"Then with my waking thots,
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I'll raise..."
As the words of this well-known song spilled out of my playlist
this afternoon on my way home from sitting in a lawn chair on a gravel farm lane with my Farmer as he ate his lunch before returning to the field, my thots begans to come together and inspiration hit for a blog post after a LONG silence.
My silence has been for a number of reasons. It has been a rocky and rough way this winter...as God works in our lives preparing us for the coming season, the details of which only He knows. I have walked through deep heartache and the enemy has thrown the Big D at me: discouragement... I've tripped in it. I've fought against it in Jesus' name...I've wept. I've been deeply pained. But I remain firm on the Rock of Ages cleft for me.
This morning I arose and I texted two friends: "Today I choose joy in redemption and appreciation for the blessings along life's way. He is worthy." I also told a friend that I decided QUITE FIRMLY to praise my Maker today.
You know what? Ever since that 'quite firmly' purposeful choice, I have had some pretty amazing thots downloaded into my heart from Father God. One of them is this:
Do we truly believe that the people that are hurting and disappointing us (righteously, not selfishly)
are used of God to prepare us for what is next, to not hold onto the community/desire for people we think should be to us who they are choosing not to be. Perhaps they should be, but in all things
God works it out for our good and His glory.
I took a few minutes to bask in the quietness after my Farmer went back to his fields.
The farm was quiet and still. Birdsong floated in on the spring breeze.
I stood looking across the road to the pasture and the hills beyond.
I noticed the bright greens of new leaves.
And I thot: what a beautiful season is Spring, perhaps even more beautiful
after walking through the hardness of Winter to get there.
So it is in life. It is hard to walk through winter seasons of grief and unknowns.
It is hard to walk through pain and heartache,
wondering where we belong in certain situations,
watching others have what you yourself thot God wanted for you,
grieving losses,
honestly seeking wisdom for moving forward,
wondering which direction God is opening a door,
watching others as they walk thru their breaking with God
feeling powerless to 'fix anything', but all the while knowing
God can do it better than you can...
Winter snows are tiresome sometimes.
They are hard work sometimes.
But Spring's blush is amazing.
The colors pop out vibrantly in blades of grass
and in the daffodil's cheery flower.
Weariness of winter snows is soon a forgotten past
as we dig in the dirt of the garden,
and admire the dogwood's pink blooms.
Our hearts are cheered
and our skin is warmed
by the
kiss of the
golden sunshine.
Hang in there, friend.
If you are in Winter,
just keep walking.
Worship your God.
Praise your Maker.
Honor your King.
Walk humbly with
your God.
He is Worthy of all
praise, glory and honor.
"As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest,
cold and heat,
summer and winter,
day and night
will never cease."
