Laced With Grace

Selah…….

Have you seen that word in your bible?  It’s often found in Psalms.

Ever wondered what it means?

It is a hard Hebrew word to translate and we aren’t 100% certain of its definition, but many scholars believe it means, “pause and think on this.”

Quiet ourselves.

Ponder.

Reflect.

Be still.

In fact, like Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

There are seasons in our life that are “Selah” times.

Times to quiet ourselves.

To reflect.

To ponder.

To be still before God and allow Him to fill us.

I recently read a great book, “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. One of the chapters is titled, “Empty to Fill.”

That’s what I want to be: empty.  Empty of me so that God can fill me with all of Him.

That is a “Selah” moment-  “empty to fill.”

I am in a “Selah” season right now.  And, for an active,  busy girl like me who loves to talk, share, write, and BE INVOLVED…..”pause and think on this” can be difficult!  Being still and quiet like Mary can be foreign to this Martha….  Quieting my mind, life, and heart can take ON PURPOSE kind of action.  Allowing God to empty me……my time….my activities……my life…..my heart…..that can be EXCRUCIATING at times!  But, I remind myself that He is filling me with what I long to be filled with- HIM.

If you have stopped by my blog lately and noticed it has been “quiet”, I have been reflecting.  If you haven’t seen me on Facebook for a while, I have been being still.  If you have called my phone and received voice mail, I have been quieting my home and my heart.  Please don’t take it personally that I haven’t emailed you recently, I am “emptying to be filled.”

We all need seasons of  “Selah”- time to reflect on God, who He is, what He is doing in our lives, and who we are in Him.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Father, I pray for each of us….wearied travelers walking this life journey…..living day to day.  I pray we each would make time to “Selah….pause and think on this.” Time to pause and reflect on who You are, what You are doing in our lives, and what You are speaking to our hearts.  Lord, we love You.  We are choosing to “be still and know that YOU are God.”

Reflecting and thirsting after Him,

Tracy

How often have I used the word hope like it’s a lucky charm? “Oh, I hope it works out,” “I hope she gets better,” “I hope I get to go.”

Hope is not a wish sent off on the wings of an angel to some ethereal plane, nor is it pie in the sky positive thinking. Hope is anticipation, confidence, security.

Many times I hope for change…change in people’s lives, hearts, actions, direction. It means I anticipate with confidence that change can take place because I know my all powerful, all knowing God is more than capable of producing that change.

I see it in how He changes the seasons. After a long harsh winter I hope for spring. That doesn’t mean I wring my hands and say, “Oh I hope God decides to change the season!” God has already ordained the times and seasons. Believing that, I look forward with yearning and longing for that change, in full confidence it will happen.

Does everything I hope for come into being? If my hope is in seeing His will be done, yes. But what if the person I’m praying for never changes? What if the sick never gets well? How does that effect my hope?

In human terms, hope is a perishable commodity. Despite God’s love, and His countless blessings, we are frail and finite human beings who can lose hope from time to time. When we do, we need the encouragement of fellow Christians to point us to the One who gives us hope.

Even though we go through trials, struggles, worries and discouragement, God offers us peace, joy, and the hope of eternal life.

~ “The choice for me is to either look at all the things I have lost or the things I have. To live in fear or to live in hope…Hope comes from knowing I have a sovereign, loving God who is in every event in my life.”   Lisa Beamer   (Her husband Todd was killed on flight 92, on September 11, 2001.)

~ The hope we have in Jesus is the anchor for the soul – something sure and steadfast, preventing drifting or giving way, lowered to the depth of God’s love. Franklin Graham

~ “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:19,20

~”Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4

What are you living to produce in your life? Wealth?  Fame? Status?  Significance? Legacy? How about character! Isn’t having the character of God our real goal in life? So even in our worst of times, if we can be people of character, then nothing can steal from us our most desired goal, the character of God, given us in Jesus Christ.

Dear Father, please bless me so that I can be strong in difficult times and consistent in holy character. Please give me a heart of courage and compassion so that in some small way I can more nearly remind others what you are like and what you can do in their lives.

Your Humbly Grateful Daughter.

I want you to meet three of my newest and closest friends.

Sophie

Sadie

and Jack!

Yep, we met in the most conspicuous manner. They followed me home.

It’s the strangest thing.

In the last couple of months, three dogs have followed me home.

Not one, not two, but three. How weird.

Let me explain.

Every morning (almost) I set out early for my “praise and jog.” Now don’t roll your eyes. I know what you are thinking, exercise, sheesh, get away from me I don’t need more guilt.

Okay, no guilt. But, I have come to love this time of my day. It usually follows my Bible reading and prayer time. That’s when I pray over your requests, so write me so I know how to pray for you. email me

But, when it’s time to jog, it’s just me, the Lord, my iPod loaded up with praise music and the great outdoors. I start by walking and within minutes when the first chorus of the first song plays, I am in a full out jog. I am pepped up and running and singing praises to my King.

It’s a rumor around our neighborhood some crazed woman runs around with her hands in the air singing. Oh my.

Ahem, I can’t help myself and my arms only go up on the really cool parts of the song.

Jogging 30 to 45 minutes is pure praise time. Did you catch that? Praise time.

Psalm 22:3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. (footnote) Or Yet you are holy, / enthroned on the praises of Israel

The Lord dwells in the praises of His people. My time praying and reading the Bible is awesome but this praise time is better. The Spirit of God is vivid and vibrant in those minutes where I run and take in the sights, sounds, smells of His creation. The Lord and I talk out many problems and concerns while running together.

So how does this relate to my new friends? Well, I am convinced that I am so filled with praises that these lost and scared guys are attracted to me. Not because of me but because I am a woman who is singing praises to the creator. Okay, maybe it’s a stretch but I know the Lord loves His creation, not only people but all of his creation including dogs. (The one exception might be RATS! Just kiddin.)

These little lost and shaking pets need help and the Lord sends me. Well, what really happens is these lost pups see me and they come running. They follow me and trust me I don’t encourage them. I look down, my compassion swells and I know I will help them.

I sometimes have to stop and pick them up like I did with Sophie. Sadie, was so happy to find someone, she fell into step with my jog and followed for an entire mile as I took her to my house. Jack was sorta scared and he was also soaking wet but he hid his tail and followed me right to my door.

Amazingly, Sophie, Sadie, and Jack each wore a tag with the owner’s phone number. I called and within minutes the owner arrived to pick up, I’m-so-glad-to-see-my-mamma, tail wagging, pup.

All creation shouts the truth of our Creator. Can dogs perceive it? I am not sure but I do know people can perceive the spirit of the living God in us. In the grocery store, at the movie theater, everywhere we go we have the opportunity to be the giver of compassion and to be God’s instrument of help.

We can’t give out what we don’t have, so fill up. Fill up with time spent praising and worshiping the Lord. I can’t emphasize enough the truth of God dwelling in the praises of His people.

So put what I say to the test. Spend 30 minutes in praise and worship every day this week. Then watch whom God sends your way. It will blow your mind and make your week, to serve the Lord in this way. It’s impossible to remain untouched when the God of the Universe is living in your praises. And that’s a promise.

Be blessed, Lynn

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