Year of Seeing

God has been posing a consistent theme in my life: Seeing. The blind man. He wanted to see. Through the difficult situations in my family, I need to see things through the lens of the word. I need to see things through God's perspective.

But here is another way of seeing. He allowed me to discover a new treasure today. In 2 Kings Elisha is surrounded on all sides by the enemy. His servant is very concerned. Elisha tells his servant not to be afraid. "For there are more on our side then on theirs! "

2 Kings 6:17 says "oh Lord, open his eyes and let him see!"

When the Lord opened the servant's eyes, he saw that the hillside was filled with the Lord armies, horses and chariots of fire on their side!

What if during our darkest hours, the same was true? What if the hillside around us filled with the Lords Armies, ready to fight on our behalf? 

When I feel alone, I need only remember, He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world.

Let's look at how God sees. At the moment of Creation, God looked at what He had made and He saw that it was good. So I, too, even in the midst of a broken world, can choose to look around and see the goodness in everyone and everything, only when I filter it through the lens of the Word. Only when I ask for His perspective. Jesus IN me, live THROUGH me.

God also calls me to see His grace in the midst of suffering. To see the beauty in each day. To see the blessings in the pain. This is hard seeing. But as we keep walking instead of giving up, He shows us what those blessings are. Look hard for God and wait on Him expectantly.

We can also see today with eternity in mind. What part of the things we are worried and anxious about are really going to matter for eternity? With the death of both my parents in 2 years, I have come to understand that the only thing that matters in this life is what we do with the truth of Jesus and how we love others. All else is fleeting and temporary.

Only by asking Jesus IN us to live THROUGH us, can we SEE the way forward. The way forward is always to give thanks.For more on forward living click here and HERE!

Whatever I see, my thoughts are fixed upon. Then my actions will follow. So Lord, help me to see with your Light. I'm asking the Lord to give me His vision. Illumine my vision that I would see without the veil.

Because we've turned to the Lord, the veil was removed. With unveiled faces, we contemplate the Lord's glory. We are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. 2 Corinthians 3:18

I want to see with clarity, like a "man." Reveal to me the hidden things, the secrets, the mystery of Christ.

Now I see in part. Then I shall see fully. 1 Corinthians 13

How Does Your Garden Grow?

First, building the garden.

Then, marking the garden with God's word. Asking for His blessings to provide growth.

Then the planting.

Then the nourishing.

 

The careful measuring.

The precious shoots.

As our roots are Growing into Him, so our our sprouts growing in richness and stature.  

The labeling.

The watering.

Look, a seed has sprouted!

And we have success!

Finally, the harvesting.

After all the sadness and pain of this year from the loss of my Mom, what a refreshment and tangible reminder to see that God

brings new life into nothingness!

My Daily Bread ...From a Place of Darkness

I'm a note taker, a list maker, a box checker. I like to have everything I need to do written down, preferably on paper so I can physically cross it out. That gives me satisfaction. Inevitably, I put my quiet time on that list because I've been a Christian since I was 10. I know it's the thing to do. And then I could check the box. But that part of my list was often replaced with other things that were "more pressing." And sometimes that box didn't get checked. Or maybe I spent "just enough" time with God to allow me to check the box and move on. Other days, usually dark days, I would spend hours in the word, eating more than my fill.  As I think about my own poor habits, I am reminded of God's manna, His provision of bread from Heaven.

But like God's command to the Israelites, take only what you can eat. (study only what you can internalize for that day - meditate on it day and night). In a word, my life was unbalanced. And my heart motives were all wrong. And I was so bewildered why my life was like a tornado on a roller coaster. I had good days. But the very next day, my circumstances-whatever they may have been-had me thrown into a whirlwind. And I had some circumstances that threw me - my health battle, my child's rebellion and anxiety, my Mom's suicide.

Highs and lows...isn't that life? I thought so. It was my normal. But these lows were enough to rock me, to keep me down and dysfunctional in the role God gave me. I begged for stability over and over through these seasons of pain and turmoil. I needed an anchor.

Finally my anxiety became crippling. I began to have thoughts that life was hopeless. Me - who has a husband who loves me and a beautiful healthy child. And it was just too hard. I felt I no longer wanted the responsibility of raising a child because I kept failing to do it right, do it perfectly. I couldn't bring myself to face that thought. And after all, my Mom was a righteous woman. She loved Jesus. And she lost the battle. So what does that mean for me?

It turns out my desperation led me down a different path --straight to the cross. And that is where I met my Anchor. Only when my very life depended on it,  I could run to Jesus with my first breath of the morning, begging Him to show me His perspective on this world filled with more ugliness than I can bear. I put on my armor like I was really in a battle because I was. And this was the change. It wasn't just a box I checked. It was going to God to receive my daily Bread from Heaven. Each day, just enough to fill my weary soul.