Let it burn

Sounds of scraping reached my ears, alerting me to the toast being close to becoming cinders.

Thankfully, it was not meant for me but for my beloved who likes his toast near to charcoal before he considers it ready.

He pours scorn on mine resembling 'singed bread' instead. We don't all like the same degree of heat, do we?

Life itself offers many opportunities for us to feel scorched by our circumstances, burnt by being rejected, or to feel on fire with passion and drive to succeed in our dreams and plans.

There is danger of being consumed with a whole host of emotions as we go through our days. Being on fire is more likely to make us fume, see red and give off angry smoke than feel energised.

Because the more important something is to us, the less we can cope with challenge or changes to it. 

I see small signs of it in my little toddler grandson as his thwarted goals often make him whimper or rage. He wants what he wants and he wants it Now. 

Determination is what keeps him pressing on beyond his limitations and on to the next milestone.

It begs the question:How hard do we fight for our faith? 

How much does it mean to us? 

Would we go through fire for Jesus? Maybe...

Perhaps knowing how much Jesus has gone through for us can provide all the motivation we need to aim to live our lives fully surrendered to Him?

If you're experiencing the fires of adversity right now, then you know it's a given for being human. 

Besides, all who desire to live a godly, yielded life will experience the heat of struggle and opposition.

But are you (and I) aware how Jesus is in the fiery furnace with us?

Yes, He is present, right smack in the middle of whatever we are going through.

And the heat of it all won't harm us when we realise His nearness.

Quite often we will need to stop, pause... take a deep breath ...and pray. Life scorches us and we feel its blaze, choke on the smoke and feel flames licking higher.

God already knows what we are going through and He stands ready to come alongside, comfort, strengthen or deliver us.

And once we turn our thoughts to God's ability to help rather than our inability to cope, we can be confident He will hear and answer us. 

He rallies to our cries, hears the unspoken fears in our heart and sees the incipient tears in our eyes.

Because just like my grandson is to me, we are deeply precious, special and beloved to God. 

He yearns, even burns to set us free to live above those fiery circumstances and to be at peace in the midst of problems. 

God's loving presence is also a consuming fire which scorches off the dross and detritus we needlessly carry.

In His current of grace we can breathe pure, clean air again, become rested and restored once more.

We become readied to live alive and alert to His presence, our hearts warmed with love and gratitude for all He has done.

How to regain joy and peace

Several days have passed in a cloud of unknowing.

Mists of time where I have lost sense of God's presence.

Drifted away within a haze of pain, a plethora of painkillers and a fog of fatigue.

I've felt too weary to pray, to read, to converse, or be seen.

But God...

He held me closer than the sharp darts of pain.

He kept me safe when I failed to notice His Presence.

He reminded me of My great need of His grace.

He whispered words of comfort to my aching, frustrated heart.

This too shall pass. No pain is ever permanent or permanently as relentless as this.

No suffering could steal me away from His hands. He is just a breath, a prayer away.

He is ever close to the hurting, the weak, the weary, the discouraged and the needy.

And He reassured me His love for me wasn't based on my performance, effort, ability or the lack thereof. 

God loves us Just As We Are right now, and as we are continually changing into all He intends us to become.

As the fog of forgetfulness, pressure of persistent pain and cloak of weakness began to lift a little today, God also reminded me I still have a voice.

I still have a mission. I still have a word to share. I still have work to do for Him.

A way to encourage others going through tough times.

The key is to keep on listening, keep on trusting, keep on seeking after God's heart, rest where necessary and believe that words will flow when they should.

Now armed with a bit of Holy Spirit-given awareness, peace and energy, I am sharing words God whispered close to me in prayer over a week ago and brought to my remembrance today.

May they help, bless, encourage and reassure you too.

Prayer Whisper:'Regaining joy and peace'

“Don't be so hard on yourself, My child. I see your heart. I know you long to live differently and regain peace and joy. Your wanderings have shown you that seeking such things in the world is fruitless; you will only come up empty every time. The fleeting happiness it offers is rapidly replaced by the sour fruit of envy and comparison, disappointment, doubt and discouragement, sorrow and sadness. Full, true, lasting joy is only to be found in Me. I have an unstoppable flow running from My throne.

Come closer; lift your weary head and seek the light of My countenance. In My Presence is fullness of joy for ever more. Come bathe in My Love-light. Let it fill and flood your very being. There is nothing to be afraid of; there is no darkness here. I bring you hope and healing, and freedom from despair. Come freely; come frequently. Allow My Spirit to fill you to overflowing so that there is blessing to give out to others.

I long for your company, for you to share every aspect of your day and life with Me. There is always a warm welcome here, no matter what has transpired. I offer the mercy, forgiveness, cleansing and restoration you need to heal all your brokenness.

Lay your burdens at My feet and leave them there. Don't be tempted to pick them up again once you go about your day. I will take care of them, carry every single one and answer every need. Trust Me to look after each tiny detail of your life. Nothing is too small to bring to Me, not too heavy for Me to handle. I am your Burden-bearer and the lifter of your head. Release them all into My hands and be freed to live lightly and joyfully again”

******

If you would like to be further encouraged in your walk of faith by similar 'Prayer Whispers' then click on the category over at poetryjoy.com to read more.

This post is part of my attempt to #writebraveandfree for #31days, though I am only joining in as health, energy and inspiration allow me to. If you're curious to know more, it all began here.. 

I'll tell you what I want..

Never have peace and quiet been more highly sought after than now. We are living next door to a building site as our neighbour's house requires extensive renovation work. The continual pound, thump, whirr, drrriiilll...are enough to make escape seem a necessity.

My immediate response to Holley's question: "What do you really want more of in your life?" would be:  Peace, please, at any price!

I relish a scene like this one:

No noise, no crowds, no distractions

Though other things run a close second. How about more...Energy, Strength, Health, Security? How great would that be? 

I could certainly do with less...Fatigue, Weakness, Pain, Uncertainty..couldn't we all?

In fact, being a woman of certain tastes, perhaps more...books, shoes, chocolate, fruit, etc..

Though it must be said that we are often notoriously bad at deciding what is a want or a need. It is very easy to confuse the two as each are natural desires. 

Needs tend to be life's fundamental physical necessities we cannot function well without such as air, food, drink, warmth and shelter; and the basic psychological needs of safety, love and belonging, esteem and recognition.

Wants are usually the more tangible things we can see, taste and touch. The media shower us with images of stuff they try to persuade us we need, which essentially feed into our greed.

Perhaps I've got this skewed? God's word reminds us that He fully supplies all our needs:

Photo Credit:photosforsouls.com

Perhaps the secret to having Godly 'wants' is to tune into what God wants us to have.

That being the case, I think I want, above all, to be:

Photo Credit: FreeChristianImages.com

"You have made known to me the path of life; you fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" ~ Psalm 16:11

Earthly things are transitory and fleeting, needful and necessary as they may be. There is no deep, lasting satisfaction to be had outside of relationship with Him.

So, if this is what I long to have more of, then what needs to be reduced to make it possible?

Peace isn't possible without resting to some extent (both mentally and physically), which calls for a greater awareness of the value of each activity and deciding where the best focus should be.

"You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you." ~ Isaiah 26:3 

Spending time in God's presence to hear His voice requires active listening and less distractions (builders take note!). 

Occasionally, God has blessed me with peace falling down like a warm comfort blanket from heaven just when I needed it. Such grace-filled moments are to be treasured.

More often than not, it is hard fought for as I have to earnestly seek and pursue it. For peace itself is not dependent on our circumstances being calm, easy or comfortable. 

Such comfort-driven peace can lull us into a false sense of security where we expect to feel at peace before we realise it is ours to experience through seeking and finding by faith. Our peace is found in having an inner resting confidence in God's character and Word.

Seeking His Presence calls for actively cutting back on what hinders it. So much can clutter up our lives without us even noticing it. Awareness, rescheduling and prioritising are vital.

The benefits are huge:

"The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace" ~ Psalm 29:11

Isn't that just what I want, what I really, really want, anyway? (Apologies to The Spice Girls)

Over to you:

What are you seeking to have more or less of in your life?

What is your highest need/want right now?

Linking here with Holley Gerth and the rest of the God-sized Dream Team

We would love you to share the dream God has planted in your heart this year. Do join in with the comments below.

A stilling of the soul

Tranquillity can seem a remote dream in our busy lives. 

Can we really be at peace with ourselves and the world around us without resorting to prescription medication, meditation of some sort or other, or simply spending a briefly blissful time at a spa with the various soothing therapies on offer?

This Advent season finds me drained and drooping with exhaustion. I tell myself:It isn't meant to be like this

How can I appreciate the wonder of the Incarnation of Emmanuel - God with us - if my days are full of stress, strain, weakness, frustration and pain? 

And let's not forget the endless 'To Do' list that doesn't ever seem to get done when it should:cards, presents, wrapping paper, festive decorating, food, and other paraphernalia. You get the picture.

Even if being sick and tired is pretty normal for me, it is still an unwelcome intrusion and one I stupidly fail to make allowances for each year. It is all too easy to fool myself into thinking - This Year will be different: I will be well (relatively speaking), prepare in advance, pace myself, not get so exhausted that I can barely keep my eyes open at all come Christmas Day itself, then find I'm simply longing for it all to be over so I can just sleeeeppp....like for ever, please! 

Living life in an endless pit of exhaustion, a blur of activity or a frazzled state of stress can't be right. Perhaps there is a way to be heavenly minded in an earthly existence?

A few weeks ago a friend sent me an e-mail with a verse she felt led to share. It was a timely reminder to cease from activity and striving, whether mental or physical, and rest in God's presence:

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth" ~ Psalm 46:10

I have been thinking through each word from the opening part of this verse and wondering how to incorporate it into my life in a practical way.

Biblical mediation is a deep, slow, purposeful reflection, a 'chewing over' the words of scripture until they sink into our spirit, heart and mind and become part of who we are and how we react, think and feel.

This is a personal interpretation of its message and how it can be meditated upon:

Be: Be aware. Be in the moment. Being instead of doing. Being open and receptive to the whispers of God's grace. Be thankful for the good things in your life. Consider the glory of Being Alive and able to relate to God and to others

Still: Still the body.  Sit or lay in a relaxed position. Allow your thoughts to subside. Calmly allow them to flow and observe as if from a distance. Take some slow, deep breaths. Give any anxieties or cares over to God.

And know: Offer up your heart to God. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you by His presence and through His word. Recognise that God inhabits the quiet places and we may have to tune our hearts to hear Him speaking. Quietly offer yourself to Him as you pay attention to anything He may be saying to you. Be thankful that He is a God who desires to be known.

That I AM God: Here we recognise the historical 'I AM' who revealed Himself to Moses. The eternal nature of His being is revealed in that description. 

The poem below (by Helen Mallicot) describes so well the "I AM" nature of God:

I AM

9

I was regretting the past and 
fearing the future.

Suddenly my Lord was speaking:

My Name is I AM

He paused; I waited; he continued:

When you live in the past,

with its mistakes and regrets,

it is hard. I am not there:

My name is not I WAS

When you live in the future,

with its problems and fears,

it is hard. I am not there:

My name is not I WILL BE.

When you live in this moment it 

is not hard.

I am here:

My name is 
I AM.

You may be thinking that I am speaking to you as someone who has perfected the art of BEING. After all, people with M.E and other chronic health problems can't actually DO much can they? Sorry to disillusion you. In this area (as in so many) I speak as one who is still taking one baby step at a time. 

My body may be significantly less active and able than I want it to be but that doesn't prevent my mind from buzzing around restlessly like a hamster on a wheel - busy going nowhere - even when hampered by fatigue and brain-fog.

It can be so hard to switch off when my mind is running on adrenaline a lot of the time just to keep focused and seemingly alert. This blog post wouldn't have been written at all if I didn't already have most of it available as a "Here's one I prepared earlier" 'Blue Peter'-style draft. Writing whenever energy and inspiration are flowing helps me not to overtax myself when it isn't.

Perhaps it's time to put away the idea of 'Perfect Schmerfect' and settle for 'Good Enough' this Christmas and beyond?

It may mean shifting the focus this season away from our faults, failings and potentially organised chaos, away from mass and crass commercialism, and stopping to remember that God is the Eternal Now, the great I AM who is ready to meet with us right where we are in the messy imperfections of our humanity - and indeed already has in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ

"Don't be in such a hurry with life that you rush past those warm, quiet places where you have met with the Lord and enjoyed His company. The peace and perspective that comes from those few sweet moments will colour the rest of your day" ~ Joni Eareckson Tada 'Daily Devotionals'

Over to you:
Have you lost sight of what is really important in the run up to Christmas?
What does being at peace look like to you?

Broken hearts..broken lives

Hi,
Welcome. You are invited to consider something important with me today.

If we look at the image here it is a recognisable symbol of a broken heart and probably a broken dream to accompany it. 

Familiar to many.

Most of us try to hide our pain, our brokenness, as best we can.

Others literally 'wear their hearts on their sleeves'.

Last night I was privy to another person's pain and I couldn't ignore it.

When a Twitter message entered my stream it roused a degree of curiosity and concern. 

I tried to ignore it and read on. But I felt compelled to take it seriously. 

It purported to be a note of intention to commit suicide.

I read it
I replied
I thought.
I prayed.
I wrote a poem.

The thoughts wouldn't go away. I couldn't ignore it.

During the course of my nursing career, and through personal experience in the family, I have witnessed and been affected by people who have had intentions of self-harm and suicidal tendencies. 

Very sadly, some have been successful in following through with their intentions. Each left an indelible mark on those left behind.

All of us need to realise - 'there but for the grace of God go you or I'

Most of us have experienced a broken heart or broken relationships to some degree or other. Discouragement is common and Depression too.

We live in a fractured, selfish, 'It's all about me', driven sort of world that often has little patience, time or sympathy for the hurting. Our cries for help may be overlooked by carelessness alone, never mind indifference. 

We may have to make an effort to stretch out a hand of support, comfort or empathy to:

Those who may be unemployed, sick, poor, marginalised, lonely, lost and weak, devastated by circumstances beyond their control.

Yet God wants to bestow on us 'a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair' ~ Isaiah 61:3

It helps to know that there is no pit so deep that God cannot pull us out of - if we surrender to His care.

Take your pain to Him - He can handle it and bring relief, peace and strength. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain

The poem below is not sweet, nor polished or easy to read. You might want a stiff coffee or something first. 

It is a raw attempt to see into the mind of a potentially suicidal person, through the power of imagination, and feel their pain. 

Suicide is commoner than we might like to think. Our young people are particularly vulnerable to it, but all age groups are at risk.

We are all connected by virtue of our humanity. Could we be the ones to answer someone's heart-felt cry?

'To Whom it may Concern'

I'm reaching out,

my soul is bared.

A message sent - 

As if you cared.

Cry from the heart,

rending tears that fall.

In a silent whisper - 

"Do you heed my call?"

What does it take

to shake your core?

Given all I have -

I can do no more.

Too many voices,

clamouring for Attention.

Why should I think - 

I would get a Mention?

A letter's been penned;

It could even be read.

Though by the time that happens -

I just might be Dead.
©JoyLenton2012

Moving on ..experiencing change

Hi,
Welcome to my 'School of Thoughts'.

Have you bought an apple for the teacher? Actually, any fruit will do. I'm not fussy. But I have a confession to make - I'm not really a teacher, either, although it does run in the family. There is no homework to do and any 'lesson' you receive from these words is incidental.

Back to the picture here. It reminds us that some young people are getting ready to meet and greet their new teacher for the first time and may be viewing it with a mixture of excitement and trepidation - as indeed may their parents. It will bring a whole host of changes to their lives, some of which may be welcome and others not.

Change - what does that word conjure up for you?

Perhaps you embrace it gratefully
Perhaps you dread it
Perhaps you feel alternately scared and happy about it

A lot depends on the type of change and whether or not you have had any say in the matter.

When I developed M.E. over 20 years ago I was ill-prepared for how my life would change from the one I had envisaged and hoped for. Subsequent health problems steered me even further from my hopes and dreams.

What has helped me is summed up in this:

'What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us' ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Change can be very unsettling. The familiar can be reassuring and comforting.

We all need a place to feel safe and secure and people we can trust. That place can be our inner life with God - an anchor of stability in life's ever-changing circumstances.

We can have great turmoil going on around us yet be at peace because God either calms and quietens us in the midst of the storms or may indeed remove them if He chooses. This promise remains though:

'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid' ~ John 14:27

Here are a few suggestions for what the process of change may involve:

• Courage
• Hope
• Adaptation
• New - ways of thinking, doing, being
• Grit - and determination to see it through
• Energy - and enthusiasm helps

I'm sure you can think of many more - all suggestions welcome!

The poem below reflects the experience of leaving school but it could also be viewed as moving from any place where the leaving is final and the leave-taking is without choice. It was written with a degree of trepidation for facing the future, at a time before I fully trusted the One who holds the future in His hands.

'Reflections on Leaving School'

Barriers down -

They

shut me out

of their personal

prisons;

bars, locks,

bolts

of bitter regret.

Nothing

can chain the feeling

that 

walls are alive.

Places 

speak to me,

softly whispering

"Good-bye".

Do heartaches,

hopes

and inspirations

wither - 

or do they

endure

beyond this

Uniformed

sky?

©JoyLenton2012