Fork

It rained bamboo last night! OK, so maybe I am exaggerating, but it sure did seem like it to me. Several places along the path looked like this…

The rocks were covered and it looked like there was a fork in the road. So, I got a bag and did a little (lot) of leaf bagging. I had to laugh, because I really had not noticed all that on the way into the Center of the labyrinth, just on the way out. Funny how that happens, sometimes we can walk along just fine and not seem to need directions, and then...?

In life, you think ~ no, you know ~ you’ve had a word from God, you’re seeking His path and then it looks like you’re at a fork in the road. As I cleaned things us, I just looked at the “fork” a little differently today. God does allow the appearance of a fork, but is there really one? I mean, HE has a path for our lives…a perfect, glory-to-God-giving path…just because we don’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. That “fork” in our life may be a pause, a place God knows that we need to stop and brush a few things off in order to see His next steps for us. 

Perhaps a good first thing to do when we get to a “fork”, is to stop and thank God for it…after all, He put it there, so there must be something of His goodness we’re to stop and take in. AND THEN, allow Him to brush what needs to get brushed, so the path is made clear.

My Grandmother said that when you sat a table and there was a fork above your plate that was a really good thing. It meant there was dessert in your future, so save room!

 

“Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust Me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”

John 14:1-4 ~ The Message Version

 We all have personalized “forks” in our lives…ways that God is reminding us that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us, a banquet for us all! 

Praying to learn to celebrate the forks! 

The UnPath

What a beautiful day!!! It has been cold and rainy for days, but today the sun is shining and it has warmed up. It was great to get outside and enjoy a quiet time in the labyrinth today. As I walked thru, things were a little soggy, but still very nice. The chachalacas flew in for a bit and seemed as happy as I was to have a little sun.

As I was walking, I saw that lots of the bamboo leaves had fallen and it looked like we had a very thick leaf carpet going on! In several places it was a little difficult to see the stones that mark the path. And the ginger must be happy with the rain because it is growing like crazy! Then I thought, oops! I know where the path goes, but from the way it looked today, it might be a little bit of a challenge…paths are like that sometimes. I mean, there doesn’t have to be a boulder in the way to get us to stop or turn around, right? And yes, all the while my brain is wandering with these thoughts, so for some help in the focus department, I took out my little book and read this Scripture….

I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with Him is full redemption.

Psalm 130:6-7

For a little change, no segue here, I’m just going to type what I wrote in my journal today…

It is the life that steps with God that walks in the un-path. In a world that is unholy, He is holy. It is in the steps of faith, when we see no path at all, that His unfailing Love makes a way. For whatever is obscuring our path is of no consequence ~ feather or boulder ~ God’s will is undeterred. He moves heaven and earth, unyielding to the evil one’s schemes.

Our Lord’s unfailing Love brings us to full redemption…not partial, not bearable, not stoic or lifeless…full redemption is unfettered of sin, untouched by defeat, unbound by Grace. The UnPath is unmatched and unbroken by the mercy of Christ’s unfailing sacrifice for each of us. His unfailing Love seeks us out and we have the beautiful opportunity, everyday, to let go of our ‘self’ and unreservedly step with Him into the Un of our path.

So, we don’t know what is on our paths ahead, but we do know that it is not unknown to our Father! 

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love…

Psalm 33:18

Foggy

Sometimes a change of seasons is brought in with the fog. A place we did not see coming. And perhaps thankfully, cannot see very far in.  It is funny that we humans are such creatures of habit, so set in our ways…seemingly fixed in place, when our God is so grand, so diverse…yet, most assuredly fixed in place, Love enthroned.

As I looked up at the moon the other night, it did not shimmer. It was foggy and thru the bamboo there was a silver glow. It was stunning. God does that, ya know. In the midst of our fog He glows. Love is stunning and yet, we can just sit in the fog.  It is so easy, or so it seems, to look at another’s life and see the brilliance of God’s love blazing around them…even when they’re in a foggy situation. But it does seem harder to see when we’re in our own fog. (or even recognize/acknowledge we’re there?) He’s shining, but we miss it.

I know this evening, everything was seeped in the moon’s glow. It wasn’t a spotlight moon, or a big huge yellow moon…everything was bathed in a soft silver glow.

It just got me thinking how often I look for God in things and wonder what’s going on. Maybe I’m only looking for the big spotlight and meanwhile everything is glowing…

[ You’re Missing God in All This ] Jesus once again addressed them:

 “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”

John 8:12 ~ The Message Version

There’s plenty of light to live in…Jesus says so! I know I don't always appreciate the hemmed in feeling of life’s fog. It keeps me from staring backwards and focusing on the ugly bits, or laying hold of things best left where they were. 

Also, a couple of things hit me freshly today in this verse. First, “Jesus once again addressed them…”

I always love to be reminded that Jesus is in the business of reminding. Thankfully, Scripture is full of “once agains”. Places that Jesus taught again because He knows we so often just don’t get it.

And then, Jesus says we don’t stumble in the dark…but here’s why, when we follow HIM we don’t stumble. There will be darkness in our lives, we will walk around in it and we “can” stumble, but we don’t have to…there’s plenty of Light to live in  this day! Every day is the Lord’s day, fog and all…

Chiseled

I got to Center today and just kinda plopped. It was windy and chilly and there really were a lot of leaves to clean up, and I sat. BUT, I just couldn’t get my mind to stop and get off the list of ‘chores’ I thought I had. Then, my eyes fell on this rock. It looks like it has had parts of the first thin layer chipped off. I glanced around at the other rocks and there were more…dents and colorings and chips. I guess you could say they were just ordinary, everyday looking rocks…but today they just seemed different somehow. From a standing position, the path pattern they form is easy to see, but from where I sat on the ground today, there didn’t seem to be much pattern, just rocks. 

Dirt and leaf covered rocks, shiny rocks, half buried rocks, rocks under rocks ~ big, little and in-between rocks ~ lots of rocks.

When we look at ourselves and those around us, it may seem to be a jumble of rocks with no pattern, no discernible point..but life isn’t a jumble to God. He is the point! 

So, what are You chiseling off of me today, Lord? And thank You, God that You are still chiseling, polishing and moving us all around, ‘cuz I know I need it! And don’t we all? Ya know, we’re not ever going to be the perfect version of ourselves this side of heaven. So, I’m just thanking God that He is working on us, each in the way that we need.

Then, as I was walking the path back out of the labyrinth (quite thankful and thinking I had learned a good lesson today), there was something else. (not sure if you’ll be laughing at or with me on this one, but well, here goes!) There was poop. And no, I didn’t take pics of the poop….you’re welcome. 

But, seriously, if one may speak seriously for a moment about poop, it was “where” the poop was that got my attention. Apparently during the last cold snap we had lots of birds hiding up in the bamboo. There were “signs” of this in front of where the cracked pot is (earlier post about a visual prayer prompt to remind us to repent as we approach our Father in prayer) and right in front of the new cross on the fence. Really! Right where we need to leave our poop ~ all the ugly in our lives ~ right at the foot of the cross. 

For me this served as a reminder that God is always teaching us thru everything, even poop. The question shouldn’t be, “Is God teaching me?” but, “Am I looking to learn?”. And we can learn, need to learn, from all that God allows to happen in our lives…even the poopy stuff. He is our All in all and tells us He wants all of us, not parts we pick ‘cuz we think He isn’t aware of the yuck we think we’re hiding.

  

Job 36:15

As for the righteous—when they are afflicted—

God delivers them through the affliction itself,

and uses the trial to open their ears to His voice.

Have faith in Him in all circumstances, dear people.

Open up your heart to Him;

the True God shelters us in His arms.

 Psalm 62:8

~ The Voice Version ~