God knows that there are heavenly whispers that men cannot hear till the drought of trouble and perhaps weariness has silenced the babbling brooks of joy. And He is not satisfied until we have learned to depend, not upon His gifts, but upon Himself.
(Perry Ainsworth, Springs in the Valley, 10/18)
How sweet and wonderful are His gifts! These gifts—people, relationships (and marriage!), comforts, sunshine—are beautiful. And I love them.
But I cannot depend on them. And how very often I find that I AM depending on them. For joy. For fulfillment. And when those gifts are not given—or when they are removed—I find how very much my heart depended on them.
But I cannot depend on them. And how very often I find that I AM depending on them. For joy. For fulfillment. And when those gifts are not given—or when they are removed—I find how very much my heart depended on them.
When months of joyfully hoping for a baby turns into years of aching, empty arms. A spot unfilled in our hearts and home.
When, just before Christmas, a hospital bed is delivered to our home—a bed for my young, handsome husband to die in. And that sweet child for whom we prayed is naively delighted with Daddy’s new bed.
When I give up my house—and my life as I knew it—so I can make ends meet. Financially and emotionally.
When a migraine stops life for a day.
When, for days on end, the sun absolutely will not show itself and the daffodils cannot spring up for all the snow that covers them.
When a friend's great blessing causes little pricks of jealousy.
When a migraine stops life for a day.
When, for days on end, the sun absolutely will not show itself and the daffodils cannot spring up for all the snow that covers them.
When a friend's great blessing causes little pricks of jealousy.
It is at these times I see my dependence on the gifts, rather than the Giver. Our hearts are weak, aren't they? Our emotions change like the wind.
And so God is faithful to silence those joyful, bubbling brooks—perhaps for a moment or maybe even for a lifetime—to show us Himself. To remind us of the only One who will satisfy these hearts.
Well said Emily...well said. Jackie
ReplyDeleteSending the gift of my love and hugs today... Love you, girl. God is ALL we need. Susan Blount
ReplyDeleteI think of why each day I must ASK for peace, when He promises He will provide me with it. I realize now it is because if I freely received it each and every day, where would my dependance on Him be? It would be satiated, it would be taken for granted.
ReplyDeleteI think the Lord works in us each and every day, because while the difficult can seem too much for us at times, it works us, it separates the junk we need to let go of. Healing wounds on the heart is not easy. It is not for the "faint of heart" nor is it completed quickly.
Missing a best friend, a person you shared important life milestones with is never going to go away. It will pop up to teach you, show you and heal you each and every time.
I believe this when I think of my mom.
When I think of my good friend Elizabeth.
When I think of those I have recently lost in a circle of hurting, fighting cancer survivors.
While the pain is there, the blessings are too. Some days its harder to see them, hurts to feel them, but they are there. May God give you eyes to continually see them, may they touch you deeply.
Love you Em.