in God’s image, humans were meant to be unencumbered by artificial structure, free to just “be” in their relationship with God and one another. That intention was spoiled by man’s choice to act independently of God. The first step to restoring God’s intention then, as much as we can on earth, is to find the unity with God that the Three have in themselves. Is this possible? Yes. Jesus prayed, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . .” (John 17:21)
Get the book. Read it if you can.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
Some readers can’t get past the “heresy” these characterizations represent to them. I’ll admit it wasn’t easy. Nevertheless, I came away from the reading with a new insight of significance. It is this: We will never quite understand the Trinity, because we cannot understand the Trinity. Mack marvels at the simple, beautiful, easy way the Three relate to each other. He can’t figure out who’s in charge; he’s always thought of God as being the Boss, but then that doesn’t seem to fit in this situation. So he asks about the chain of command.
God explains that there is no hierarchy because they are in a circle of relationship. Among themselves, they do not recognize the concept of a final authority. That is a problem only humans have; they are so damaged in their relationships that they cannot imagine—let alone function in—a situation where there is not someone in charge. He (She) goes on to say that once hierarchy has been established, rules have to be made to protect and administer it, hence laws and enforcers of law. People then end up with a system that destroys relationships rather than building them, and seldom experience any relationships without some expression of power. That is the human paradigm.
Mack objects that after all we’ve adapted pretty well to that system, and the Holy Spirit girl is quick to point out that he must not confuse adaptation with intention. Made in God’s image, humans were meant to be unencumbered by artificial structure, free to just “be” in their relationship with God and one another. That intention was spoiled by man’s choice to act independently of God. The first step to restoring God’s intention then, as much as we can on earth, is to find the unity with God that the Three have in themselves. Is this possible? Yes. Jesus prayed, “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . .” (John 17:21)
Get the book. Read it if you can.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
God Is Chuckling
Remember the air conditioner that quit working for me? (See entry, “Too Many Irons in the Fire.”) I purchased a new one, but I didn’t have it professionally installed so the old one was not taken away. It has just been sitting next to the garage door while I’ve been deciding what to do with it. After a few days, I called the trash hauling company, and they agreed to pick it up—for a fee—but first I would have to have it tagged by a certified AC technician indicating that the Freon had been removed. Do you know what an air conditioning company charges just to come to the house? Well, I put that off for a few more days.
So I came home this afternoon and found that someone had stolen the old air conditioner out of my driveway! (maybe for parts or the copper tubing?) Anyway, who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
So I came home this afternoon and found that someone had stolen the old air conditioner out of my driveway! (maybe for parts or the copper tubing?) Anyway, who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Maintenance
A house and yard require a lot of time, money, and effort to keep up satisfactory appearance and function. We have to water the lawn, weed the flower beds, replace the cracked window glass, paint the fence, clean the gutters. And even if someone else cares for the outside of our apartment or townhome, inside we have to wax the floors, change the out-of-reach light bulbs, tighten hinges, and repair leaky faucets. This is “maintenance;” its purpose is to keep things at home comfortable and efficient.
We’re familiar with body maintenance too, either performing it or recognizing that we should be! We brush our teeth and visit the dentist, we walk or swim or work out at the gym, we eat our vegetables.
But there is another area that needs maintenance too: the interior life. Like icebergs the volume of which is typically nine-tenths below the surface, most of our personhood is not visible to the eye. The emotional side of our being requires attention too. Our thought-habits (attitudes)—are they negative, tending to perceive flaws in other folks, always finding the unhappy parts of a situation? Are we hindered by resentments or frustrations we’ve let simmer for a long time, by a pervasive sense of unworthiness or self-doubt, or by long-held prejudices? It may be hard work, but it’s time to maintain this area.
What of our mental processes? Have we stopped growing and learning? Then we will have to find something that stimulates new thoughts. We can read outside our usual genre, talk with someone who thinks differently than we do, attempt a new project. We can go somewhere we’ve never been, maybe the nearby “touristy” place we’ve always meant to visit, or even just a new restaurant. School children need “field trips” in order to see and learn and be challenged. So do we.
We need to take care of our souls. A part of us needs beauty, and growing things, and music, creative work, and friendship. Perhaps not everyone will agree, but I am convinced that we retain enough of God’s likeness that we are meant to enjoy what He enjoys. He made beautiful things even before He made us, a universe that He pronounced “very good.” He planted a garden—planted it, notice, not spoke it into existence. Music was God’s invention; when He laid the earth’s foundation, the morning stars sang together and the angels shouted for joy. We have only to view sunsets or ocean waves, or watch babies learn to walk, to recognize the on-going, infinite creativity of God. And as for friendship, the Triune God already had “community” in Himself but chose to take evening walks in the garden with His newly-formed friends.
One more area to tend to: our spiritual beings. The Church has for centuries encouraged disciplines that are useful in developing the inner life. (If the word “discipline” is off-putting, we can think of them as spiritual muscle-toners, not all that different from Pilates for the body and mind.) Some of these exercises are worship, prayer, reading the Scriptures, fellowship, giving, service, and so on; there are a great many. We need to find the ones that nourish our spirits, and these will not be the same for everyone.
To repeat: Maintenance of a house and yard requires a lot of time, money, and effort. But give special care to that crucial part of your life that the neighbors cannot see and that doesn’t make strange noises when it stops working.
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
We’re familiar with body maintenance too, either performing it or recognizing that we should be! We brush our teeth and visit the dentist, we walk or swim or work out at the gym, we eat our vegetables.
But there is another area that needs maintenance too: the interior life. Like icebergs the volume of which is typically nine-tenths below the surface, most of our personhood is not visible to the eye. The emotional side of our being requires attention too. Our thought-habits (attitudes)—are they negative, tending to perceive flaws in other folks, always finding the unhappy parts of a situation? Are we hindered by resentments or frustrations we’ve let simmer for a long time, by a pervasive sense of unworthiness or self-doubt, or by long-held prejudices? It may be hard work, but it’s time to maintain this area.
What of our mental processes? Have we stopped growing and learning? Then we will have to find something that stimulates new thoughts. We can read outside our usual genre, talk with someone who thinks differently than we do, attempt a new project. We can go somewhere we’ve never been, maybe the nearby “touristy” place we’ve always meant to visit, or even just a new restaurant. School children need “field trips” in order to see and learn and be challenged. So do we.
We need to take care of our souls. A part of us needs beauty, and growing things, and music, creative work, and friendship. Perhaps not everyone will agree, but I am convinced that we retain enough of God’s likeness that we are meant to enjoy what He enjoys. He made beautiful things even before He made us, a universe that He pronounced “very good.” He planted a garden—planted it, notice, not spoke it into existence. Music was God’s invention; when He laid the earth’s foundation, the morning stars sang together and the angels shouted for joy. We have only to view sunsets or ocean waves, or watch babies learn to walk, to recognize the on-going, infinite creativity of God. And as for friendship, the Triune God already had “community” in Himself but chose to take evening walks in the garden with His newly-formed friends.
One more area to tend to: our spiritual beings. The Church has for centuries encouraged disciplines that are useful in developing the inner life. (If the word “discipline” is off-putting, we can think of them as spiritual muscle-toners, not all that different from Pilates for the body and mind.) Some of these exercises are worship, prayer, reading the Scriptures, fellowship, giving, service, and so on; there are a great many. We need to find the ones that nourish our spirits, and these will not be the same for everyone.
To repeat: Maintenance of a house and yard requires a lot of time, money, and effort. But give special care to that crucial part of your life that the neighbors cannot see and that doesn’t make strange noises when it stops working.
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Too Many Irons in the Fire
I had a restless night recently when my brain simply refused to shut down after I’d gone to bed. I have an “older house” with aging appliances, and the air conditioner had just died. (This is July, in Kansas—enough said.) Help was on the way, just not yet. I needed to make a phone call or two—but the telephone line wasn’t working right either. I had a project deadline to meet, and I felt anxious about that.
As I lay awake, wide-eyed, I remembered the old saying that I’d heard repeated many times by my busy parents. “You have too many irons in the fire.” Well, what does that mean anyway? The short answer is that one has too many things going at once, too many intentions to keep track of, and probably in the end something is not going to be done well or perhaps will fail altogether. Or, one loses sleep.
The saying goes back to the blacksmith’s trade. The smith or his assistant had to maintain good control of the bellows in order to increase the fire’s heat by adding the necessary air. He had to place the irons at just the right tempo, and he had to remove each when it was ready for its turn with anvil and hammer. “Too many irons in the fire” would mean an inefficient smith or one with an unskilled apprentice who wastes time and heat by not knowing what to do or precisely when to do it. The old methods have been replaced by modern forges and new tools and techniques, but we have retained for several hundred years the idea of “too many irons in the fire.”
Thinking about this, I calmed down and began to prioritize my worries. (If one is going to worry, really you shouldn’t try to do all of it at once!) I put the three major items in order of their importance to me, and decided what I would do about the top one first thing tomorrow. And then I went to sleep.
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34 (Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.)
MaryMartha
All rights reserved.
As I lay awake, wide-eyed, I remembered the old saying that I’d heard repeated many times by my busy parents. “You have too many irons in the fire.” Well, what does that mean anyway? The short answer is that one has too many things going at once, too many intentions to keep track of, and probably in the end something is not going to be done well or perhaps will fail altogether. Or, one loses sleep.
The saying goes back to the blacksmith’s trade. The smith or his assistant had to maintain good control of the bellows in order to increase the fire’s heat by adding the necessary air. He had to place the irons at just the right tempo, and he had to remove each when it was ready for its turn with anvil and hammer. “Too many irons in the fire” would mean an inefficient smith or one with an unskilled apprentice who wastes time and heat by not knowing what to do or precisely when to do it. The old methods have been replaced by modern forges and new tools and techniques, but we have retained for several hundred years the idea of “too many irons in the fire.”
Thinking about this, I calmed down and began to prioritize my worries. (If one is going to worry, really you shouldn’t try to do all of it at once!) I put the three major items in order of their importance to me, and decided what I would do about the top one first thing tomorrow. And then I went to sleep.
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:34 (Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 2003 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.)
MaryMartha
All rights reserved.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Jesus Said, Take My Yoke
When I said, "Take My yoke," you've always assumed that meant you were going to have to shoulder part of My load. Even though I told you My burden is light, you've had all the burden you can carry already and wondered how you could take on some of Mine. And the part about finding rest for your soul? That didn't make sense to you at all.
"I see you laboring under your heavy load. This is what I am really saying to you: Here, let Me help you. Just slip in under this yoke and I'll carry the load with you. I am gentle—I won't scold you or jerk you around if you stumble. I'm going to make this burden-carrying less complicated for you, and I won't mind at all if that means I take the heavier part.
"Remember this: Take My yoke is an invitation, not a command."
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29, 30 NIV
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
"I see you laboring under your heavy load. This is what I am really saying to you: Here, let Me help you. Just slip in under this yoke and I'll carry the load with you. I am gentle—I won't scold you or jerk you around if you stumble. I'm going to make this burden-carrying less complicated for you, and I won't mind at all if that means I take the heavier part.
"Remember this: Take My yoke is an invitation, not a command."
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29, 30 NIV
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Faith That Doesn't Walk on Water
The Apostle Peter is widely acclaimed for being the disciple to speak up, “Lord, if it’s really You, tell me to come to You, walking on the water.” I’m not saying that I would have stepped out of the boat, but still I think the story deserves another reading.
The Gospels tell us that after a long day of teaching the crowds, including the miracle of feeding about five thousand families, Jesus went up on the mountainside to pray. The disciples got into a boat and began to row to the other side of the lake. About halfway across, three and a half miles or so from shore, a powerful wind came up, the waves grew threatening, and soon the crew knew they were in trouble. It was very late, between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m., it was very dark, and they were very alone. Just when they were about to give up hope, they saw someone—or something—coming toward them. He—it—seemed to be walking on the water. Impossible! “It’s a ghost!” they cried in terror, now more afraid of the approaching phantom than of drowning.
“Take courage! It is I,” the shadowy figure called. “Don’t be afraid.”
Is it -- ? Could it really be the Lord?
Peter, always ready to speak, called back. “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water.” And Jesus--because that’s who it really was—told him to come. Peter stepped out of the boat, and sure enough, he too was able to walk on the waves. Never mind that he grew fearful and began to sink, and Jesus had to rescue him. At least he got out of the boat! And so we laud his faith and his outstanding tremendous courage.
But look again at what Peter said, at the question it implied. If. If it’s You . . .
How often we wait for some kind of miraculous proof before we venture our whole-hearted faith in the Lord. If Peter’s faith was as spectacular as we tend to think, why did Jesus mildly rebuke him, saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Did Jesus really expect Peter to become a water-walker and was disappointed because the disciple didn’t have enough faith to do it successfully? I don’t think so. I think He wanted Peter and all the rest of the disciples to believe He was just who He said He was. No “ifs.”
The next time you’re in a storm, don’t wonder, “Lord, if You’re really here . . .” You don’t have to walk on water to prove Jesus is with you. He is here. Don’t be afraid.
That’s faith.
The Gospels tell us that after a long day of teaching the crowds, including the miracle of feeding about five thousand families, Jesus went up on the mountainside to pray. The disciples got into a boat and began to row to the other side of the lake. About halfway across, three and a half miles or so from shore, a powerful wind came up, the waves grew threatening, and soon the crew knew they were in trouble. It was very late, between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m., it was very dark, and they were very alone. Just when they were about to give up hope, they saw someone—or something—coming toward them. He—it—seemed to be walking on the water. Impossible! “It’s a ghost!” they cried in terror, now more afraid of the approaching phantom than of drowning.
“Take courage! It is I,” the shadowy figure called. “Don’t be afraid.”
Is it -- ? Could it really be the Lord?
Peter, always ready to speak, called back. “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water.” And Jesus--because that’s who it really was—told him to come. Peter stepped out of the boat, and sure enough, he too was able to walk on the waves. Never mind that he grew fearful and began to sink, and Jesus had to rescue him. At least he got out of the boat! And so we laud his faith and his outstanding tremendous courage.
But look again at what Peter said, at the question it implied. If. If it’s You . . .
How often we wait for some kind of miraculous proof before we venture our whole-hearted faith in the Lord. If Peter’s faith was as spectacular as we tend to think, why did Jesus mildly rebuke him, saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Did Jesus really expect Peter to become a water-walker and was disappointed because the disciple didn’t have enough faith to do it successfully? I don’t think so. I think He wanted Peter and all the rest of the disciples to believe He was just who He said He was. No “ifs.”
The next time you’re in a storm, don’t wonder, “Lord, if You’re really here . . .” You don’t have to walk on water to prove Jesus is with you. He is here. Don’t be afraid.
That’s faith.
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved.)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
God Sees Sparrows Fall
I remember well the situation when I first encountered the hard lesson that God isn’t in the business of answering prayer just so I can be comfortable. At first there was no meat for dinner, no fresh vegetables, then no canned goods, after awhile no sugar, flour or eggs, no potatoes or rice or beans, no bread or milk. Finally the only thing to eat remaining in my kitchen was a jar of home-canned purple stuff, unidentified, left by a former tenant. I tried to thicken it with some tapioca, but it was totally inedible. I was hungry, so hungry that I gave second thoughts to how easy it would be to steal a loaf or two from the bread truck while the delivery man was inside the store.
Not only was I hungry, by the third day of my imposed fast I was also quite distressed. It’s really disheartening to “go home for lunch” when there’s no lunch. I spent the hour pondering things. I was truly perplexed. Isn’t God obligated to look after His children? Doesn’t His provision include something to eat?
The words that came quickly to my heart explained clearly something about God’s care. “I do care. I even watch out for sparrows, but I don’t prevent every single sparrow from falling. Sometimes sparrows do fall. Were none ever to fall, just imagine! the world would soon be overcome by them. But though the sparrow falls, I see it. I take note. I am there, and I care.
“Furthermore, you don’t do well to teach children, ‘Don’t be afraid, God won’t let anything hurt you.’ That’s not really true. Bad things do happen; people do get hurt. What you must know is that I am there. I am never not there.”
I don’t pretend to understand all the reasons why people encounter suffering. But I do know one thing for sure: God is in it with me; He’s in it with you.
Oh, the end of the story? A friend came by with a paper I had promised I’d type for him. Since it was lunchtime, he asked, “Have you eaten?” Hesitantly, I told him I had not. Watching me very carefully, he asked, “Do you have anything to eat?” When I confessed that I did not, he promptly paid me for the typing in advance!
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29, 31 (NIV)
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
Not only was I hungry, by the third day of my imposed fast I was also quite distressed. It’s really disheartening to “go home for lunch” when there’s no lunch. I spent the hour pondering things. I was truly perplexed. Isn’t God obligated to look after His children? Doesn’t His provision include something to eat?
The words that came quickly to my heart explained clearly something about God’s care. “I do care. I even watch out for sparrows, but I don’t prevent every single sparrow from falling. Sometimes sparrows do fall. Were none ever to fall, just imagine! the world would soon be overcome by them. But though the sparrow falls, I see it. I take note. I am there, and I care.
“Furthermore, you don’t do well to teach children, ‘Don’t be afraid, God won’t let anything hurt you.’ That’s not really true. Bad things do happen; people do get hurt. What you must know is that I am there. I am never not there.”
I don’t pretend to understand all the reasons why people encounter suffering. But I do know one thing for sure: God is in it with me; He’s in it with you.
Oh, the end of the story? A friend came by with a paper I had promised I’d type for him. Since it was lunchtime, he asked, “Have you eaten?” Hesitantly, I told him I had not. Watching me very carefully, he asked, “Do you have anything to eat?” When I confessed that I did not, he promptly paid me for the typing in advance!
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29, 31 (NIV)
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
No Formulas
It would be so handy if the faith-walk had formulas that always worked, like those we struggled to learn in high school algebra or college chemistry! An abundance of books on the market offer advice or even claim to have the "secret" to losing weight, communicating with your spouse, raising boys, raising girls, operating an ethical business, or eliminating debt. I searched the website today of a prominent mail-order distributor of Christian books for the word "successful" in their listings. There were nearly 1300 hits! If there is a dilemma of human life, most likely someone has written about getting out of it.
All this is fine; I've read quite a number of those books, and they do offer helpful counsel. God has used some of those ideas to steer me in the right direction. But I've never found a book that I could follow, bulleted-point by bulleted-point, to the desired end. It always comes down to relying on God to help me make my life work. There's no pat answer, no formula.
Actually, this uncertainty is evidence of God's amazing creativity. The spiritual journey for each of us is unique, not exactly like anyone else's. God deals with as individuals--not only as church congregations, or as families, or even as married couples. According to our individuality, He has varied ways of guiding us to a fulfilled life in Him. There is no formula, and that's exactly how it's supposed to be, for God's ways with His followers will not be reduced to a few simple formulas.
If you're in some kind of crisis, you've probably read or been told, "Do this," or "Don't do that." Maybe that was good advice, or maybe it just didn't work. I found, in my own troubled circumstances--and there were lots of those!--that the latter was true as often as not. I am in favor of godly counsel; that is one of God's ways of guiding us through difficulty. But don't be discouraged if something you have read or were told doesn't seem to work for you. Let God fine-tune that advice until it's just right for you. "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." (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
All this is fine; I've read quite a number of those books, and they do offer helpful counsel. God has used some of those ideas to steer me in the right direction. But I've never found a book that I could follow, bulleted-point by bulleted-point, to the desired end. It always comes down to relying on God to help me make my life work. There's no pat answer, no formula.
Actually, this uncertainty is evidence of God's amazing creativity. The spiritual journey for each of us is unique, not exactly like anyone else's. God deals with as individuals--not only as church congregations, or as families, or even as married couples. According to our individuality, He has varied ways of guiding us to a fulfilled life in Him. There is no formula, and that's exactly how it's supposed to be, for God's ways with His followers will not be reduced to a few simple formulas.
If you're in some kind of crisis, you've probably read or been told, "Do this," or "Don't do that." Maybe that was good advice, or maybe it just didn't work. I found, in my own troubled circumstances--and there were lots of those!--that the latter was true as often as not. I am in favor of godly counsel; that is one of God's ways of guiding us through difficulty. But don't be discouraged if something you have read or were told doesn't seem to work for you. Let God fine-tune that advice until it's just right for you. "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." (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)
Saturday, July 19, 2008
For the Disappointed
You have stood on the shore
and waited for your ship to come in.
You have searched the horizon until your eyes ached,
waiting for it to come into sight.
But the ship you look for is not coming.
It has been lost at sea.
You know that,
For the wreckage has come drifting in
and is even now at your feet.
Why do you continue to gaze longingly
at the distant horizon, hoping your ship
will by some miracle appear?
Turn your eyes. Look in the other direction.
There you see coming into sight
what I the Lord have prepared for you.
It is not fully visible;
it is only a puff of smoke on the horizon,
but it is coming, and it is for you.
You are going to be surprised!
You are going to be made glad!
You will not be disappointed
in what I have personally chosen for you.
Have I ever failed to keep My word to You?
You have not always had your way,
for My ways are not the same as your ways.
You have not always seen the answer
you thought would come,
for My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.
But I will not fail you.
There will be a fulfillment of what I have spoken to you.
Do not be afraid to trust Me.
(This blog is my "other direction."
Blessings, MaryMartha)
(All rights reserved)
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