In This World...

This post as been rolling around in my head

for days,

and in my experience

for a lifetime!

I know I said I would be

away for awhile,

but I just couldn't stay

away! :-)

I think it has finally

sunk into my heart

that this world

is not going to 

be full of 

long stretches of

laughter and 

mirth

because

it is filled with

fallen humanity,

causing all our joy

to be touched with

pain.

I have been learning

what it means

to be broken with

what breaks God's heart,

and yet not become

bitter and hard

about the

brokenness,

but to let Him

fill me with 

compassion and grace,

and a willingness to be a vessel of use

for whatever purpose He plans.

Expect trouble.

If you are a child of God,

there is not a place of

true earthly rest for you here.

YES, in HIM our hearts 

can be solid and peaceful,

but the winds will beat 'round

our ship often on the sea of life,

the hail will batter our gardens

that are growing beautifully,

death comes 'too early',

brokenness touches our families

when we thought that it was

always 'out there' somewhere

where we are not.

a field of sunflowers close to my house

Jesus has told us to take heart, tho,

because He has overcome the world.

We can lay our bleeding hearts at

the foot of the Cross,

hold onto the nail-scarred Hand

He offers daily,

trust our lives into His capable leading,

and live with abandon...

serving faithfully in the

post He calls us to.

black eyed susans blooming along the way,
a gorgeous view from my front porch

We weep.

We sigh.
We want to be Home.

We grow weary.

We find  no place to

truly fit in

because we are 

strangers here.

Guess what,

we are EXACTLY where

He wants us then,

if that is our story.

Take heart...

somehow I can hear

Jesus

speaking those words

and comforting his

disciples with them.

a sunflower that volunteered to bloom her heart out
by my birdfeeder, giving me much cheer every day

I am comforted.

I am willing.

I am His,

and He is mine.

Here's hoping you all are having a beautiful summer.

Mine has been filled with broken things,

but in the midst of it all,

there have been reminders of His grace

and His beauty surrounds me,

teaching me lessons.

Little Swan Echinacea doing what He created it to do:

bring glory to Him thru beauty along the way...

I really wish I could share this beauty with you...
phlox in the evening sunshine, it's perfume
pervading the cool New York air!