In The Masters Hands

Most people think of clay when thinking of something in the masters hands. But today I want to take you on a journey with me to some different things in the masters hands. It all started with a simple piggy bank. The chubby little pig had a hard time giving up it`s coins today,for safe keeping in another bank. The last few coins seemed to be stuck in the inner most parts of the pig and refused to show themselves. As I held the ceramic pig in my hands, I shook and shook to get those last coins out. I thought about what a thief would do. A thief wouldn't care about breaking the pig wide open and ruining it. But in the masters hands it was a vessel to be treated with care. A thief doesn't care how much damage he does to our hearts, he cuts it open and leaves it to bleed.When the coins hid I took a flashlight to search them out, and so it is with the master He takes a light to shine out the hidden things in our hearts that need to be removed.

A rose in the masters hand is something beautiful. He sculpted it, petal by petal and added fragrance. A gardener takes the rose and waters ,and fertilizes and prunes the rose so it will grow. A thief tears apart the petals.

An artist sees a canvas and with each stroke of the brush he creates a scene and eventually a masterpiece. He steps back when he is done and admires the work maybe even going back to add finishing touches. A paintbrush in the masters hand is valuable.

A pen in the hand of a writer can transform a life. The master is the writer and the pen is the vessel he uses to create.

These are just a few examples of things in the masters hand. Imagine what God can do with me if I commit myself a willing vessel, into the masters hands.

How God Sees me

I am a perfectionist when it comes to myself. Someone told me once about a lady who was such a wonderful housekeeper, that all her drawers and closets were organized. So what did I do, I went and organized all the closets and drawers. I see people with neat garages, so what did I do, organized the garage. I spent so much time trying to be perfect that I missed out on enjoying life. I recently did some dog sitting for a friend. I have been over there many times and I never saw a thing out of place. Guess what, it wasn't messy by any means, but neither was it the Taj Mahal. I thought it was. I saw bills neatly stacked in a letter holder. I saw magazines on a table.There was actually dust on the floor that I had previously thought didn't exist. A normal family lives here , not one of great wealth with servants. All I saw was the beauty in this home, never any flaws.  

That's when I began to think, I wonder if God sees me this way. I see myself as somebody who is of flawed character,and of no beauty. If I look through Gods eyes, I see someone who although flawed is lovable and a child of the King. God doesn't look at me through dirty dishes in the sink, or dust on the furniture. He doesn't look at me to see if I measure up to Marilyn Monroe or the queen of England. When God looks at me he sees so much more. Just like I don't go to my friends house to see if  it passes my idea of what a home should be; when I see myself through Gods eyes, I can see He`s not measuring my organized closets or matching socks even. Hes looking at me through eyes of love. And love doesn't  find fault with every fiber of it's being. 

In The early Morning Hours

It seems that for the past year maybe longer I wake up at 3:00 A.M and usually I can't go back to sleep. I finally discovered this is the best time to talk to God. It seems I wrestle all day long with thoughts and feelings,and learning. By the time I hit the hay I'm usually asleep within minutes. This morning when I woke up at 4:00 A.M, I felt a peace settle over me. There was a slight chill in the air and though I was covered with  blankets I still felt cold. Then it seemed as if someone covered me with a warm blanket and I fell into a peaceful, sort of restful state of being. I listened and it was silent, but a different sort of silent. A hush if you will as if God and I were the only two people in my neighborhood for  minutes. 

In those quiet moments I heard God speaking to me and reassuring me I am in the place he wants me.

I fell back to sleep only to awake from a troublesome dream. I know where the dream came from, it came from frustration and worry,so I shook off the cobwebs  as it were and went to take care of a friends dog. It was still early, so again, I had quiet. There weren't many cars on the road and the radio seemed to play every song I needed to hear. I can't remember everything now that I learned in those quiet moments, but I believe God has a hiding place for these special moments and at  the proper time I will recall them. I kept hearing God tell me to rest and I couldn't figure it out. I thought it meant physically until someone told me to quit struggling. She didn't know all I was struggling with but God surely did. Then in those last quiet moments, just before civilization would awaken and demand attention, I found it, The scripture I have been hearing in my heart so much lately. Matthew 11:29

The last part says you will find rest unto your souls. While I needed rest in my physical body, God came to me and gave me rest for my soul.

God May Not Always Come When you Expect Him

Years ago while waiting for a friend at the bus stop I began to grow impatient. A stranger walked up to me without saying a word and handed me a piece of paper. On the paper the words read “God may not always come you expect Him but He will always be on time.”  I didn’t quite understand it at the time, but as the years went on it became more clear. At least 32 years have passed since that day, but it is etched in my mind as  a day I will never forget. Sometimes I have to wait for stuff and I can’t figure out why, especially when at the time it seems like waiting is so painful. But recently I discovered the joy of waiting even in pain. My son has been waiting on an apartment he can afford to live in on his own. He recently found a room mate to share the rent with him on a two bedroom apt. I wanted to to take the reins so bad and say no, you cant live with a room mate you have to wait for a one bedroom. Instead I encouraged him and gave him a little motherly instruction, though at the age of 21 I think I can stop mothering him. Within just a few hours of him telling me he was going to move in with a roommate, he got a phone call telling him that there was a better place available than what they had originally chose. The message said that people wait for up to 2 years for this type of apartment. It has been hard and sometimes painful waiting for some recent changes in my life. But God is definitely on time and His timing is perfect.

I'm Not You

Years ago I used to listen to a song titled "I'm not Lisa." For years I have struggled trying to find my place as it were. As a teen it was popular to have the stylish clothes, the most popularity etc. The list goes on and I'm sure most everyone can relate. At the age of 16, I ran away from home trying to find who I was, what I wanted. I didn't like a lot of the music of the day, nor did I like drugs or drinking. But it was the popular thing to do so I listened to the music, went to all the cool hangouts , and became a little edgy with  any kind of authority. Before long I ran away from the family I was living with, again in search of  someone other than who I was.

I wound up living with my father and I wasn't happy there either. Him and his wife made it clear that I would listen their authority or I wouldn't live there. It wasn't long before I didn't fit in there either. At the age of 17 I met and married my husband. Finally someone I could fit in with. But I still tried to be like someone else the first months of our marriage. I tried to be all the people I thought would please him instead of being me. Not long later I joined a church and bought into the whole concept of changing to be like everyone else. I didn't get to make too many decisions on my own, I acted and looked just like everyone else. Of course all the girls wanted to look like the popular ones and I fit right in. From the way I dressed to the way I raised my son.

Years later I left the church, but the idea of being someone else still haunted me. I went from church, to church, and even stayed home looking for where I fit in. When I joined a new church I tried to dress like them so I wouldn't be noticed. I have changed my hair, bought into new fashions, changed everything about me just to be accepted. I finally decided I'm not you, I'm me. I'm becoming who God wants me to be. I am complete in Him.

Do Not Be Afraid

Seven times today I have read or heard the words do not be afraid in some form. Early this morning when I logged into Facebook I saw it 3 different times in under a minute. I thought maybe God was telling me not to be fearful. A few minutes later on the radio I heard the DJ say don't be afraid. So I was reading posts and the news and I figured it was most prevalent on everyone's mind about the recent happenings in our nation. While I can't remember where else I read or heard it, I have kept track of how many times I have heard or read  these words today. So far it has been a total of seven times.

It is a mystery why God has told me this seven times today, but never the less I am glad he has spoken to me.I tried to convince myself that this was a coincidence,but there is no way that can be true. As I write this, I went to another window to find out why it said important in the tab. (I forgot I had it open). I ended up going to this scripture in yet another window.

Isaiah 30:20,21

20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:

21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

I will not be afraid. 

Broken Chains

My hands and feet were shackled in heavy chains ,

 my mind held captive like a horses reins.

My heart was heavy a solid brick,

my stomach in knots, so very sick.

My body was bruised, 

it did no good to scream and kick.

I was bound in chains,invisible ones.

No one but God could get them undone.

He spoke to me in a gentle tone.

He even called me one of His own.

For so long I lived a prisoner,

held captive like a slave in the beings of my inner.

He came and opened the door 

run he said, you're bound no more.

What God Doesn't Do

I'm feeling a bit sick today,and needing some comfort. I'm hoping these words will bring comfort to others as well. These are some things God doesn't do. Don't let the title fool you, It's all good.

God doesn't sleep Psalm 121:4. Which means I never have to worry about waking him.

God doesn't lie. Numbers 23:19 No broken promises

God does not think evil of his children Jeremiah 29 :11 Peace

God doesn't ignore us Psalm 34:17 He Hears our Cry

God will never leave us or forsake us Hebrews 13:5 He is here

God doesn't think we are invaluable Matthew 10:31 We are valuable

God will not let us starve. Psalm 147:9 He feeds us

God does not lack understanding Psalm 147:5 What a great friend

 

Bare Bones

Today was hot and dry with just a few puffy white clouds scattered here and there across a blue sky. I took a walk in a small area of the desert. This part of the desert is visited often and is less than a block from modern homes. But there it stood in its natural beauty unchanged by human hands. It was so quiet all I could hear was the call of something wild and a little more than a breeze of the wind. I thought about how it may have been many years ago when men and women traveled these roads for many reasons. There were no stores to buy a bottle of water, few if any homes with indoor plumbing and on a hot and dry day,the dust may have been overwhelming . How many out there may may have become bare bones lying in wait for some creature`s meal.

I met up with a friend today who said she didn't want a Facebook because her life was personal and not public for judgement. So it got me to thinking about bare bones. When I put on my favorite jeans and colorful shirt I'm covered,I feel safe.I don't think about whats inside of me, I feel hidden. Sometimes though I have to open my soul and let somebody in even if it doesn't feel safe at the moment. At that instant I become bare bones either for another creature to prey on or become a close friend. I have to choose if I will go on in search of the water to quench my thirsty soul or if I will continue across the hot desert sand as the men and women of old and become bare bones.

Changing Tides

Have you ever sat and watched the tides of the ocean? They are so peaceful and rhythmic just like a finely tuned instrument. Many enjoy their beauty and satisfaction as a quench for a thirsty vessel. Sometimes the tide seems to swallow up and spit out again, sometimes it seems to hide things completely.My life seems to be changing in so many directions lately, one minute I am a child and the next I am a wife and mother, laden with responsibility. Some days I see myself as an old woman wandering aimlessly in this giant bubble we call the universe.

I see a road before me , but it seems so far away and then I look back and see the roads behind me and the road before is not so far away after all. Just like the tides I arise and fill my rhythmic day, then I quiet down at night for what  I hope to be a restful sleep. Somewhere in the midst of all this I will meet a thirsty soul and hope to offer a drink of refreshing water. The tides of change are ever so prevalent lately. As I journey along the sites are ever changing as is something within my soul. I am as  a masterpiece of a fine painting which is a work in progress.  The tide is the paint and the earth is the canvas. The master holds the brush and somewhere in between, there am I waiting for that perfect place in all of this.