Eve

Poised delicately

on a precipice of power

Created for the purpose of

ruling

and furthering the kingdom

of life,

she was given everything she

needed.

Did she really want for more

Or was it simply she lost sight

of all she had?

"Did God really say?"

The harbinger of death -

Dared to speak.

Ancient mellifluous call to doubt

that echoes over the garden wall.

Flesh of her flesh - bone of her bone.

Enticed to mistrust.

Enticed to eat.

With her I fell

and with her I

crashed into

grace.

One lesson at a time.

Learning. Applying. Realizing. Transferring. Every day that I travel this path of knowledge - I am encouraged and challenged, humbled and motivated. I love to process the abstract ideas of God that He makes concrete for you and I. In this transaction of Word to mind, heart, and body - I am blessed. Satisfied. Overflowing with zeal for more. Grateful for the women in my life that bend low to hear me and help me grasp the Truth of God, I pray this blog only ever communicates a humble heart in love with God my Father - my teacher - and you - alongside of me here -my friend.


Author/speaker, Lysa TerKeurst, whom I was blessed to meet at The Chapel's WNY BreakAway in Ellicotville, is offering a scholarship to come and learn alongside her and other women who share a passion for God's Truth - processing it with one another via the word written - spoken - and lived out. I hope to attend. God knows I have much to learn! Praying this opportunity is afforded to me. Praying I might find you there, too. Check it out!

Golden Rule

"Treat others the way you WANT to be treated."

My children learned to recite the Golden Rule at school. Unfortunately like most pearls of wisdom - this rule can easily repeated- but not so as easily followed. However, the tears shed by my little ones over the hurt inflicted on their hearts by others - are well worth the eternal value each drop holds. I take them in my lap and pray quietly for wisdom. Feeling much like Nemo's dad, Marlin - who never wanted anything to happen to Nemo - but who realized through the jaws of sharks, the jellyfish stings and the belly ride in a whale - we cannot withhold life from the ones we love - because in doing so - they would miss the beauty of the dangerous adventure we share. So, I hold the tissues and hold them, and together we learn in the pain.

Recently, my 9 year-old daughter has been coming home from school with a heavy bucket full of tears to dump when she finally gets in my arms. You know that feeling? You've held the pain all day - and then when you see mom - whooosh - out comes the ache only she can comfort. Now granted - my Kamryn girl is emotional, so I have had to weigh these tears against each issue carefully, before giving her a pillow when what she needs is a hard hat. I take time to gather information carefully before reacting - which is hard for me to do, but I am learning this skill with each drama packed moment.

There are two common factors in every tear filled situation: two mean girls. Daily they are unkind to her, and she can't understand why. We have tried some "putting hot coals of kindness on their head" tactics (Proverbs 25:21-22) - like making them jewelry, or writing friendship letters - things of the friendly nature, but still she has not won their hearts. I ache with her when she hurts, and want to make it better, but knowing just what to do to help her has been a daily prayer. And as my daughter's torment continues, my momma bear instincts battle within me.

I was mad, so mad! at children - children not my own! And in the heat of my anger, I determined to go to that school and meet the two bullies myself. However, my son woke with a fever on the day of reckoning - so my plan had to simmer. I actually had time to stew - which meant a call to my mother who asked me very wisely, "What will you do to these children?" What a question! Do to them? Why I oughta .... Made me stop and think - which is so of God to help us when we need a strong arm of love. "Be slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19. I wouldn't do anything to them. I would meet my daughter for lunch to make my presence known with these little tots, talk with them, even make them laugh if I could.

I don't think my expectations of them actually had size and shape, the names Butch and Bubba came to mind - but these were faceless names in my mind since I'd never seen these 3rd grade girls. So I was somewhat shocked - and softened when I saw them. Small and lovely, one very disheveled and mismatched, one pulled tight into order from braid to buckle shoes. Seemingly powerless, and yet - these little girls were forces of much harm and power in my child's life. I wanted to love my daughter well, and God infused my heart with love for someone else's daughter. Really God?!?! Really??? The claws retracted. The enemy went away, and the victims became obvious. So, in the loud and hurried twenty minutes I got to sit at a lunch table lined with these future doctors, lawyers, teachers, business owners, and moms, I loved on each and everyone of them with my full attention. My daughter sat at my side snug under my arm as she munched on PB&J, and I engaged Bubba, Butch and all the other girls about their day, about their favorite studies, what they all like to do after school; and if my girly-girl was a good friend to to all of them, as I had surely hoped.

What a lesson for me in those moments! Love conquers. Did I see the end result of that? No. We have a history that is just beginning with these children. When I consider the conquering power of love - I am humbled in my own heart by how God was victorious in me. My faith grew in His ability to make good on His Word. He indwells me, and He will do it "I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master's business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my Father I have made know to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit. Fruit that will last - and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other." (John 15:15-17) There is no way Jesus would have gone into that cafeteria and turned tables and invoked fear. He would have shown every child love. I pray they saw Him.

The golden rule is taught, - "Treat others the way you want to be treated." but seldom upheld. So what is a mom to do? I want to protect them - but that is exactly what my focus should not be. Protecting them is God's business. He's got it covered. Psalm 121! Psalm 91! I need to equip them with His Word. Psalm 119:93 "I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life." Equip them. Equip them, God? How? The perfect question to ask before a great and faithful Teacher! I wanted my children to learn they have a God who sees them - El Roi. He taught my daughter that - but so very much more. And together we began with Him at Matthew 7:12 "So in all things, do to others as you would have them do to you..." I will never read that verse again the same way. I hope you won't either. More to come.

OMG

OMG. That acronym used to anger me so much. I thought I knew why. That's my God's name people are uttering recklessly! Considering my own pride is always an issue, I had to rethink my punch in the gut reaction. It's really my response to OMG that is all wrong. For that I am sorry.

Engraved on the soul of every human creation is an everlasting image. And, as we stumble forward in this grace cushioned existence, we muster every cognitive scaffold we can gather to give it language and meaning -a name - be it in our joy or in our sorrow - to fill the moment of our soul shaping - we call it out - Oh My God!

And whether we do this in ignorance or we do this in purest devotion, we testify to an indelible impression that we cannot remove - even in our rebellion to Him. That image was marred by sin but is reconciled to Him by Christ . Every soul that chooses to be reconciled to our Creator -through the image bearer of God - Christ Jesus - will find - satisfaction -redemption - and hope for what is to come... the fullness of His presence unleashed when the sun, moon and stars no longer confine for us His power and beauty. For by Him and through Him - one day in the scope of eternity - WE WILL SEE HIM.

Human eyes seeing God? How is this possible? If we enter eternity transformed by faith, we will indeed be able to experience the fullness of all He is on that "faith becomes sight" day - and more than that we will be joined with Him in the fullness of His glory! Colossians 3:3 "For you died (that is referring to the life and destiny I once lived in unbelief) and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. WHEN CHRIST, WHO IS YOUR LIFE - APPEARS - THEN YOU WILL APPEAR WITH HIM IN GLORY" (all emphasis added by me as I sit here freaking out!)

But what will it be like for those who always rejected His name? What will it be like to behold Him when they never believed?

In that culminating moment of soul shaping existence
God will illuminate the truth of humanity's image.
AND in His presence, those who are without the righteousness of Christ -
Will realize the fullness of what they COULD HAVE BEEN
In Him.
This spiritual revelation will evoke such anguish and shame
That they will run from Him -
Even to the depths of hell -
to escape the agony
of His beautiful
image
of love
and of life -
the one that they were created to sense and seek
to find and reflect.
They will know the truth that the Image Bearer
was engraved upon their souls from the very beginning.
And oh the horror that His name was on their lips throughout their lives.
but they never believed. They never received.
Oh My God.
My God.
My God.


My response is no longer one of anger, but of prayer.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:2-6