1-25-99
As so often happens, God has taken me to a point of frustration and despair- nearly to the point of giving up,...and then opened my eyes. Oh, I thought they were open all the time- as I usually do. But I had them tightly closed in my determination to get everything possible done at the fastest speed and at the highest quality. Yep, I was going to be perfect- Oh, how God must shake His head at me, and smile. "Will she ever learn,..." I can hear Him lovingly chuckle. God chuckle? Of course He does! And how much we give Him to laugh at! Something has to make up for all the tears He must cry over us.
The Lord laughs at the wicked, we are told in Psalm 37:13. Well, where I was, certainly would not be called wicked, so I figure it deserves a chuckle!
God has called me to write
and to teach.
He has called me to be an
intercessory prayer
warrior, and an encourager.
Over the years I have written
much material through His Holy Spirit. I have reams of paper, and
tons of computer space taken up with words He has led me to record.
I have never known for sure what He wanted me to do with any of it, other
than the two books I have started. Then I discovered the Internet
and web pages- and heard God say, "There is where you begin."
And so I did.
This web site is the beginning.
It has also become my distraction and my frustration! I laugh as
I say it now, but this morning I was in tears.
Why?
You ask why?
Well, because, it isn't perfect
yet!
I don't have the perfect background
and graphics for each topic. I don't even now how to do half of the
stuff I need to know to get everything up here. I haven't even created
my own graphics- I have to use others'.
Now, that is laughable!
God did not call me to be a
decorator or artist. Those
are things I would like to do someday. But God has called me to write-
and I have spent endless hours building pages, redecorating, learning,
learning and learning. It has not been wasted time- I have learned
much.
But I have quit writing.
Today I corresponded with
another Christian lady whom I have met on the net. It was not by
accident nor coincidence that I talked to her. I believe God was
busy at work here! I have used some of her backgrounds on some of
my pages. She does gorgeous work, and everything I see of hers, gives
me another idea of something to write.
But I haven't written
To make a long story short,
I apologized to her for forgetting to give her credit for one of
her backgrounds. For some reason, that threw me into a teary day,
full of frustration and despair. But this sweet lady, as God's minister
to me, met me with compassion, and even a touch of humor.
Then I went to her web site
and read some of the material she has written. God knew exactly what
I would read, and how to get me there. It all became clear as He
opened my blind eyes- I have been called it write what he leads me
to write.
The decorations are nice,
but the most important part for me to do is the words. The
cover of His word is not important- the inside is. The cover
He has put on us is not important- the inside is. Yes, I want to
do a good job for Him, and not a mess. But I had made the looks
the priority, not the dressing. He has shown me over and over again that
there are people out there graciously and
unselfishly providing what I need. That is what He has called them
to do.
How many times do we do that
in our lives?
How many times does Satan
get us so distracted that we become blind to where God is leading us?
Too often in my life, I'm afraid!
So, for me, I need your prayers that I will keep my eyes on Him and where He is leading. I will write as He directs, and publish on these pages as He directs.
What a load off my shoulders!
I won't have to stay up into the wee hours of the morning looking for the
perfect graphics, and fight my ignorance in getting them up in perfect
condition. He will provide the words, and I can trust Him also to
provide the space.
He certainly did a gorgeous
job with our earth- I guess I can trust Him with a little bit of cyberspace!
:-)
SO....we begin a new journey into
His word Want to come along? Please keep up, and let me know
what you think!
The background for this page is very
special to me. My mother had this print. I remember it as part
of our home. But I also remember a devotion I heard, and later taught,
about the picture itself. I'd like to share it with you- as much
as I can remember.
This picture is Christ at
the Door, as I recall.
Notice some very interesting
features here;
Christ stands at the door
and knocks, and if we open it , He will come in. If you look closely,
you see there is no handle on the door. He cannot open it in a normal
way. The door cannot be opened from the outside- it has to
be opened from the inside. He stands at a level where the person
inside can look out the peek hole into His eyes.
And where is the door?
Look at the pattern of
light around it- in the shape of
a heart. It is the door to a heart.
Speaking of light, where
is it coming from? Look very closely at the pattern of shadows and light.
Do you see it?
The light is coming from
the heart of the knocker! There is no light at the door. He
came in the dark and brought the light.
Next, check out His hands.
Need I say more?
And the area around the door
- the walk way. Oh, yes, roses for the Rose of Sharon, as He was
called. And thorns for His head. Doesn't that branch above His head
also resemble the crown He wore for you and me?
Above the door, nestled in
the eve is a nest- the nest of a dove. Perhaps it is to depict the
Spirit that come upon Jesus like a dove.
" Oh, my God- you have come to the
door of my heart!
I have left no light on for
you.
I have not been looking for
you.
I have let the path to my
door become overgrown and unattractive.
I have not invited you nor
have I put a handle on my door.
I have locked up my heart
tight, so no one can come in and hurt me.
But I sit inside- afraid of
the dark, and all alone. And you, dear Jesus, stand there and
knock.
"Behold, I stand at the door and
knock. If anyone hears My voice, and opens the door, I will come
in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. "
So, where are you?
Is Jesus knocking at your
door?
Have you shut yourself off
from Him?
Do you know Him?
Are you willing to open the
door and let Him in?
I chuckle even now, because
when I sat down to write, I knew exactly what I was going to write- the
lesson I wrote out yesterday...and then I'd be done. But, no- that
is not where the Lord took me!
What you just read is where He took
me tonight.
And tomorrow and the next
day?
I don't know!
Isn't it exciting?
Please come on the trip with me-
He has great things in store for us! There is no set schedule- no
set time, just whenever the Lord leads. If He leads me to write once
a week, I will. If it is twice a day- I will write twice a day.
And praise God, He will also
provide the time, space and abilities I need to get it to you. Praise
Him!
What started out as a gloomy day
for me is ending now with laughter and a lightened load.
And on top of that, I have a new
friend- a new sister in Christ. Thank you, Pattie, for being a willing
servant and a faithful child of God! God used you greatly today in
my life.
