He Didn't Have to Make Things Beautiful

After a foggy start, sun shines through the rapidly opening leaves on the trees outside my office window.  It thrills my soul to watch new life unfolding right before my eyes.  It was 42°F this morning, but should get up to the low 60’s by afternoon.  Lovely.

            Thank You, Lord, for giving so much beauty.  You didn’t have to do that.  Functional would have been all that was needed, but You had our pleasure in mind when you painted the sunset and sunrise,

 

 

 created the myriad forms and colors of the flowers,

 

and fashioned the majestic mountains

 

 clear rivers and lakes. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank You for blessing Your people with beauty.

He Didn't Have to Make it Beautiful

After a foggy start, sun shines through the rapidly opening leaves on the trees outside my office window.  It thrills my soul to watch life unfolding right before my eyes.  It was 42°F this morning, but should get up to the low 60’s by afternoon.  Lovely.

 

 

            Thank You, Lord, for giving so much beauty.  You didn’t have to do that.  Functional would have been all that was needed, but You had our pleasure in mind when you painted the sunset and sunrise,

 

 

 created the myriad forms and colors of the flowers, and fashioned the majestic mountains and clear rivers and lakes.  Thank You for blessing Your people with beauty.

He Didn't Have to Make Them Beautiful, But He Did

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always Spring after Winter

Journal—March 26, 2013

            Good morning, Lord.  The sky is dark-gray, threatening rain.  Pink froth of cherry blossoms stands out vividly against the backdrop of gray.  Maple buds are bright red and look ready to burst into leaf.  Spring is so beautiful, Lord.  Thank You.

            Today many are still undergoing winter.  Snow is piled high and Spring seems like a distant dream.  Some of us enjoy the beauty of new growth, bright flowers and birdsong, while others are digging out from the frozen wasteland around them.  It’s hard to even imagine that Spring will come. 

How like life.  We all go through seasons of spring and seasons of deep winter. 

 We don’t do it at the same time as others, and sometimes, it seems so unfair that others are reveling in life while we continue to suffer.  I felt that way so often in my life.  It seemed there was no end to the crises.  I despaired of life itself.  All around me people laughed and enjoyed their lives.  They had normal families and normal lives. 

 Why couldn’t I?  Was I so terrible that You needed to crush me more?  Was I being punished?  Always on the outside, looking in at those rejoicing—at least that’s how it seemed.  As winter gradually gave way to spring, I began to realize that others also had their winter moments.  Sometimes those moments were numbered in years of unrelenting pain and anguish.  No one is immune.  Some may be more afflicted than others, but there is nothing that goes unused by You. 

Much pain in our lives is caused by other people, whose sin nature is in full control of their lives.  Sometimes, we are ill through no fault of our own.  Sometime we suffer consequences of bad decisions.

The joy I have found is that nothing is wasted if I give it to You.  The pain I’ve experienced has given me a profound compassion for those who are now in pain and anguish.  I want to share that hope with them.  I felt so often like giving up, yet, You kept me hanging on. Now, I am able to minister hope to the fearful, the anxious, those in pain, those in emotional chaos, those in terror.  I can do it because I have experienced all of those things.  Lord, I pray You will help me to reach many with this message from You.  There is always Spring after Winter.  Whatever is given to You, You will turn into something rich and beautiful.  There is hope in You.

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Big Things

All my life, I've loved big things:  big dogs, big horses and other animals are a few examples.  As I grew older and into my teen years, I was drawn to big, burly guys.  I never wondered why.  I just liked it that way.

My husband is tall (6"3") and my son is a bit taller than that.  I have a photo of me standing between them and I feel so protected every time I look at it.  My dad was 6 feet tall as well.  There have always been big men in my life.  That's not to say that shorter men have less value.   This is simply my personal preference, just as someone may like bald heads, blue eyes, blond or whatever color of hair better,

I pondered why I love big things.  The picture of my son and husband and I reminded me of protection.  But, why do I need protection?  It came to me slowly.  It was unsafe for me as a child and I felt a great need for protection.  It is an unsafe world we live in.

God has shown me that no matter what size one is, all of us have need of protection from a strong and mighty person.  That person is God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The Triune God who watches over us and guards our ways.  No one is big enough or strong enough to go it alone.  We may take all the self-defense courses and learn how to protect ourselves, but in the long run, it is always God that we need.  He alone can protect us in body, spirit and mind.

 

Are you trying to run this race alone?  Turn to God and find the salvation that Jesus offered when He gave Himself for each of us.  Let the Holy Spirit embrace you and give you true peace.  He is the greatest protection of all.

Redemptive Healing

For many years, I have struggled with deep hurts and only through His healing have I been able to grow and thrive.  Yet, there are still and may always be remnants of the scars.  The important thing is that I allow Him full control of my life and hand over each hurt as He brings them to mind.  He will redeem everything we bring Him and use it for His glory and blessing for others if we allow Him to.

As I wrote in my journal this morning, I felt the Lord was sharing the following message with me:

 

"You can trust Me.  It is not true that you were a mistake, a failure, unwanted.  I do not make mistakes or failures and you were and are, and always will be wanted by Me.  You were depised for not being a boy, not touched for years, shunned when you wanted even the most natural and normal things such as a hug or kiss or an I love you.  This has scarred you deeply.  Your parents made a mess of handling you.  They were not able to deal with their own lives, much less provide a stable and nurturing atmosphere for you.  Yet, you still love them both.  There are many tangled emotions, but I am untangling each one and pouring the oil of healing on your life.  This same oil of healing is an anointing to share this word with others who have experienced similar things.  I am making a way out of the dark past and bringing light into areas long repressed.  Do not fear the sudden emotions that come, for I am in control.  This is a part of the healing.  I am showing you great and mighty truths that will help so many as you share them. Go in peace, for I the Lord your God am healing and guiding you.”

I pray that this message might also ring true in many scarred and broken hearts and lives.  You are loved, wanted and not a failure.  Be at peace, for He wants to make you whole and use the brokenness to bring healing to others.
In Christ's love,
Crystal
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Sunshine and Smudges

Journal—March 18, 2013

            Good morning, Lord.  Sunlight streams through my window, reminding me how much they need to be washed.  How like Your Word.  As Your Word illumines me, it often shows up streaked, dirty and unpleasant areas.  All the accumulation of dust and smears make it hard to see clearly.  The brighter the sun, the more mess I see.  Colors outside are muted and smudges cause things to be blurred.  This is the same as my spiritual life.  I see life only partially because it is filtered through the messy areas of my soul. 

Flood me with Your light, dear Lord.  Cleanse me with the sunshine of Your Word.  Gently rub away the grime and accumulated dust.  I long to see life and You in the clearest way possible.

 I give these streaks to You and ask You to “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 NASB). 

“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, who He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior . . .” (Titus 3:5,6  NASB). 

“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” (John 15:3 NASB).

I will allow the windows of my soul and heart to be cleansed.  Thank You, Lord.

He Lifts Me Out of the Mire

Good morning, Lord.  It’s gray again after several days of lovely sunshine and some light showers.  Spring is truly blossoming.  I love the beauty of each flower and think about the struggle through frozen soil, dirt and mud, ever growing closer to the surface.  The shoot appears and then a strong stem.  Sunshine and soft rain caress it after the storms of winter.  Grimy and struggling, it made its way to the fresh air and light.  When storms rage in our lives or the cold, harshness of grief and trial, we feel trapped in the confines of the mire.  We are blinded to beauty.  We are chilled with the horror of the pain or loss.  But, have we been forgotten?  Is our Savior not continually ministering to us, even in the muddy confines?  Slowly, life returns and we make our way through the mess and into the light.  Storms pass and we are cleansed with gentle showers and warm sun.  We slowly open up to life again.  At this time, we are able to bloom with beauty due to the rigors of the trial.  If a bulb does not undergo darkness, it will not bloom.  This past winter, I decided to put my tulip bulbs in the basement, in total darkness.  There they resided, untended by me, for the entire season.  The next time I looked, I saw little shoots and put them in a pot.  For the first time, I am seeing buds on them.  I had never allowed them to mature in the darkness before, and they could not fulfill their destinies.  So it is with the life we are given.  We must have times of darkness and solitude to mature and rest and gain strength to grow.  We can then minister beauty and comfort to others when our blossom is complete, but first we must go through the process like the bulb.  Trials are a part of life and can cause us to dry up and decay if we don’t handle them properly.  When we allow God to care for us (even when it seems He has forgotten us), we will become the glorious flower or tree He created.  We can then bear much fruit and lighten the load of someone else going through deep trials.

            Thank You, Lord, for this word.  I worship and bow down before You.  I glorify Your name in all the earth.  The earth is filled with the wondrous glory that is only a minor facet of Your glory.  Blessed be the great and glorious God Almighty.  I love You.  I praise You.  I thank You for lifting me out of the mire to do Your will and touch hurting lives.  Holy is the Lord.  I bow down and worship You, Lord.