I dream of hills covered with trees filled with blossoms. Their fragrance fills the air like sweet yesterdays and happy tomorrows. The bees swirl around in happy patterns above our heads and laughter competes with the headiness of the surrounding flowers. Berries of all kinds grow with promises of hope and the corn stands like an army ready to advance, all in neat rows. Blessings all around. Chickens, just a few, fly around as my puppies rile them up. And our one cow mowes with the glistening cow bell catches the last glints of the day's sun. The little lambs calling for attention. The wind tossing around our hair as if trying to complement our smiles. It's been a great day, the kind you try to bank in your memory, memorizing every detail so you don't forget.
Joshua and Faith put their book bags down and ready for school in the morning. As we sit on the back porch after a tasteful dinner, we sip our tea watching the fire flies before retiring and surrendering to the night's slumber. Our laughter from the day filling our hearts with gratitude and bountiful praise.
Dream Dreams
Thank You God
Jesus gave up His spirit, the curtain was torn in two and there was an earthquake. Right before this, the sun stopped shinning.
That's really all the Bible says about Jesus' death that night. I had always imagined it rained for that night and the next day. It does not describe whether the birds or animals were quiet. But one think I am certain, 11 men were alone in their thoughts. Each one remembering in detail every conversation they had with Jesus, especially the imtimate ones. Thinking it all over, grieving as we grieve for those we love. We go over all the details, the funny smiles, the inside jokes and the knowing glances. Peter, I'm sure, was going over every detail of his denial.
These men are just like us. When given enough time to reflect and wonder, we analyze all of our choices and see where God has brought us. Analyze everything He has told us and see how it fits in with where we are now. This has been the closest I have come to death that I could confidentially proclaim, if one should do so. I've never quite taken stock of many life and looked at where some relationships have gone right and some have gone so wrong. It's interesting how God will bring us to a place where we have nothing but time to mend our broken hearts. This seems like what the Shack was trying to say all along.
At the end of the day, it didn't matter that the apostles didn't get it until after His resurrection what Jesus meant, they got it. It doesn't matter if you wait 30 years or 50 years or 2 years. It only matters that you do. God's Love for us is big enough to cover our hurts, our pains and our sorrows. He's big enough to start really deeply healing those hurts which have gone unnoticed and untouched. The ones no one speaks of. Yes, He believes you deserve the best so He sent you His Son to prove it. And when He's ready, He'll show you.
If God took me out of the world tonight or tomorrow, I can honestly say God has blessed me with a wonderful sister and wonderful children. They have brought me much gladness. I have been blessed with a wonderful family, personally and at work. I love sharing Jesus' message during Sunday School and growing with each of you on Sunday. I love you all more than you all may ever know. What the locusts have taken away, God has replaced ten-fold. He has given me a family when I had none.
Just last week I was cutting a pepper and was thinking how I had planted earlier these few seeds to get some pepper plants and now I was holding this stem from one plant and it bore so many seeds. Each pepper plant contains the hope of so many numerous seeds, enough to plant a garden. Each of those seeds have so much potential, too. I belive this is how it is with us. How often we overlook the blessings in our lives. How much God would like to bless us like this pepper seeds. How much we have the opportunity to inspire and encourage those around us. To cultivate what God is harvesting by bringing the sunshine and some occassional showers.
Stop looking for the green blessings. They get us what we need and want. It's all God's anyways. Look instead around us at the opportunities to help with the simple things. Sometimes we really don't know what we mean to others until it is too late. Remember always and foremost God Loves You. I know He loves me.
That's really all the Bible says about Jesus' death that night. I had always imagined it rained for that night and the next day. It does not describe whether the birds or animals were quiet. But one think I am certain, 11 men were alone in their thoughts. Each one remembering in detail every conversation they had with Jesus, especially the imtimate ones. Thinking it all over, grieving as we grieve for those we love. We go over all the details, the funny smiles, the inside jokes and the knowing glances. Peter, I'm sure, was going over every detail of his denial.
These men are just like us. When given enough time to reflect and wonder, we analyze all of our choices and see where God has brought us. Analyze everything He has told us and see how it fits in with where we are now. This has been the closest I have come to death that I could confidentially proclaim, if one should do so. I've never quite taken stock of many life and looked at where some relationships have gone right and some have gone so wrong. It's interesting how God will bring us to a place where we have nothing but time to mend our broken hearts. This seems like what the Shack was trying to say all along.
At the end of the day, it didn't matter that the apostles didn't get it until after His resurrection what Jesus meant, they got it. It doesn't matter if you wait 30 years or 50 years or 2 years. It only matters that you do. God's Love for us is big enough to cover our hurts, our pains and our sorrows. He's big enough to start really deeply healing those hurts which have gone unnoticed and untouched. The ones no one speaks of. Yes, He believes you deserve the best so He sent you His Son to prove it. And when He's ready, He'll show you.
If God took me out of the world tonight or tomorrow, I can honestly say God has blessed me with a wonderful sister and wonderful children. They have brought me much gladness. I have been blessed with a wonderful family, personally and at work. I love sharing Jesus' message during Sunday School and growing with each of you on Sunday. I love you all more than you all may ever know. What the locusts have taken away, God has replaced ten-fold. He has given me a family when I had none.
Just last week I was cutting a pepper and was thinking how I had planted earlier these few seeds to get some pepper plants and now I was holding this stem from one plant and it bore so many seeds. Each pepper plant contains the hope of so many numerous seeds, enough to plant a garden. Each of those seeds have so much potential, too. I belive this is how it is with us. How often we overlook the blessings in our lives. How much God would like to bless us like this pepper seeds. How much we have the opportunity to inspire and encourage those around us. To cultivate what God is harvesting by bringing the sunshine and some occassional showers.
Stop looking for the green blessings. They get us what we need and want. It's all God's anyways. Look instead around us at the opportunities to help with the simple things. Sometimes we really don't know what we mean to others until it is too late. Remember always and foremost God Loves You. I know He loves me.
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