Laced With Grace

As I wandered through the woods this morning, I got caught up in a woodland chorus.

An amphitheater made of oak, maple, birch, poplar, ash and evergreen pine and painted in glowing hues of gold, red, orange, brown, russet and green by the Master Craftsman. The participants perched upon their bough.

Each bird species has it’s own unique part that no other in the woodland chorus can sing. Simply it chirps its repetitive song. It does not try to sing another bird’s song, it only sings the songs God created it to sing.

It lives a life of contentment.  Content to be an ordinary bird singing it’s God-given song.

A variety of birds, each singing its part in the woodland chorus from their tree top perches.  Worship in surround sound.

What’s your song?  What has He created You to sing to the world?

Have you ever found yourself discontent with your voice in the symphony of life?  Do you find yourself wishing you could “sing” better or perhaps a different song?

Listen to the Lord’s response to your discontent.

 I love to hear you sing your praises and your sounds of joy. I am your song, and when you sing, all of creation hums in harmony. Your voice is the instrument I use to stir human souls, but it is your heart that reaches My ear. 

 There is music in great sounds of joy and jubilation! There is music in the crashing waters, in the sound of wind in the trees. But there is no music as delightful to My ear as the sound of My children; because it is your heart that I most want to hear. It makes My heart glad to hear you because your sounds are pure and true.

 My Holy Spirit springs from your spirit in the form of music, and the sounds you make are holy. They refresh and renew your soul; they bless My heart. 

 Sing to me a new song. Even in diversity, sing to Me. Even in Trials and what you think is your darkest hour, sing to Me. Sing to Me, for I am your Beloved; sing to Me a tender, loving song. I am your song.

“Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praise to Him with a harp of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. Psalm 33:1-3

Lord, forgive me! Oft times I attempt to sing songs that are not meant for me to sing.  Thank You for giving me a song to sing in eternity’s symphony.

Have you ever seen an “everyday miracle?”

I believe we will find “everyday miracles” around us if we just open our eyes to see them. God is so amazing and when I slow down long enough to notice, I find little surprises all around me!  For example, there is a miracle sprouting up in my driveway.

Can you believe this beautiful petunia?  Yes, it is growing in the middle of the asphalt!  Never planted…never watered or cared for…but still growing and blooming and vibrant!  This flower growing in my driveway looks better than some of my potted ones planted in fertilized, beautiful, nutrient rich soil!

This petunia teaches me a lesson in perseverance.  When I first saw it, I immediately thought about Romans 5:4 :

“…we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.” NIV

…and James 1:4 :

” Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

This little seed, wherever it had come from, had persevered through the rock, the lack of rain, and even the lack of nurturing.

Even through trials, hope perseveres!

I believe God has been teaching me lessons on perseverance this summer.  This pretty petunia was the second lesson.  Earlier, I had an experience with a very persistent wasp!  He kept building a nest in the corner of our garage, near the garage door.  Every day I would shoo him away and knock down the nest.  Some days this occurred several times throughout the day.  I even sprayed bug repellent in the corner, thinking that would keep him away.  Desperate, I saturated the corner with “Awesome”, a stain remover/cleaner that always removed all my pesky, persistent STAINS in clothing and carpets!  He would fly away and I was sure my problem had disappeared until I came outside, and there would be the wasp, building a new nest as if nothing had happened!

I have often pondered these verses from Romans and James this summer, thinking about the wasp and the petunia.

A few weeks ago, I had a much needed spiritual renewal at Family Camp.  You can read about that here.  I had been so dry and weary upon going.  The theme was “Restored” and God did exactly that!  I came back exhilarated and ready to recommit my life, my time, my SELF to the Lord again!

….and then life happens.

I again allowed my schedule to get busy.  How convenient it became to push God to the “back burner” and do all the things that just HAD to be done!  Instead of getting up and filling up on Him first thing, I again allowed all of life’s distractions to pull me away.  Each morning, I was off and running, checking emails, making calls, and doing “stuff.”

As I thought about how “RESTORED” I had been just a few weeks ago, God brought Matthew 7:7 to mind. “Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking (reverently) and the door will be opened.”  AMP

I need to keep seeking God, keep pursuing this relationship with Him….I need to have perseverance in making Him the most important thing in my life.  Just because I “reconnected” with God at Family Camp, I can’t slide back into my old habits.  I desire to passionately seek Him…..intimately pursue Him…and keep seeking and keep pursuing….and keep seeking…and pursuing….

And, isn’t God so amazing to put “everyday miracles” in our lives to remind us of these simple truths?

Persevering with you,

Tracy

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she listened. She sat in the passenger seat of the car. It was dark outside and we sat together in the car in front of her home. Our conversation on the long ride home finally brought us to our destination. Her home, yes, of course but it was that deep and raw place in her heart that was in need of healing and we were touching upon that secret place not many open up.

I turned toward her in my seat, her face was shadowed from the streetlight behind her. I spoke softly and with a powerful love in my voice, “My friend, you are so beautiful. You are absolutely beautiful in your physical appearance. But…. Do you know how beautiful you are on the inside?”

So didn’t speak.

I pushed forward, “Let me now affirm you in love. I see who you really are. Your heart is filled with love to give to others. You have a depth of caring for people that most don’t know lives there. You have a love for Jesus that literally shines from your eyes and tips the corners of your beautiful smile.”

“I affirm you. You are so beautiful on the outside but you are absolutely stunning on the inside.”

She murmured back to me, “Thank you. I needed to hear those words. I have a deep longing to hear my husband say them to me.”

“You deserve to hear those words from your husband. You are worthy of them and they are words of truth. Sometimes, often times, our men don’t know how to say words of this sort. They don’t even know sometimes what it is that they see in their wife, that is beautiy on the inside, so they are at a complete loss. They are convinced that saying “I love you” adequately and fully relates their feelings to us. Many of our men were raised where emotion or words of depth were never spoken or if they were, they were met with shaming or ridicule.”

“I’m not excusing our men. We as wives, we deserve every word of love and adoration in the dictionary. But there are sometimes when they just don’t ever arrive for us.”

So today, let me affirm you my sister. God sees you. He sees your beauty of a sacrifice to love on your imperfect husband. He sees the hours you pour into your children to grow them into young men and women of integrity and faith. He sees how you love Jesus, His Son, and how you are trying to live your life for Him.

Now hear His voice, “You are stunning and I am forever struck by your beauty. I am smitten by the woman no one else sees but Me. I love you with a jealous love and will guard your heart all of my life. You are beautiful inside and out.”

If you need words of affirmation, please take these as your own. Our Lord sees us very differently than we see each other or ourselves. Be affirmed today, Hugs, Lynn