So over time there have been a few phrases that prove to become a mantra for my life and also become powerful words for others. The first phrase was (and continues to be) "sit with it". So often in life I find myself wanting to fight emotions connected with grief or questioning why things happen and have needed to learn how to "sit with" the emotions or questions and allow myself to feel. I imagine myself sitting at the feet of Jesus, laying down whatever is happening there and trying to look into Jesus' eyes. It doesn't take away the pain but it allows me to see Jesus with me in that pain, giving space to cry, be angry or whatever. During that sitting with it, I believe those are the moments where healing happens - a little more each time.
Holding it loosely has become an important phrase for me recently. Back when we were in the discerning stage for moving to Ohio, Jeff used that phrase and it has become invaluable to me now too. I see it as the ability to look at the possibilities with open hands, allowing God's timing and direction to be revealed. I find when I want something too much I tend to try and manipulate the process. My desire to control things or want to know the details often times gets in the way of the work God has at hand. I think a key for me in this transitional time has been in opening myself up to the work of God, to take on a posture of seeking. I believe God has been leading, shaping, moving and as I have moved in directions that lead to closed doors, I don't see it as a failure, but as a growing and valuable process to have been through. Learning to trust each step of the way, peeling away the layers of protection or the walls that I've built. It is a process.
I'm thinking I'm going to start my way to listing 1,000 blessings/gifts/appreciation in this next year. This in itself is truly a testimony to the work of God in my life. To actually want to try and name blessings about this area, time of life...the fog is lifting. Giving God the praise today for a sunny day, inwardly and outwardly.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Holy Week - Refining
Wow it has been a long time since my last post. This past week was Holy week and as I am reflecting on our service on Sunday and my on-going study of Daniel I thought I'd put down some of my thoughts.
Today I am thinking of Jesus' pain & suffering - something his short life on earth knew so well. I am also remembering when Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace. Through this trial it allowed for King Neby to see a fourth person in the fire with them and that they were not consumed by the flames but instead were unharmed.
In our sermon on Palm Sunday Jessica named that Jesus was not protected from pain, suffering & death. God's favor does not equal success & protection but He does promise provision - in the midst of the suffering. It's not if we have trials but when - something I've always known. When we are faced with the trials and are in the midst of the fire, our faith is refined. As I envision the four people in the fiery furnace I am encouraged to know the fourth one is God standing in there with us.
So often in the fire we are caught up/consumed with the fire itself - the treatments, the loss, the pain, the depression, the loneliness. When do we consider, look for, recognize the fourth person in the furnace with us - the One that is there but wasn't visible before? Does God become visible in the fire, for us - or for the others on the outside looking in?
We know in our heads that God is always with us, so does He become visible once we acknowledge Him, once we completely put our trust in Him? Once we shift our focus off the fire, recognizing it's Jesus' feet we want to sit at, it's His love that embraces us, is it then that we have the courage to walk thru the fire? What if we never walk out of the fire? If not, then we will be gazing into Jesus' eyes so closely, that maybe we won't really notice that others have left our side. Wondering if the those who were experiencing the fire with us, would also see the loving, gentle eyes, and the peaceful presence you found with Jesus. Knowing at some point they will be able to walk out of the fire, not consumed, but refined.
Will others notice the fourth person in our fiery furnace? Do we even notice Him? Refining -is never easy, but results in such beauty. One day our trials will take us through the fire and into Jesus' arms. Will we draw others around us closer to their Maker in the process or will we all miss seeing Jesus at all because we have allowed the fire to be our focus?
Today I am thinking of Jesus' pain & suffering - something his short life on earth knew so well. I am also remembering when Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace. Through this trial it allowed for King Neby to see a fourth person in the fire with them and that they were not consumed by the flames but instead were unharmed.
In our sermon on Palm Sunday Jessica named that Jesus was not protected from pain, suffering & death. God's favor does not equal success & protection but He does promise provision - in the midst of the suffering. It's not if we have trials but when - something I've always known. When we are faced with the trials and are in the midst of the fire, our faith is refined. As I envision the four people in the fiery furnace I am encouraged to know the fourth one is God standing in there with us.
So often in the fire we are caught up/consumed with the fire itself - the treatments, the loss, the pain, the depression, the loneliness. When do we consider, look for, recognize the fourth person in the furnace with us - the One that is there but wasn't visible before? Does God become visible in the fire, for us - or for the others on the outside looking in?
We know in our heads that God is always with us, so does He become visible once we acknowledge Him, once we completely put our trust in Him? Once we shift our focus off the fire, recognizing it's Jesus' feet we want to sit at, it's His love that embraces us, is it then that we have the courage to walk thru the fire? What if we never walk out of the fire? If not, then we will be gazing into Jesus' eyes so closely, that maybe we won't really notice that others have left our side. Wondering if the those who were experiencing the fire with us, would also see the loving, gentle eyes, and the peaceful presence you found with Jesus. Knowing at some point they will be able to walk out of the fire, not consumed, but refined.
Will others notice the fourth person in our fiery furnace? Do we even notice Him? Refining -is never easy, but results in such beauty. One day our trials will take us through the fire and into Jesus' arms. Will we draw others around us closer to their Maker in the process or will we all miss seeing Jesus at all because we have allowed the fire to be our focus?
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