Laced With Grace

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.” ~ Matthew 14:27-29 (ESV)

The people who know me in real life can attest to that I am really a shy person. Some might even think that I am a snob; I really don’t mean to be…I am just quiet until I know the person for a little while. After the first ice is broken, I can be quite funny …

Being shy can hinder in some cases though. As some of you might know I try to build a portrait business. In a business where you meet people for the first time at your appointment can be quite challenging. I remember my very first session. Oh…my heart was beating up to my throat; my hands were clam…the only thing I could do was send up a quick prayer “Lord, HELP!!!”

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”” ~ Matthew 14:30 (ESV)

At my first session, I was like Peter; doubting — afraid! Although I did not try to walk on water; for me getting over my shyness is as much as Peter getting out of the boat. Terrifying to say the least.

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ~ Matthew 14:31 (ESV)

Sometimes we just have to step out of the boat; no matter how terrifying it might be. We know that we can trust Him every step we take — He has already been there — He knows the outcome. I have to say that my photo sessions have become much easier over the past 5 months. Not only do I trust Him to get me through the first 5 minutes of meeting a stranger; my love for photography is much greater than not stepping out of the boat …

Lord of Heaven and Earth. Thank You for Your hand reaching down, helping me through the tough moments I face. No matter what we go through, when we are afraid of something new, Lord give us the peace that only can come from You. I am trusting in Your mercy. In the precious name of Jesus ~ Amen.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute … Mister Postman!”

I am showing my age alittle bit with quoting that oldie of a song. But if you recall that song, it was a love song about someone waiting for a love letter from their sweetie. But the postman comes by and doesn’t deliver the letter as expected.

You know the kind of love letter that I am talking about. The kind that you keep in an old shoe box and the envelopes are covered with xoxo and as you pull out the parched paper with the words of your sweeties soul, you can still smell the fragrance of the hand that wrote it.

If you have such a shoe box full of love letters, most likely the paper is worn thin and the words are almost unrecognizable because of the times you have read those heartfelt words over and over again. Each time, no matter how many times you have read the words, they touch your heart and warm your soul.

Such letters are almost a rarity these days because we live in a society of technology. Today we use the computer to send e-cards to express our love or we send out a quick “I love you” on our facebook pages. You know technology is great but when it comes to receiving a love letter, I personally would like to receive one that I could hold in my hand and gaze upon over and over again.

We don’t have to wait on the postman like the song says ~ Each of us has such a love letter … the Bible is God’s love letter to the world. It is a personal message to each of us. Even though we share the same love letter and the message is the same, God’s intimate relationship is unique for each one that reads it.

I wonder how worn and tattered the pages of your love letter have become? Do you read the words of love with the same passion as you did the first time you read it?

“You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.” – Isaiah 43:4

God’s love letter to us should be cherished and read over and over and over again. When is the last time that you picked up your love letter and read it?

You can visit me daily on my personal blog… womentakingastand

My mind has a hard timing thinking about how many people there are walking the earth.  I find myself thinking about these things often, particularly when I am with large crowds.  At the State Fair, for example, sometimes I try to imagine how many people have walked down the same path I’m on or stood in line for a corn dog.   When I find myself in stalled traffic, I wonder about the stories of the people in the cars beside me.  I am amazed to realize that the people I’m with at any given moment at a mall, concert, or driving down the Interstate are just a tiny percentage of the world’s population. 

I tend to catch myself seeing them as just crowds of people and fitting them into stereotypes based on what I see.   As I look out at a crowd, I wonder what stories are out there, what hurts, what victories, what illnesses, what worries, what hidden sins.  I’m sure there are those with broken hearts, fear, uncertainty, terminal illnesses, and worry as well as good news from the doctor, job promotions, or restored relationships.  While I think about this things in general,  I don’t often take the time to notice the individual faces instead of just the crowd.

But have you ever stopped to think about how God sees all these people?  It’s not just a crowd zooming down the Interstate or a crowded mall of shoppers to Him.  He knows and loves each and every one whether they know it or not.  He knew the plans for each one’s life before they were born.  He cares about the details like how many hairs are on our heads (Matthew 10:30).  Talk about mind boggling!  What a wonderful, amazing God we serve. 

Do you have that same love for people?  This is a question I’ve asked myself lately.  Obviously I don’t know the number of hairs on their heads or even their names.  But I know I need to look at them as God looks at them. 

 “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  I Samuel 16:7 

I need to see them as individuals with real problems, real dreams, real needs. 

There is a song I’ve heard on the radio that has made me think about this even more.  It’s called  “Give Me Your Eyes” by Brandon Heath.    (Click on his name and you can listen to the song on the album at the top.)  Here is the chorus: 

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach.
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

This is my prayer today.  

Help me, Lord, to see the people around me as You see them.  Help me to see their hearts, not just what is on the outside.  Let me see individuals and not just a crowd.   Fill me with Your love for them.  Let me show them that You love them and they are special.

Have a day of blessings!

Visit me at Raindrops & Rainbows.