Sweetness From Rocky Soil
Dear Friends,
Miles of rows of grape vines fill the hills of Samaria near Jerusalem. Large white rocks have been used to terrace the hills, creating little walls making the land useful for the vineyard and olive grove owners.
Each day the grape harvest starts early before the morning dew has evaporated. The sun rises higher in the sky. The scorching heat is perfect for ripening the grapes. The last clusters of royal purple grapes need to be picked before the cooler weather along with daily, heavy rainfall begins. The vineyard owner wants every grape picked to make his prize-winning wine. The ground is dry and dusty and the grapes are beginning to shrivel on the vines. These are the last and the sweetest grapes from ancient vines that will be pressed into the sweetest wine. The sweetness attracts the honey bees which will make golden, sticky sweetness.
The roots of these vines are strong. They have worked hard to push through the rocks to reach the deep water source down below the surface to feed the vines.
Once the work of the harvest is finished the heavy rains come. The dry, thirsty soil is thankful and the leaves on the vines become beautiful red and dry as they fall from the vines. The roots grow deeper as they find that the Source is now filled with life giving water.
Colossians 2:7
"Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."
A Fragrance Remembered: Reyhaneh
Dear Friends,
Flower petals are blowing in the breeze and cover the ground in silky softness. Happy children play in the blossoms tossing the tiny bits of color into the air. Little girls are dancing and twirling under the Magnolia tree. The fragrance fills the air of Heaven.
In Iran a young woman named Reyhaneh is known for her courage and her truthfulness and her merciful attitude. Reyhaneh was broken by cruel acts of injustice and wicked lies.
When I heard about Reyhaneh I thought of the woman who overcame many fears and came to Jesus. The room was crowded with many strange men. Cruel words were spoken against her as she approached the Master. She knew her calling and closed her ears to the accusations against her. She had walked carefully and deliberately with the fragile alabaster jar. Brave and confidently she came to Him and broke the jar of perfume. The ointment flowed over the head of Messiah. The accusations got louder and every eye was on her as the scent filled the air. She was blessed by Jesus and she is remembered today. This woman isn't named in the Bible. They said it was a waste of precious perfume. Jesus said she would be remembered.
Those who meant for Reyhaneh's death to be the end don't know Jesus. He can make something beautiful out of the injustice of her death. When Reyhaneh forgave her accusers the scent of perfume filled the air. When she wrote of her desire for her death to be used for good that others could live a more full life the scent of the perfume filled the air. The alabaster jar was broken and Reyhaneh will be remembered.
I pray that God will comfort those who knew and miss her and that they will know the One who died for us so that we can live with Him.
First John 4:10
"This is real love -- not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice for our sins."
Finding Sunshine: A Garden Surprise
Dear Friends,
Gardens are so much like life. Several years ago I started referring to my children as "my garden". People say that children grow like weeds, but I always thought of them as flowers. I am always seeing relationships between my garden and faith and life. Today I want to tell you about my unpredictable garden and how life can be that way.
Last spring I bought a packet of Cosmos seeds that had a picture of a vase with multi-colored blooms on the front. Some of the flowers were pastel and some brightly colored. The thin stems with fern-like leaves holding the flowers was what I could imagine growing here. This combination was just right for my cottage garden!
I planted them in the perfect sunny place and waited. The delicate stems grew and buds formed and started to bloom. White ..... white ..... white .... no blushing pink with yellow centers, no velvety scarlet, no royal purple, only white. It didn't take long until I had to admit that they really are pretty in a tall, feathery white sort of way. When the wind blows a gentle breeze the delicate stems dance and the blossoms wave back and forth like small, white-gloved hands! This is very different from the picture on the packet. The place where they are growing would be empty if I pulled them out and it's too late in the season to plant more, so I water them, take pictures of them and add them to bouquets. It's okay if they are all white. They look nice with the other flowers in the garden.
On October 24, 2000 our daughter Autumn Sunshine was born. When I held her for the first time she had the same fresh-from-God scent that all new babies do. She was small and fragile and different than I had expected. They whisked her away and came back and told us that she has Down Syndrome and that they had detected a heart defect. This was the first of many health challenges that we have faced with Autumn. Nobody plans to have a child who needs special care. I have times that I don't know if I can do life another day. But God gives me what I need. My garden was given a special surprise. The place where she grows in my heart is full of Sunshine.
Psalms 139: 14
"I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works..."
