Rejoice
evermore. Pray without ceasing.
In everything
give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench
not the Spirit.
1 Thessalonians
5:16-19 (KJ21)
 |
| before something else breaks, I’m throwing up my hands to yield. Not only am I not fighting, I’m also not playing the victim. I will praise while I wait, and trust more deliberately TWEET THIS! |
Amanda, writing at hill+pen
left words on the screen, saying something this broken vessel desperately needed.
I have made peace with brokenness, understanding that embracing it gives me
permission to be free, honest, to look at the scariest things, go to the
deepest places, to trust, to grow. To
learn, but not to heal. I never want to be unbroken. Not ever. My brokenness keeps
me close to the Throne, hiding under the shelter of His Wings, as it is He Who alone
holds me together. My brokenness (and my buddy) remind me that I am nothing
without shelter.
Despite my having made my peace, my brokenness occasionally
leaves me more weary than hopeful. So to read…
“Dreams are for the broken. For those who hold their arms out
wide and say Lord, I can’t bear it any longer. Help me find a way, with the
talents you’ve entrusted to me, to serve. To find joy.
To laugh. "
To laugh. "
gave me hope when I thought I was all out. I needed some hope. You see, God gave me vision of walking out of my
wilderness, but for now, I'm still here.
I’m here but He does not leave me beyond the reach of His Grace.
Every day He whisper some reminder of His Love, His Faithfulness, my brokenness
and His Promises. All day today. One of
my sweet dreaming sisters Amber wrote
this, and I was certain it was for me…
“Watching those who tread a deep valley without losing faith, no
matter how long the journey, is beautiful.”
Lord, I read the words, I received the lesson, “never give up.”
I’m trying.
I’ve needed this lesson before, in Paul’s words, long before I’d
realized the
wilderness is where I was and I needed to make my way, By Grace, out. In Paul’s
first epistle to the Thessalonians there is the kind of encouragement I'd want in
the trenches. Rejoice (all the time, because there's always a blessing in there…) Pray (all the time, because there is always a blessing for which
we should be deeply grateful). In everything
give thanks (see the previous sentence). Quench not the Spirit (because who wouldn't want a deeper immersion in the Holy Spirit?)
Hold it, I think this is where I need to
stay…Quench not the Spirit.
So what have I not been doing? I did a little research on the
ways we might “quench the Spirit” because on its face, it doesn’t seem to make
much sense. One preacher wrote that quenching the spirit occurs when we resist
His ministry to us by failing to yield to God (ouch), saying no when He calls
us (yikes), attempting to direct ourselves instead of being obedient (eek!) Just
last week I confessed that I’d gotten too wrapped up in trying to handle it all
and now I’m here.
So before something else
breaks, I’m throwing up my hands to yield. Not only am I not fighting, I’m also
not playing the victim. I will praising while I wait, I’m trusting more
deliberately that He will “Help me find a
way, with the talents …entrusted to me, to serve. To find joy. To laugh. "
Thank you, Amanda.
Thank You Lord.
On
Wednesdays, I pray and and play with friends here...
http://www.simplyhelpinghim.com/2012/11/14/i-used-to-need-people-with-wisdom-wednesday-link-up/
