Intently

Just had to share this! Don’t know how many times I’ve heard this passage taught, but the other day it just jumped off the pages at me…I never tire of God bringing new things to the forefront!

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

Mark 10:27

The disciples had just asked Jesus…”who in the world can be saved?” and the verse above is His answer. BUT before the answer, I can just imagine the hush. In that breath before His answer, He looked at them intently ~ Jesus did. He didn’t need to look intensely at their clothes, or dirt on their feet --- He looked at them.

“Search my heart, O God” kinda look. Jesus always looks at the me that matters. He sees past the clothes we wear, the appearances we put up and the “dirt” in our life ~ He sees our heart…intently. And He reminds us “all things are possible” with Him. He makes all things new, He restores our lives to be lived out for His purpose. So, “who can be saved?”, we ask? Those who have allowed God full access to their heart and soul to be gazed upon intently by His Grace and changed for forever. Because as Jesus said, “with God, everything is possible.”

There is so much to growing in our relationship with God, too! Many think they are doing something wrong if life doesn’t go along smoothly, or somehow we have to be perfect…but in Isaiah it says…

You, Lord, give perfect peace
    to those who keep their purpose firm
    and put their trust in You.

Isaiah 26:3

One of the many things I have learned in the whole process of our labyrinth is that Peace is not circumstantial. It is not found in people, or places (the labyrinth), or in plans. So, where to look? Where to find Peace, actual Peace: Only within. Looking within, truly seeking after the Lord. We need to put Him in charge of it all.

Lord, search within my heart. YOU reveal the things that I have placed before Your will, the circumstances that I have somehow defined as “revealing You”, that really aren’t You at all. All of those things, activities and interactions that become idols to my behaviour ~ reveal them, remove them from any pedestal I have created within and bring Peace to overflow to others. Infuse my purpose with Yours. May we be Your hands and feet to serve and to love others as Christ and in that offering, may they come to experience Your perfect Peace.

Steps Outside

You should see the labyrinth now! The bamboo leaves cover the paths inches deep, like a big blanket! I, quite peacefully, do not feel any compulsion to go clean it all up, either. I see with different eyes now. God used that time of building and clearing out the space and I knew that then…but see it more clearly now. He spoke sweetly, with healing Grace into a fragile time and moved me forward, literally step by step. When I look at this blanket of bamboo all I see is His covering of every moment, His provision…His Path, amazingly peace-filled.

Scripture speaks of “seasons of life”, the places You take us, Lord and how You teach us new ways to experience Your presence in our earth-bound state. You have lifted my gaze, following the lines of the bamboo heavenward and reminded me, thru Your creation, of the beauties that are to be experienced thru You.

Blooms above the roof tops, the song of the Mourning Dove and the morning light that glistens on the dew.

I will forever have this labyrinth in my heart & mind (and I hope by the side of our home) In the lessons learned and the gifts of Grace, You reminded me of Truths, You restored and healed my broken heart. You, Lord have opened new paths to all of us, beyond the labyrinth, to serve and to live out Your Grace to others.

Life is a labyrinth, really…we just do not see the paths laid out so clearly. Yet, every moment is lovingly covered by Your blanket of Grace…constantly falling as the bamboo, to cover our life’s path with Yours.

God is wise and powerful!
    Praise Him forever and ever.
 He controls the times and the seasons;

He makes and unmakes kings;

it is He who gives wisdom and understanding.

He reveals things that are deep and secret;

He knows what is hidden in darkness,

and He Himself is surrounded by Light.
Daniel 2:20-22 GNT

Clatter

I came to the labyrinth today to just spend a few quiet minutes of thanks. We have experienced several days of amazing Peace during a storm. I wanted to thank God for His care over us, for those who have lifted us in prayer and have asked His Love to overflow to us ~ and it has.

Tho' as a northern was blowing in, it didn’t feel all that peaceful. With the winds gusting above 40mph, the noise was deafening. The tops of the bamboo were thrashing into each other, leaves were falling…it was energetic, to say the least! As a gust hit, I grabbed a trunk to steady myself and the feeling took my breath away. I could feel the trimmers coming down from the reeling above. BUT, all the bases of the bamboo were fine- well rooted and held firm, they still clattered about in the storm, but they didn’t budge.

Clatter, it is the noise life makes. Humdrum, bustling about to raging storms, it is all clattering. It can hypnotize you, draw you in to its clat-clat-clatter, till it becomes your focus. The “thing” to get done before you slow down never ends….and when our clatter joins with others?!?!? The distraction level can seem insurmountable!

Right there, hand on the bamboo, He reminded me again where my roots are and WHO we are rooted in. Yes, there are storms that clatter about, that try to get our focus elsewhere, but our roots run deep and our foundation is Jesus. He came to rescue us from life’s clatter and to still the storms.

He is the Prince of Peace, Yahweh Shammah, the Cancelor of Clatter.

“I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace.”

John 14:27 ~ The Message Version