Linen Stitches: Finding Butterfly Wings
Dear Friends,
God calls all of us to love our neighbors and to lay down our lives for one another. Loving our neighbors not only ministers to that individual but also is a reflection of Jesus to others around us while building up the Body.
I have been thinking about the different ways God uses our unique gifts, talents and personalities. Searching God's Word and allowing Him to guide our steps will bring us to the opportunities He has planned for us. We have a choice to step into that place or not. When we do take the step He will equip us for the task and provide what we need to accomplish the job for His glory.
I have wondered why Simon was the one chosen to carry the Cross for Jesus. He had a choice to bolt from the scene to escape the task pressing on him. I imagine him looking into the eyes of Jesus and welcoming the opportunity to use his strength. Did he whisper a kind word to Jesus as he lifted the Cross onto his own shoulder? Did he sweat and bleed under the weight of the Cross? Simon's encounter with Jesus involved pain and suffering.
When we enter into the work that we are called to do and are accompanied by the gifts and talents of others the weight of the task is lightened. Unity and community is loving our neighbor and carrying the cross.
I've met people who have a special love for children with special needs. They opened their hearts and homes to several of these children who didn't have family to love and care for them. They made a choice and stepped into the hard place where God wanted them to minister in. It isn't a job that can be done alone. It takes unity and community, the Church loving one another. I've met a family who laid down their life and moved to another state to care for an elderly parent (grandpa) so that his quality of life would improve. The family works together in his care, strong and determined to do the task God has burned into their hearts. It takes unity and community to do this work. These are examples of loving your neighbor, of laying down your life for another. Maybe when we see a brother or a sister who is carrying a cross we will actively welcome an opportunity to help. A cup of water, a hug and a prayer can go a long way sometimes.
Finding butterfly wings is a way to describe finding your path, or your calling and then trusting and taking flight into the area He is leading.
Matthew 25: 40
"....Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Mark 8:34
".... He said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
Lessons From Wrens
Dear Friends,
God can show us truths about His character even when we look out our windows.
I have a couple of wren families who come to my garden to nest every year. They know it's a safe place for them and it is filled with nesting materials and food and shelter that they need. In the spring when the first one returns she perches on a branch and sings for her mate to come. When he arrives they spend a few days going house hunting for the perfect home for their babies. They poke their heads into the different little houses, hopping in and out. When a decision is made they sit on the top of the house and sing their shrill wren song to each other.
Just the other day I was surprised to see a group of baby wrens playing together in my garden. It appeared to be a game of hide and seek! I watched three tiny babies flying from flower to flower and then to a branch looking for just the right place to hide. Then they found a little birdhouse that has the roof missing. It's like a little box hanging in the midst of Sunflowers and tangles of Morning Glories in my garden. One by one they perched on the edge of the house and hopped inside. They were being very still as if they were hiding in the little broken house. Then another tiny wren flew to the edge of the hiding place and they all flew out and repeated the game again a couple of times!
The wrens were not bothered by the brokenness of the little house. They were able to see past that flaw and find a purpose for it!
I have written about brokenness before and God brings me back to this message to continue to show me and to help me to paint the picture for you. God can use and make beauty from broken lives and from the ashes. He has many ways to show us His love: a broken alabaster box, pottery mended with gold, and a little broken bird house. Jesus is always ready to mend and heal us and to use us for His glory. When we go to the safe place of His presence in prayer and receive His forgiveness and His nourishment we can find this blessing.
Isaiah 61:3
"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for His own glory."
Feathers, Petals and Songs
Dear Friends,
This summer has been so unusually rainy and when I go to the garden my flowers are covered with raindrops. The sunlight is coming out from behind the clouds and glistening on the delicate petals of the Hibiscus. The sun shines through the petals like a sunbeam shines through a curtain made of lace. The intricate details of the life sustaining veins inside each petal is visible. Yesterday the flower was still curled tightly like an unborn baby is curled inside a womb. The birth happened unseen by my eyes. The rain and the sunlight provided the life giving nutrients bringing birth to the flower. I saw the bud yesterday and I see the blossom today. Beautiful!
So often I am reminded of Naghmeh Abedini who is the wife of Saeed. He is in prison in Iran for his faith in Jesus. She asks for prayers as she goes before officials, or when she is being interviewed on news programs. She has shared how she is naturally a very quiet person and is very nervous to be in the public eye. I heard it said that courage is doing what you know that you should do, something good and right, even though you are afraid. Even through the pain she speaks out and shares the Gospel.
God sees the tears on her pillow, and He hears her trembling heart when she gets behind a microphone. He know the sorrows that she faces each day when her children cry for their daddy. When she has the opportunity to tell people about Saeed she also tells them about God's love and about her faith and how God is sustaining them through this time of extreme pain.
I see Naghmeh blooming as this flower is now. Prayers can be life giving much like rain and sunshine are to a garden. Let us remember to pray for them. God is working and will be glorified!
Psalms 34:18
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."
Hebrews 11:30
"It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down."
Gardens and Harps:
Finding Healing In The Willow Tree
Dear Friends,
These words comes to my mind as I consider the recent horrific event that happened in Charleston, S.C. this past week.
I remember as a small child how I enjoyed playing under the swaying, leafy branches of the willow tree in the back yard. The branches were like flowing hair on a beautiful princess who was dancing in the breeze. Children love playing and having picnics under the canopy of the willow.
Psalms 137 says that "they hanged their harps on the willow." They were in captivity. A place of no joy. The joy that had flowed from the music of the harps and the dancing branches of the willow tree before the invasion had turned to desolation and despair.
When evil touched the community in Charleston they responded in their overwhelming grief with a message of forgiveness and compassion for the one who hurt them. The sorrow and pain of loss of lives will remain, but Jesus is the victor in this situation. Prayers and God's Word will continue to go forth from that place. They made a choice to NOT hang their harps on the willow!
Some different forms of captivity include physical, emotional and spiritual. Bitterness and unforgiving attitudes can lead to addictions and emotional or mental problems that keep people in bondage. When someone hangs their harp on the willow it's a sign of a need to turn to Jesus.
Willow bark is called "Nature's Aspirin" because of the pain relieving benefits. The Willow cannot remove the pain associated with a crime like the people of Charleston experienced nor can it remove the pain caused by a bitter heart.
My picture of a Passion flower represents the pain that Jesus endured for us on the Cross. He made the choice to die for us so that we can be freed from captivity. Listen to the message of the people of Charleston, the message of forgiveness, of turning to Jesus with our pain! He is the wonderful healer! He wants us to come to Him like children. Come under the canopy of the Willow! Jesus wants us to play the harp and be joyful in freedom from the chains that hold us captive.
Matthew 11:28-30
"Then Jesus said, Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Conversations and Violets
Dear Friends,
Not long ago someone asked me what my thoughts were about prayer.
I keep thinking about that conversation and I realize that when someone asks me for prayer it's one of the most special things to have someone ask. It is an honor to be asked to pray for someone. Praying for someone else takes you into the other person's situation and the focus off of yourself. God meets with me when I lift the needs of others up to Him. Prayer is a conversation with Jesus. Sharing and listening in His presence.
When I visited a friend who lived in a different state she shared some flower plants from her yard with me. She had violets popping up on the edge of the yard and under a big tree. The little purple blooms and heart shaped leaves were so pretty, so simple and delicate.When I got home I planted them along the walkway in the front yard where they made a nice border and along the fence in the back yard. They soon filled in the areas around them and I had extra violets to share with friends.
Violets are like prayers in some ways. When you give them away they are blessings and they grow, dropping seeds, filling the empty, desolate place in your heart that was meant for prayers. Violets can pop up in unexpected places like in the cracks between rocks or in the dark, shady area under the ferns. Prayers bring a brightness into a hurting heart like the tiny bits of color of the violets can light up a dim, wooded forest. Simple prayers that are from your heart will bring light to any situation.
A friend from out of state called with a request for prayer while I was writing this. At first I was surprised that I would get a call for prayer at this time. Then I thought that it really isn't surprising. God does things that confirm to us that He is here and desires conversation with us. I shared with my friend what I was writing about and she said some of the same things that I have written here. It's an honor to have someone trust you enough to ask for prayers and it's a privilege to have conversations with our God who loves us.
John 16:24
"....Ask, using my name, and you will receive , and you will have abundant joy."
1 Timothy 2:1
"I urge you, first of all to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them."
It Can Bloom Again
Dear Friends,
Have you ever had a pot of flowers blooming in you house before spring is here? You might see them in florist shops when you are aching to be in the garden and the snow is still on the ground. The bright colors of tulips and daffodils can warm up a room and brighten an early spring day that has the lingering chill of winter clinging to it. The bulbs of those flowers have gone through a special process to bring them to bloom indoors before the normal blooming season. The sad thing is that once a bulb has been "forced" it most likely won't bloom again. The "forcing" zaps most of the strength from the bulbs. Sometimes if it has great care along with the right conditions this flower may bloom again.
It's amazing that some of the care and conditions that these bulbs need are like what we need to grow in our faith, especially during a time of difficulty.
I heard a song about a rose that was crushed, walked upon, and appeared dead. The scent of the rose escaped the crushing and lingered for a while leaving a sweet memory of the lovely rose. In time and with the right conditions it will bloom again!
Exposure to full sun would be time spent in prayer. Plentiful food and water would be like time in God's Word. A time of rest would be like waiting on The Lord. A time without plant food or water would be like a time of fasting and prayer. A time under a special fluorescent light would be the pouring out of the Holy Spirit during this time. A time in the dry and darkness is like more waiting on Him, maybe in sorrow and loneliness. Then comes the special day of planting in a sunny location and more waiting. This is a time of growing again, now in the perfect location and right conditions. The blooming will be spectacular, as if the "forcing" had never happened.
Our springtime nights are still chilly and daytime temperatures are unpredictable. I've been working to clear the flower garden of twigs, and dead leaves and those crazy little helicopters that flew around in the wind and are trying to sprout into Maple trees all over the garden. While clearing these things out I uncover little treasures that survived our freezing winter! I am finding tiny sprouts of green that will be bloom again during the months to come.
If you need encouragement remember that you can bloom again.
2 Thessalonians 3:5
"May The Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ."
Bread, Ducks and Angels:
How Jesus Meets Our Needs
Dear Friends,
This story has to do with ducks, angels and bread. Jesus fed the people with bread, miracle bread, broken bread, the bread that gives life.
Children love ducks. A friend recently showed me pictures of her children playing with a cute yellow duck that came up to them for attention and it reminded me of a special story. Sometimes God allows things to happen that give a glimmer of hope and confirmation of His presence. These glimmers are like the 5 loaves of bread that Jesus blessed and broke in Matthew 14. He then fed the multitude with that bread. Loaves of bread can feed the hungry and also nourish the soul. He provided the bread for both reasons.
When our daughter Autumn Sunshine, who has disabilities, was less than 3 years old she would look at the ceiling and seem to follow something with her eyes and she would say "duck". Once when we were at a large meeting with lots of people and noise she was very upset and suffering from sensory overload. She looked up at the ceiling, calmed down and said "duck". I was glad she settled down but was confused about the duck that she saw.
I took her to enroll in a private Christian preschool and she walked over to a book rack, picked up a story book that had a picture on the cover of a dove flying upward with its wings looking almost like angel's wings. She said "duck"! Now I understood! She could see something that I couldn't see. Shortly after this she was at a point that she wanted to go up and down stairs without help. I was hesitant to walk away from her because she was on a flight of steep, wide stairs, not near the railing. She was so insistent and she did need to learn so I took a breath, let go of her hand and took a few steps away from her. She started to fall! I was terrified that she would be badly injured. She went down one step then stopped falling and looked up at the wall and said, "duck". I understood God's provision of protection!
In Matthew 14:30-31 shortly after Jesus fed the multitude with the five broken, blessed loaves of bread the disciples were fishing and a storm started. Jesus went out on the water toward the boat and Peter left the boat to meet Jesus. The wind and waves frightened him, "... and he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him..."
When we are hungry He provides the bread we need. In John 6:48 Jesus said, "I am that bread of life." Autumn's ducks were a sign of His protection and His Presence. They filled a need that I as a parent couldn't provide. When we are falling or sinking He stretches out His hand to help us. I'm so thankful for those glimmers of His Presence.
