Ever The Same...

Writing, in some form or other, has always been a part of my life.  I enjoy the unfolding of thoughts and the gentle rhythm of my hand as it guides my pencil across the paper.  My journal is full of drawings, especially in the summer as most of my journaling is done outside.  I've drawn flowers and birds, leaves, ladybugs and bees, wooden chairs and scenery.  

My journal is also full of little things that have meaning to me... little flowers that my granddaughter gave me while we were spending time together in the garden... a bracelet that I made for her from the twigs that fell from the Honey Locust Tree, with a flower tucked into it's strands.

Many of the simple things of Life that bring me pleasure have also found their way, through words, onto the pages of my journal, pain and heartache have also found their expression many times through words written on its pages. Recently, something was said to me that was particularly hurtful, it doesn't really matter what it was, what is important is that I had a choice as to whether I was going to allow the words to find a place to settle within me or not.  After spending time in God's Word... I chose not. 

In Psalm 51:6 God tells us that he desires TRUTH in the innermost being and that in those hidden places within us he will make us know wisdom.  What had been bitterly spoken to me had been a lie and it was to find no resting place within me... and God gave me the wisdom to see it.  Afterwards I wrote...

"I know who I am, but much more importantly I know Who God is.   

God never changes.  This is a glorious truth and an aspect of Who He is.  He is always the same.  The circumstances of our lives and the ebb and flow of the ages change Him not; yet daily, I am in constant need of remembering who I am, and more importantly, who I am in Christ.  My moods change, my circumstances change - those that I have been placed in the midst of... their moods change, their circumstances change, which have the potential of changing my mood and circumstances too... and it seems to increase in frequency as I get older!  Who I am cannot be accurately determined when I am alone and unencumbered.  Who I am is better understood in the midst of the complexities in all that it means to live out daily life here on planet earth... not isolated from, but right smack dab in the community of humanity... in the midst of the pressures and pleasures, restrictions and freedoms, sorrows and joys, doubts and insecurities, fears and comforts of living this thing out.

By knowing my God I realize my Anchor... The One Who holds me fast in the up and down waves of life.  He never changes, He is always the same... my Healer, my Protector, Comforter, Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace.  He is my Light and my Salvation, He is my Daily Bread and Living Water; He is unchanging, yet continues to change me... Lord, I am a grateful child."

I know who I am, but much more importantly I know Who God is.

with love,

The Best Laid Plans....

The Scottish poet Robert Burns is often quoted as saying, "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft agley."  This quote is taken from his poem 'To A Mouse" and even though, with my rich Scottish heritage I don't often go around quoting this famous Scots son, I have to say that anyone that pens a poem in praise of a mouse can't be all that bad.  Although, having said that, he also wrote a poem about a louse (one is a louse... two is lice!) that he saw on a lady's bonnet at church... I think Robert Burns was a bit of a rascal... but I digress.

The other day, while in the middle of yet another "Oh, Lord, what do I do now?" moment, I began to giggle when this quote of Robert Burns popped into my mind.  I was giggling because Robert Burns is fondly known among his brethren as 'Rabbi Burns' which, although spelled the same does not sound at all like the Hebrew title of rabbi.  Jesus was called 'rabbi', which means teacher, and because Jesus is God, what better teacher could we possibly have?

God tells us in His Word that,

 "The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." 

                                                                      Proverbs 16:9

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand."

                                                                       Proverbs 19:21

We live in the midst of a culture today that for the most part determines what it does, based on how it feels. Even those who have professed to following Jesus have at times determined that because something has now become difficult, uncomfortable, or inconvenient, it must not be God's will or direction after all.  I do not find that mirrored anywhere in Scripture.

And so, as small as the glitch was that I found myself in the middle of the other day, it was actually quite big because I believed with all my heart that this is what God had laid before me to do... it's just that in the 'doing' it seemed that I had come to a screeching halt and "Oh, Lord, what do I do now?" was almost a query on my part that perhaps I had misunderstood and now that it looked impossible, and now that it was hard, perhaps I was to just lay it down and walk away.  Nope.

You see, Robert Burns was right, the best laid schemes of mice and men do often go awry, because they are simply mice, because we are simply men... and women.  And yet, as men and women, God has given us the wonderful gift of being able to plan, of being able to dream, and wonder of wonders, He has given us, through Christ, the ability to lay those plans and dreams down before Him so that He alone can direct our steps and give us the counsel that will stand and not "gang aft agley".

God's direction for our lives may not always be without difficulty, as a matter of fact, He has told us to expect difficulties and hardships.  God's direction in our lives may not always be agreeable to those around us, or understandable. However, because the counsel of the Lord will stand, long after man's opinions and preferences have passed away... I choose to continue to cry out, "Oh, Lord, what do I do now?"

And in answer to my prayer I believe that God  whispered to my heart... "you're doing it child, you're doing it...."

Try to Remember...

... turn and become like children...

                                                       ~Jesus~
... and He called a child to Himself...

                                                                 Matthew 18:1