Love, mercy, faithfulness

 This morning, like almost every morning, my daughter and I headed out for our walk. Yes, it was below freezing and the sun was just starting to rise. I must say my heart was not in the walk this morning. I would have rather been snuggled under a warm blanket with a cup of coffee beside the fire. It is good for me though and my head knows it so I try to pray and thank God that I am able. Thank you Lord! We walked the road, which is our routine, and then headed back into the woods. Down this trail and that trail, through a clearing and then up a hill, one that never gets easier! As we got about halfway up the hill I could feel the sun on my back and could see our shadows ahead of us. The sun was on the rise!

 As we got to the top of the hill we stopped for a moment. I turned around and saw a beautiful sight. The sun was so bright and streaming through the towering pines. The colors...bright yellow, red, and orange were just like something painted in a fine piece of art. It was so bright that it was hard to look at yet so beautiful you couldn't turn away. We stood there for a few moments just taking it in knowing that in just a few minutes it would be rising above those towering pines and bringing warmth and brightness to the day!

And on we went and in just a dozen steps or so we were out of the brightness, walking a path that was covered over in trees that blocked the sunlight...for now. I knew that this path would eventually lead us to a clearing and we would be back into that brilliant sunlight. That was when the Lord spoke to me and the verse Lamentations 3:22-23 was whispered in my ear..."Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness".

 This is such a well known scripture but its words hold immense promise. And especially right now in this season of lent when we are examining ourselves...taking a hard look at our hearts as we seek to follow Christ with more faithfulness it can be so reassuring. The first part of this scripture reminds us of the ultimate love God has for us...there is none greater. There is nothing we can do to change His great love for us. God will never reconsider his decision to love us no matter how many times we fail him. He loves us now, tomorrow, forever and that is final!

Then we are told that out of this great love that God has for us his mercy extends to us always. His love and mercy go hand in hand and since his love for us will never end neither will his mercy upon us. Every single day...EVERY single day no matter what we do, what we think, how we are tempted God's love and mercy for us is bestowed upon us. This is a promise but also a reminder. Out of the great love for us flows God's mercy each and every day, refreshed and refilled. Again, no matter how often we have to rely on his mercy it is there for us. Of course, this scripture is not a license to tempt God, live in sin, and then call on his mercy as a mindset. But it is a promise for you if your heart is set to follow God and walk in obedience to him, but you find yourself failing.

And the last part of this..."great is your faithfulness" ties it all together. God's indescribable, never ending love flows into his refilling and refreshing mercies which we can count on because of his always and forever faithfulness! Just as I can't fathom how God made such a beautiful sunrise this morning for me, it is sometimes hard to fathom this immense love, mercy and faithfulness God has for me, just this simple country girl. But just as I stood and was in awe and praise of the sun that I was blessed to see this morning I will stand in awe of his promises and praise him always!

Thank you Lord for turning my cold dark morning into a bright day of promise promises of love, mercy and faithfulness that never ends!

"In Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them; nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God."Nehemiah 9:31

God's Garden

 

I live on a country road and am blessed to have a neighbor across my driveway, and across my street.  I say blessed because I am able to have the country life...animals, birds, trees, stars, and country stillness and quiet. Yet, there are neighbors close enough to take a short stroll and grab a cup of coffee or a mason jar of milk when I am out. There are others to fellowship with and I value my neighbors, adults and children. Today I want to tell you about one of my special little neighbors and the blessing and opportunity to build on my word of the year "Legacy".

A few days after Christmas my Ruthie girl came to my door with that permanent big smile that always dresses her face. She is eight years old, a child in a family of eight children, one of four girls, and home schooled. The latter presents more opportunities to visit. So, in the door she came and we had the usually exchange of greetings..."Hi Miss Trina. Whatcha doing?" "Hi Ruthie girl. Are you here for a visit or did mommy send you for something?" This day she sat down on the sofa and answered that she had come for a visit which is common for her. She is my most frequent visitor. At times we have chats about all sorts of topics, usually questions she has for me. We talk about what she might do when she grows up, how to crochet, decorating ideas for her bedroom, where she likes to go on vacation, different art techniques, and the list goes on. Then there are the visits where she wants to do some paper art or water coloring, or bracelet making, or letter writing. And let me not forget the visits that include bringing some treasure or project she has done to show me...Ruthie's Show and Tell.

This morning she came with a wonderful sparkle gel pen and fancy jeweled journal in hand. She wanted to show me her journal, a Christmas present, and the prayers she had been writing in it. Her prayers moved me. They were so sweet and innocent such as a child's prayers should be. They were thoughtful and straight from her sweet heart. There was no doubt in reading her prayers that this child has a heart for the Lord. In one prayer she was thanking God for our family and that we live next door. Her words were so sweet and it did cause me to tear up. I asked her if she wanted me to use her new sparkly pen and write a prayer in her journal and she was very excited. Of course was her answer and she sat quietly while I put my prayer to paper. I thanked God for the new year, for his love and protection, and then for my Ruthie girl. I told the Lord in my prayer that I knew he had great plans for her and that I will be here helping her give Him glory and praise for the paths he takes her on. I asked God for his protection over her and laid her in his hands and told God how special she is to me. I ended my prayer and closed her journal thanking her for the blessing of being able to write in her precious journal. She gave me a hug and that big smile of hers!

This little girl is so humble and sweet. She didn't ask me what I wrote or looked at my prayer. She just hugged me and thanked me again for taking the time to write in her journal. We sat on the sofa, had hot chocolate and talked about all sorts of random topics. After about an hour she decided she better go home. I asked if I could pray with her being the New Year and all. She was excited about us praying together and we decided to use the prayer I wrote in her journal. So we prayed together...short and sweet and from the heart. She gave me a big hug, told me she loved me and took her happy little self on back to her house.

As I have said in another post the definition I like for legacy is "planting seeds you may not see grow." At my age I will plant the garden, probably see the sprouts stick their heads up, but I might not see the full blooming but that is okay. My job might just be to plant the seeds and keep the ground fertile and God and others will do the rest. It struck me after she left what a fertile garden I have right across the road. Of course I have a strong desire to leave a spiritual legacy to my grandchildren but leaving a legacy doesn't have to be just for those that are your family. Planting seeds for God's kingdom should be a legacy I leave behind for all. God provides the soil, the people that cross paths with me both fleeting and permanently, and the Holy Spirit gives me the seeds, the words or actions to drop into the soil. It is up to me to be open, to listen and be aware of the promptings of God. God is working with me. He is showing me how my work for him is important. It is simple, heartfelt, loving...as simple as scribbling words in a jeweled journal with a sparkly pen, "It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in it's branches." Matthew 13:32.  Thank you Lord for 2023 and all that you have in store for me and the garden I am helping you plant!

 Ecclesiastes 11:6 "In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good."

SHELTER

Last night across the south traveled a line of severe storms. They contained tornadoes, hail, wind, thunder and lightning, and heavy rains. My sister who lives by herself in Alabama texted to ask for prayers because of the severe weather coming. My heart was all in. I live with three grown adults and still get anxious during bad weather. Praying for her was going to be done without hesitation.

As a noun shelter means a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger. As a verb it means protect or shield from something harmful, especially weather. When these storms fire up I want the noun and the verb shelter. I want the place and something or someone to protect me. Don't we all! And thankfully we have that in our all powerful God.

I started reading verses about shelter and if you take them literally there are plenty that assure us that God provides protection from the storms and the rains. Look at just this one verse in Isaiah..."There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and rain." Isaiah 4:6. When I hear the rains pounding, the boom of thunder, and the crackle of lightening this is what I think about. I imagine a large sturdy wall covered by a canopy; God and I on the inside and the bad weather on the outside. God is standing right beside me holding my hand and where we are it is still and quiet. From where we are you can just see over the top to the other side. The wind is howling, the trees are swaying, the rain is coming down in sheets and the sky is lit up by lightening. But where God and I are standing there is quiet, safety, stillness, and peace. He has provided a shelter for me and He is sheltering me!

Thankfully the verses referring to shelter in the bible also tell us about a God who gives us a place during not just weather related storms but storms of life. Again, as with the weather, during tough times in life God provides himself as the place of protection and is also the one to protect us. I love this verse...Psalm 61:3..."For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy." Did you catch the word STRONG! Not just a cardboard box but a strong tower against the enemy. And then another... Psalm 18:2..."The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge." A fortress! Wow! But look at what else our shelter and protector is. He is our rock; a solid firm mass. And adding to the protection and protector he delivers us out of the storms of life. He brings us out of the storm to the other side. He is our deliverer. Another verse that stirs up emotion in me when I read it is Psalm 27:5. This is what that verse promises..." For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; he will set me high on a rock." What a God we have! When severe weather comes, like it did last night, he has a place that is safe for us and he will be with us. When the storms of life come, and my friend they will come, God is there with a place ready for us to keep us safe, a refuge, a secret place, a strong tower, even a fortress if we need it. And our Rock, our God will be there with us and deliver us from all and any storms! AMEN!

Psalm 91:4...He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge."

 

LEGACY

Some years ago I made the decision to not make New Year's resolutions. For some folks that works great but not so much for me. I decided instead to choose a word for the year. The word was chosen after praying and letting God bring it to me. The word would encompass my bible reading/study, my prayer time, and hopefully action that I take during the year. Without a doubt last year God told me my word for 2022 should be legacy. Long story short, I didn't encompass the word as much as I had wanted. Sometime back in the early fall God started speaking to me about extending my word into 2023. So here we are the 1st of January and I have my word Legacy and I wanted to share some thoughts about it with you.

We all leave a legacy whether we are conscious of it or not. It is not set in stone to be a good thing or a bad thing. In the worldly circles a legacy is usually of monetary value, fame or fortune, notoriety, possessions and statue. There are those who have left a legacy we all admire such as Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, Churchill, Walt Disney, Queen Elizabeth just as an example. Then there are others that leave a legacy we don't admire such as Hugh Hefner, Hitler, and Jeffrey Dahmer. In my life I want to leave a legacy that is positive and I want it to be intentional.

In my search I have found nowhere in the bible where it uses the word Legacy but found there are a storehouse of scriptures, people and stories that show us the word Legacy and how important it is. There are a few definitions that I have found and these will be the building blocks of this year for me. And my prayer is that over the years I have left that I will build on this intentional foundation. One definition I love is "planting seeds in a garden that I might never get to see".  Legacy is "something handed down from one person to another/others", "something powerful that people will remember and treasure" in reference to God's legacy in Psalms 145:4-7..."One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness!" I, in no way shape or form, will be at this level but it is great example of the utmost legacy.  For my life, and I can only accomplish it through help from God and the Holy Spirit, and perseverance, prayer, support, and grace, I desire to leave a legacy  of passion for my faith, integrity, credibility, what God values in us, a heart of kindness, forgiveness, and a true and simple but all encompassing love for God! And I pray and ask you to pray for me that God will enlarge this list as time goes on!

The Lord has spoke and I have heard and I am truly excited and encouraged to do my best with His help to work on this important word this year and not for my glory but for those I leave behind, "From generation to generation we will proclaim your praise and Your name!" Psalm 79:22. In my life my parents left me a powerful legacy, a legacy that has given me a lifetime of knowing who God is, following him, a zest for continuing to learn about my God, love him, and service him. I have two...and spouses make four beautiful children, two exceptional grandchildren, sisters and nieces and nephews, and so many faithful friends and acquaintances who I want to leave something important and meaningful to as my parents did for me. And the Lord has said now to the time to intentionally begin...He has laid this word in my heart. Pray for me and as always my prayers go with you!

"My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God namely Christ". Colossians 2: 2-3