I hug some close, for now is not their time. They must lie dormant and wait a while.
A poetry anthology (or 2) sit on the back-burner, simmering slow.
A set of prayer whispers and devotional prayers lie stagnant.
A memoir meanders round my head, only partly started. Will I be here to complete it?
I sit impatient, twiddling my thumbs at my ineptitude and inability to complete those things I long to bring forth.
God whispers:Everything has its moment to arise and be seen. Not yet.. soon...be patient a while longer.
All that is within me cries out "Really?", until I remember how seeds lie dormant before they burst into glorious life, how ground seems dead and fallow until it is ploughed.
Watching while others gain their harvest can be painful.
Waiting for God to say "Yes" to us can seem endless, can't it?
I feel my years slipping as sand and wonder why it takes so long to see fruit appearing.
Once again, I sense a holy reminder of how much fruit is invisible to us, but He knows.
He knows how to shape the things we create until they are ready to be a blessing.
He knows who needs to read our words, receive our art, and when they should be shared.
He knows how things that seem ready to us still require His refining touch.
And He's more interested in growing Holy Spirit fruit in our lives than making sure we see tangible evidence of the works of our hands.
They will have their day. Even if all looks barren and bleak, cold as ice and deep as snow.
New life, new birth returns to earth after winter's chill, after long periods of seeming inactivity.
So will our work, our words, our creativity rise anew when God breathes His life into them and whispers, "Now".
'Arising'
A tiny germ of life beats slow
beneath frozen depths of snow
Unseen by mere mortal eyes
it sits patient, waiting to rise
Heeding the call, clear and deep,
shaking off sonorous sleep
it pushes its way through icy ground
blanketed by silence all around
Drawn out of shadows dark
into earth hostile and stark
Arising in white fragile purity
A reminder of new birth breaking free
©JoyLenton2015
The same is true of our hopes and dreams, goals and schemes.
If they are God-given ones, then they will rise strong at Just The Right Time ~ His timing.
I know I've felt stagnant and stalled, stuck in the mud lately, mainly due to the daily health challenges I face and the weariness they bring.
Your reasons may differ. What we will have in common is a great desire to unleash our creativity and have it positively impact the lives of others.
And as I ponder these things, I actually sense God asking me to pull back from sharing my words here (and on 'Poetry Joy'), just for a while.
To let them deliberately lay dormant. To desist for a bit from sharing them on a blog.
Because He knows things, you see.. He knows how much I need to lean into Him this Lenten season, to rest and recover energy and strength, to become restored, refreshed, revitalised by His Spirit.
Am I giving in gracefully? Surrendering with serenity?
Hmm.. a little, although those insidious people-approval issues and "What ifs?" make this a hard choice for me, albeit a necessary one.
My priorities are to draw closer to God, regain some needful health and strength and be more available to my family.
I will continue scribbling out my words, and some may even find their way onto my Facebook page in the interim should God inspire and equip me to share them.
Maybe you're in a season of hibernation, sitting out a time when sap will rise again?
Take heart, friend. God isn't finished with you yet. While we have life and breath we are on active service in His kingdom. Age and circumstance are no barrier in His eyes.
One day, it will be your time and your turn and your work will have the audience it deserves. Hang on in hope. Our God is faithful.
God bless you all until we meet again. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Feel free to leave a comment or prayer request here. Love, Joy :) <3
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