Tool Belt
Curled up on the sofa, hot cup of coffee in hand, I flipped through the television channels in search of some morning news. My interest was peaked when I landed on a rerun of an old reality show about a money guru and her radical measures to help family understand, and get a grip on, their debt.
No Talking – Test In Progress
I have yet to meet anyone who thoroughly enjoys taking a test. I am sure we can all remember the anxiety and stress induced acne that would appear before an exam, the anticipation of finding out our marks and class ranking, and even the disappointment when we did not achieve an expectation we had for ourselves.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Looking back at my childhood, I fondly remember the busyness of my mothers hands. Her hands were rarely idle for she had four young children always at her skirt hem. She prepared meals from scratch making a feast appear out of seemingly nothing as if Jesus' miracle of the loaves and fishes was reenacted each day in our kitchen.
The Easy Road
Walking through the parking lot, I came face to face with a friend of mine pushing a shopping cart carrying a large box of groceries at the bottom. I myself was headed into the store to purchase a few items. What began as a few moments soon morphed into twenty minutes of conversation. We spoke of all matters of change happening within both of our households, and how we can see how The Lord moving within the chaos.
Never Ending Cycle
One of the greatest lessons of life that I have learned is the simple truth that in our process of sanctification- this journey we are on with Jesus to make us holy and set apart for Him- there will always be those who are three steps ahead of us, and those who are three steps behind us.
Mere Moments
I pulled my car up to the green light setting the blinker on to make a left-hand turn. The intersection was crowded with cars all containing anxious souls in a hurry to get home after a long day.
Palm of His Hand
As I laid on the bed, my head resting down by her feet, I listened as my daughter talked. Amusing innocent chatter filled the air between us as the moments before bedtime whittled away. The conversation took an odd turn when my child began to ask me questions regarding her salvation.
Blink Of An Eye
I debated. I wavered. I attempted to reason it our within my own mind. In the end, I did not ask. I did not ask for I knew the answer the person would give me. I knew that they would be uncomfortable. I assumed that the only reason they might have agreed would be to meet an expectation. My expectation.
Freedom Papers
A convicted heart can not go unchanged, but a guilty soul can go on forever. I remember hearing those words drop into my heart like sinking stones as I listened and witnessed a child of God have a complete emotional breakdown. I had no words to voice, only ears to listen as she ranted and raved about the injustices in her life.
Four Star Resort
The process of transforming our relational health is a difficult feat indeed. Our human experience was designed with the purpose of enjoying the abundance that comes from good, healthy relationships.
Milk and Water
As I strolled through the aisles of the bookstore, I could overhear bits and pieces of a conversation between two men sitting on a soft sofa. One man was dressed in a simple black shirt and unfussy shorts.
War and Peace
I rolled up to the familiar stop sign gently pushing my foot upon the brake. While waiting my turn to move forward, I noticed a small sign staked into a grassy mound off to my righthand side. Created out of a piece of aluminum it was painted by a shaky hand in bright blue paint. With a large peace symbol at the bottom, it read Be The Change.
Green Thumb
I stood amongst the sweet smelling flowers and lush green bushes looking completely lost. After approaching a gentleman who was loading flowering baskets onto large galvanized metal shelves, he informed me he knew less about gardening than I did. But, he was swift to point me in the right direction by giving me the name of the one who knew everything about gardening.
Kingdom of Heaven
Heading down the aisle of the grocery store, I could hear the soft rolling of a cart directly behind me. My young child noticed the pusher of the cart before I did. It was an elderly gentleman quietly minding his own business in the frozen food aisle... until he noticed my young child noticing him.
Plumb Worn Out
There is a little hideout that I have found myself frequenting as of late. A particular close friend and I can find ourselves whittling away hours together digging through the bins of this charity store.
Pulling the Trigger
I stared at the computer screen trying to figure out why the printer would not register my request but my efforts proved fruitless. I knew I had followed the steps to the best of my knowledge but, for some reason or another, my apparent knowledge was not enough. Trying to fix the problem myself was plan A.
And The Dandelions Grow
I inwardly cringed as my child handed me yet another wilted bouquet of dandelions. They grow faster than she can pick them and their roots take hold deep into the ground.
The Trickster
During the midst of the hours that struggle to be identified as day or night, I was pulled awake by the sounds of screaming. I went into my child's room and found her still half asleep yet wailing hysterically for me to promptly remove the bugs crawling up her backside.
Painted Faces
Hot cup of coffee in hand, I listened as my friend unburdened her soul and all that was causing conflict in her heart. As she struggled to find words, she told me that she was exhausted of living week after week wearing a painted face, all while recognizing and pointing out the painted faces of others in her life.
What Would Jesus Do?
Wandering through a secondhand store, I stopped to peruse a large blue bin of books. Piles upon piles of books of all various types were stacked together creating mountain of ideas and ideologies.
Soapbox Sofa
As my hands were busy at work submerged into a sink of hot soapy water, I listened as my child belted out the lyrics to the song “Tomorrow” from the Broadway musical Annie.
Little Sparrow
As I pulled open the dusty blinds, I was greeted by the glorious presence of sunshine. I could feel the warmth through the windowpane as it spread from the glass to my soul.
Great Rewards
While standing with a friend in conversation, she bared her soul and shared that it had been an emotional day. Financial obligations and life's overwhelming needs had caused her to shed an abundance of tears. The weight of it all had taken a toll on her fragile spirit.
The Red Ribbon
Going through the nightly ritual of tucking my children into bed, my eldest began her pattern of fretting. She frets over where I will be within the walls of our home, what I will be doing, and if I will be available if she were in need of my presence. As I kissed her smooth forehead I muttered, “Oh child, you worry too much.”
Tool Belt
Curled up on the sofa, hot cup of coffee in hand, I flipped through the television channels in search of some morning news. My interest was peaked when I landed on a rerun of an old reality show about a money guru and her radical measures to help family understand, and get a grip on, their debt.
No Talking – Test In Progress
I have yet to meet anyone who thoroughly enjoys taking a test. I am sure we can all remember the anxiety and stress induced acne that would appear before an exam, the anticipation of finding out our marks and class ranking, and even the disappointment when we did not achieve an expectation we had for ourselves.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Looking back at my childhood, I fondly remember the busyness of my mothers hands. Her hands were rarely idle for she had four young children always at her skirt hem. She prepared meals from scratch making a feast appear out of seemingly nothing as if Jesus' miracle of the loaves and fishes was reenacted each day in our kitchen.
The Easy Road
Walking through the parking lot, I came face to face with a friend of mine pushing a shopping cart carrying a large box of groceries at the bottom. I myself was headed into the store to purchase a few items. What began as a few moments soon morphed into twenty minutes of conversation. We spoke of all matters of change happening within both of our households, and how we can see how The Lord moving within the chaos.
Never Ending Cycle
One of the greatest lessons of life that I have learned is the simple truth that in our process of sanctification- this journey we are on with Jesus to make us holy and set apart for Him- there will always be those who are three steps ahead of us, and those who are three steps behind us.
Mere Moments
I pulled my car up to the green light setting the blinker on to make a left-hand turn. The intersection was crowded with cars all containing anxious souls in a hurry to get home after a long day.
Palm of His Hand
As I laid on the bed, my head resting down by her feet, I listened as my daughter talked. Amusing innocent chatter filled the air between us as the moments before bedtime whittled away. The conversation took an odd turn when my child began to ask me questions regarding her salvation.
Blink Of An Eye
I debated. I wavered. I attempted to reason it our within my own mind. In the end, I did not ask. I did not ask for I knew the answer the person would give me. I knew that they would be uncomfortable. I assumed that the only reason they might have agreed would be to meet an expectation. My expectation.
Freedom Papers
A convicted heart can not go unchanged, but a guilty soul can go on forever. I remember hearing those words drop into my heart like sinking stones as I listened and witnessed a child of God have a complete emotional breakdown. I had no words to voice, only ears to listen as she ranted and raved about the injustices in her life.
Four Star Resort
The process of transforming our relational health is a difficult feat indeed. Our human experience was designed with the purpose of enjoying the abundance that comes from good, healthy relationships.
Milk and Water
As I strolled through the aisles of the bookstore, I could overhear bits and pieces of a conversation between two men sitting on a soft sofa. One man was dressed in a simple black shirt and unfussy shorts.
War and Peace
I rolled up to the familiar stop sign gently pushing my foot upon the brake. While waiting my turn to move forward, I noticed a small sign staked into a grassy mound off to my righthand side. Created out of a piece of aluminum it was painted by a shaky hand in bright blue paint. With a large peace symbol at the bottom, it read Be The Change.
Green Thumb
I stood amongst the sweet smelling flowers and lush green bushes looking completely lost. After approaching a gentleman who was loading flowering baskets onto large galvanized metal shelves, he informed me he knew less about gardening than I did. But, he was swift to point me in the right direction by giving me the name of the one who knew everything about gardening.
Kingdom of Heaven
Heading down the aisle of the grocery store, I could hear the soft rolling of a cart directly behind me. My young child noticed the pusher of the cart before I did. It was an elderly gentleman quietly minding his own business in the frozen food aisle... until he noticed my young child noticing him.
Plumb Worn Out
There is a little hideout that I have found myself frequenting as of late. A particular close friend and I can find ourselves whittling away hours together digging through the bins of this charity store.
Pulling the Trigger
I stared at the computer screen trying to figure out why the printer would not register my request but my efforts proved fruitless. I knew I had followed the steps to the best of my knowledge but, for some reason or another, my apparent knowledge was not enough. Trying to fix the problem myself was plan A.
And The Dandelions Grow
I inwardly cringed as my child handed me yet another wilted bouquet of dandelions. They grow faster than she can pick them and their roots take hold deep into the ground.
The Trickster
During the midst of the hours that struggle to be identified as day or night, I was pulled awake by the sounds of screaming. I went into my child's room and found her still half asleep yet wailing hysterically for me to promptly remove the bugs crawling up her backside.
Painted Faces
Hot cup of coffee in hand, I listened as my friend unburdened her soul and all that was causing conflict in her heart. As she struggled to find words, she told me that she was exhausted of living week after week wearing a painted face, all while recognizing and pointing out the painted faces of others in her life.
What Would Jesus Do?
Wandering through a secondhand store, I stopped to peruse a large blue bin of books. Piles upon piles of books of all various types were stacked together creating mountain of ideas and ideologies.
Soapbox Sofa
As my hands were busy at work submerged into a sink of hot soapy water, I listened as my child belted out the lyrics to the song “Tomorrow” from the Broadway musical Annie.
Little Sparrow
As I pulled open the dusty blinds, I was greeted by the glorious presence of sunshine. I could feel the warmth through the windowpane as it spread from the glass to my soul.
Great Rewards
While standing with a friend in conversation, she bared her soul and shared that it had been an emotional day. Financial obligations and life's overwhelming needs had caused her to shed an abundance of tears. The weight of it all had taken a toll on her fragile spirit.
The Red Ribbon
Going through the nightly ritual of tucking my children into bed, my eldest began her pattern of fretting. She frets over where I will be within the walls of our home, what I will be doing, and if I will be available if she were in need of my presence. As I kissed her smooth forehead I muttered, “Oh child, you worry too much.”
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