Praying for Patience...

I think I must have been praying for patience lately. I am pushing jello up a hill, it seems; and the result is a mess. I am honestly a tad irritated, confused, and would just like to "take my ball and go home." This sounds pretty human, and it is. On days like this, I think I can understand why hermits sign off on the normal bumps and bruises brought on by interpersonal contact. We seem to grow contentious quite easily; brandying about strong emotional responses to comments not intended to inflame either soul or spirit. I am ready to fight.

On the other hand, I am praying with confidence that the events of my days will either blow over or morph into a glorious blessing that I haven't fathomed yet. I am still trying to clean the steam from my lenses brought about by the emissions of my ears. I know it must be either for my good or brought about by my own human failing. I am going to go for a walk or just consider conversation kept on a most superficial level for about a week as a breather. I might look for the bullseye my husband uses to practice his archery skill just to take out some of my aggression. The dross has to go somewhere; and I figure that is a safe outlet.

The only thing left to do is to lay my heart before the Lord and just seek Him with regards to what I am doing wrong. It is not my responsibility to explain myself ad nauseum until the other parties are convinced I am in the right. I am not sure I am right in the first place. He knows what's best. I, for one, don't want to talk to another human being until the Lord and myself have had some time together. He is my hiding place, and I rejoice in knowing that He has an answer. The question is: am I going to listen? I pray that I do.
Joy in the Journey,
Lynne

The Learning Curve

I recall the phrase "grading on the curve" in school. It was a mixed bag, as I never knew if the grade I received was a true reflection of the quality of work I produced. I am sure it pulled my fat out of the fire academically a few times; I must admit. There is no pride in that admission; only guilt. What does this have to do with my post? Hang in there, and you will see...
Can you imagine if God "graded us on the curve"? What a mess that would be. He has standards; not a round-table of discussion with regards to what the cost will be for falling off the wagon. It would depend too much on the actions of fickle humanity and the chameleon-like behavior that humanity puts forth as righteous.
It seems to me that we act like He evaluates us on the curve. I know that I do when I start evaluating my worth against what others are able to do. I am not them; and that sets up an impossible standard. My learning curve is set by the Lord; and not by evaluating my worth against what others are called to do and to be. I would love to be able to master music theory, understand physics, or publish a novel. It would even be nice to hike the Appalachian trail or work out of my house and make enough money to put my kids through college. The eye is never satisfied.
Instead, I propose that the learning curve begin where we are. Wherever we are on the journey towards becoming like Him, let's begin each day with the expectancy that comes from knowing who He is. That is the best place to be on the learning curve.

Have a cup o'joy
and a fresh taste of the bread of heaven...

Love,
Lynne

To Grow Where I am Planted

I have a plaque hanging in my bathroom that exhorts me to realize that God blesses every day(and it is up to me to notice). It was given to me by a family member that I cherish. I am reminded of her every morning as I read it, and every night as I get ready for bed. It brings so many things to my mind when I think about what it means to live in joy and celebrate the work of His hands.

In my mind, I am thinking of what I would be like if I truly grasped the faithfulness of God in my circumstances. Do I trust Him? Why don't I trust Him more? Do I really want to "pray for patience" in order to grow more like Him? I don't want to take on more than I can handle; but do I really know what I can handle? He tells me that I am never given more than I can handle. I confess that I doubt that He knows what He is doing sometimes when it comes to that question. Is that sin? Yes. Those moments of cowardice come to me in moments of weakness. He comes through for me. He is faithful.

Choosing to glorify Him right where I am and seek His presence in my daily life is what I think that the phrase means. Is there some measure of contentedness that must come to me in order to achieve this? Perhaps. Is it a sentence to just settle for whatever and not try to develop what I feel drawn towards as my callings in this life? I don't think so.

It is my prayer to discern each day what I need to focus on in order to grow in my walk with the Lord. That punch list will change as I grow closer to His image. That is going to take the rest of my days. In my spirit, I know that it is all worth it; as eternity is in my heart as a draw towards the prize set before me.

Have a cup o'joy,
and a fresh taste of the bread of heaven..

Lynne

Singin' and Swingin'

Singin' and swingin'
and getting merry like Christmas;
I'm getting the hang
of this praisin' thang...
Glory surrounds me
as the song in my heart grows;
carving out nooks for the Spirit
...and washing my spirit
in mercy and grace...
Singin' and swingin'
as a statement of faith;
as I am caught between the now
...and the "not yet" that I am so longing for...

It is Monday again.

I haven't figured out how to change the date on that last post. Suffice it to say, I did not post it on March 4. Bear with me as I try to figure out how to fix that snafu.

Joy,
Lynne

Mixing Colors

My daughter has been experimenting with her creative side. Her mediums include crayons, food coloring, and poster paints. Her face is the canvas at times; as she creates new designs on her face, the floor, and the table. She is learning about mixing colors, too. Yesterday, she was experimenting with a kelly green and a stark white. It was a delightful color. I noticed as I started trying to get it out of her bedroom rug.
I think life is much like that rug, in a way. The colors that we have to work with separate and combine as expressions of who we are on any given day. The intensity of the hues varies to the degree that we let light in to either soften the color or keep the intensity strong. Our colors throw shadows and paint either joy or doors that shut out light for a while.
I have always loved the color of royal blue. The intensity and the impression of vibrancy have drawn me as a mosquito to a bug zapper. I could get lost in that color for weeks and not miss the outside world. I need other colors, though. The darker colors add important accents to my life; breaking up the luxurious color experience of the blues and the greens.

My prayer for you is to enjoy the colors you have on your palette today. Make your own music and rejoice in the day that the Lord has given to you.

Have a cup o'joy
and a fresh taste of the bread of heaven...

Lynne

Choosing Joy

I was listening to a woman on a talk show speak of the power of praising God regardless of circumstance. She went so far as to say that she would respond to an inquiry about how she was doing with a "choosing joy" response. I had recalled the verse that compells us to "choose life", and how our choices add up to either the abundant life or something far less than we were meant to experience. The phrase seemed to make sense. I have been thinking about that choice of joy on and off this week. Yes, I have been "brewing" something in response to that phrase. It will not release me from its' grasp. I figure that I am either just obsessing as a result of a personality quirk or the Lord is really trying to get my attention.

On the way to choosing joy this week, I got stuck here and there on the daily potholes and the overall picture of my life as I see it. Eventually, I started dodging the potholes and refocusing on the Lord. I may have to go back to a few of those potholes and fill them in as a part of being a responsible adult. In the midst of those responsibilities, challenges, and mountain shadows I long to praise Him with a single-minded heart. Regardless of the circumstance I find myself in, He is the Alpha and the Omega. This temporal struggle of life will be a small blip on the screen of eternity. Perspective is powerful; and when powered by faith it is a glorious propellant towards the abundant life.

My prayer today is that we will be enabled by the Holy Spirit to refocus our energies towards that powerful instrument of praise. He is worthy regardless of the view we get from the vantage point of our scratched lenses. His sacrifice and grace enable us to overcome the struggles of walking this earth in our clay packages.

Cup o'joy
and a fresh taste of the bread of heaven to you...

Lynne