Every spring I am reminded of new beginnings. All the old, brown and dull of winter begins to beam with vibrant colors. The trees and grass are greener, flowers are budding and Easter is just around the corner.
I love seeing all the bright colors, especially the spring clothes.This weekend I am going through my little girls clothes and heading to the resale store tomorrow. Buying new clothes just isn't in our budget this year, but God always supplies exactly what we need. My weight loss is going great ~ it's not easy. I have lost a total of 25 pounds and my wonderful husband has lost a total of 78 pounds. It has been easier loosing weight together, as a couple.
I am working on my Bible Study class for Thursday. I am facilitating for this session -
Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed by Priscilla
Shrier, Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. One of the things I wanted to share with the class was the items that were placed in the ark of the covenant. The question posed by the leader's guide was - What would you put in your personal ark? What things would you put in a safe place that represents your personal relationship with God? I have been praying about it and mulling it over for three days now. God has given me several ideas - which I will share next week after the class.
It is raining here in
Valrico, Florida today. A much needed rain as we are in a drought. In Tampa city limits, there is a no watering restriction. I saw a new company on the news last week, this guy had started a lawn painting business. For those homes in restricted communities who get fined if their lawns turn brown - this guy might be a need. He comes to your house and paints your brown, dormant grass a beautiful, healthy green. Now that's inventive in this economy. I wonder if he owned a lawn cutting service before this?
I can't stop thinking of painting dormant grass. That struck me in such an odd way - that example has represented my life at times. Taking what was brown, ugly, hard, brittle, and dry and painting over it just hid what was underneath, instead of nurturing it. Not to say the painted grass is not a good remedy for those folks in Tampa who can't water - just saying it is temporary.
When I think of the characteristics of the painted grass, several things come to mind:
- Beautiful to look at
- Fake in reality
- Flawed because it wasn't lush
- Inactive because it was just there, not growing
- Hard and Brittle because it had no water
- Temporary because eventually it would rain, grow and get pruned or no rain would result in the grass dying
Beautiful earthly things rarely have the words
"Don't look underneath! If you do it's gonna cost you time and energy!" posted on them. They look beautiful to the eye, because you can't see what's underneath. I feel like I have looked pretty in personality and presentation, all the while, underneath wondering if anyone really liked me, was I smart enough, pretty enough, witty enough, or good enough. Wondering if anyone could see the pain, and the distress underneath.
Fake is not a word I like, nor is it a word that I desire to be defined by.
Authentic is my favorite word in the dictionary. That is one of the reasons I love the Lord and His Word so much. He is real. He is authentic. He is truth. One of the things that God has gifted me with is sharing authentically what is going on in my life in order to encourage other women. I know when it comes from Him it is not fake.
I am
flawed in many ways. I could fill this whole blog with the details of my flaws, but after a while it would bore you and you might start to think I'm and idiot. I am so thankful that through Jesus Christ, God sees me as clean and flawless.
There have been times in my life where I have been dormant.
Inactive in my relationship with my Savior. I was stagnant, not growing - not being still and knowing that God was God. I wasn't taking action in my relationship. How do you get to know someone new? You spend time with them, time doing the things they like. You talk to them, you consider what they desire. To an extent you want to please your new friend.
Too many times I haven't met God through prayer, I haven't read His Word or sought to please Him. I was just being. That is no life, just being. Have you ever seen someone just be? They have no hope, no energy, no future. God has a plan for each person's life, He has plans to prosper you, to protect you from harm, plans to give you a hope and a future. I am at my best when I am seeking my God daily. Basking in the grace of Jesus Christ, being loved by God and
in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Now that is active!
I notice when I become
hard and brittle that I tend to be self focused. I tend to take and take and never let up. I don't
rejuvenate myself through being filled. God tells us He is the living water. We need that water to survive.
I also recognize that this painted grass state is
temporary. What belongs to God is God's. Now, that is not to say that I won't fail at times - and sin. But it is to say that I recognize I need a Savior, I confess, I return to my Jesus and say I'm sorry, ask for forgiveness and repent.
It's like the sprinklers are on for days after that. I grow and the dead, fake painted tips of my blades of grass are cut off. I learn and am growing toward my God.
My roots are a little deeper and my blades of grass become like carpet to the feet of those whom I care for. They are more beautiful than ever. They are real and lush. I am actively growing, and not afraid of what's underneath, because my source of growth is not flawed. It is God.
