Monthly Archives: March 2025

Breathless Etchings of the Soul

When it all comes down to the realization of the evidence to which we have been afforded over possibly a very lengthy portion of our lives, there comes a time to accept or at least to earnestly consider, that a gift, or a multitude of gifts, by which we have been blessed are our purpose through which God expects us to use to His glory. Like the finger upon the keyboard, on single tap, a note fills the air, and suddenly, our thoughts become transformed into a flowing stream of unending scenes of waterfalls, mountain meadows, and all manner of beautification to which we are drawn by the Spirit into an undulating dance of rapturous bliss and joy. Ann Lamott put it best: “Inspiration comes like a train moving through the landscape. You see it approaching while you’re hanging laundry or doing something mundane, and you have to race inside to catch it before the last car—the caboose—disappears.”[1]

But how does such inspiration manifest itself? Could it be that when we allow ourselves to imbibe of such wonders, we are as a child being led by the hand of the Father down a sparsely lit path through a dark and foreboding forest, where alone we would shudder with terror? Yet, as now, the sense of protection, that wall of impenetrable love, envelopes us, for where there is perfect love, there can be no fear and in such a place, we are free to find something planted deep inside; something when acted upon, seems to derive is source from someplace beyond our own conscription of creativity, someplace beyond logic and reason. When the world’s inhibitions are removed, it’s like finding that crystal stream gurgling through the rocks worn smooth with an eternity of time, some laden with the glowing greenness of soft, downy moss – our soul becomes refreshed and renewed, overflowing with more than we can contain. Bursting forth in a flood of breathless etchings, the ethereal becomes substantial as we strive to quickly put it on paper, play it through the keyboard, or splash its essence upon the canvas of life. How fleeting they are, those gracious seconds when in visions the Lord sets before us of His marvelous works slip beyond our grasp.

Today, seek to find that precious gift God has placed inside you, and find a place where you can hear the still, small voice. Give breath to that which begs to come forth, and glorify Him in the process. #thanksbetoGod

[1] Lamott, Anne. 1994. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books.

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Smiles in the Storms

A blinding snow obscured the tracks in the road, making it nearly impossible to see much beyond my car’s headlights. The bloody knuckles of my right hand gripped the steering wheel tightly while my eyes focused on the single tire tread track upon which all hope of traction and forward progress existed. It had already been a little more challenging morning than one might hope for.

The car battery, now having weakened over several days while we waited for the maintenance department, fully booked,  to allow an appointment, kept my life a little more on edge than usual. However, this particular day, it had bottomed out and the jump-start pack with it, leaving me the only recourse to attempt to pull the old truck up the hill on a precarious balancing act to get it barely close enough so that the jumper cables might reach. There, at the very last inch, they found their mark. However, even with the power of a running engine and the charging force behind it, the car remained hesitant to start. It was at this moment that I was reminded of how it was to laugh in the face of the storm. A smile came across my face as it became apparent that this would be one of those days. After a few minutes of reflection and prayer, it was with a questionable apprehension that I slid into the driver’s seat, stepped on the brake, and then, thinking of the Father, touched the ignition button. The comforting sound of an engine vigorously turning over rang like the peals of the church bells on Sunday morning.

The first verses that appeared to me upon finding my seat at the coffee shop were these from Psalm 139: “O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.  Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.  Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.”

May the Lord be with you as you find your way through the storms of life today, and be willing to even smile in the face of adversity should it come your way. And as always, “Thanks be to God.”

 

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The Taunts of Torrents

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23

A pale grayness peered through the driving rain as the car’s wipers struggled to keep up. Another late night, another early morning; the time between inconsequential except for the desirousness of sleep that beckoned helplessly. Like a maiden that stands on the porch, sheltered from the torrential downpour, bidding her prince, her dearest love, goodbye as he rides off, departing for the calling of the war which awaits beyond the shelter of the nearby mountaintops, so does one leave the warm bed on days like this. The only consolation, that warm mug of bitter brew that awaits at the top of the hill in the cozy coffee shop, and the beloved, worn Bible – God’s word; like an old friend, they await your arrival.

As the car door shuts, the cold, driving rain forces you to step a pace or two quicker beneath the overhang of the shop’s storefront. In the back of your mind, you try to assure yourself that even though the dying car battery has already caused you to brave the elements once, hopefully, there will be enough charge to get you started and off to the next stage of the day’s journey. Settling into the bench amongst the row of singular, small tables with a warm mug in hand, you are reminded that even in the midst of the storms, you have learned to find joy amongst the crashing waves and lightning bolts. Even though the car might fail, even though the roads were covered with water, you made it safely, and now, find comfort in those familiar pages: the shelter, the peace of Christ that passes all understanding.

Yes, there might be ominous skies above, the roads might be washed away, but we can know that there will be joy, even in the darkest of mornings.

#thanksbetoGod

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