Dawn Design

                   

This is what I saw first thing this morning.  Before the sun was able to warm up the sky with light, the residual from the darkness lay stubbornly upon the window of my car.  Evidence of frigid fog clung, determined to show that there is beauty that comes from darkness and cold.....only it can't be seen until the sun comes up.  Each tiny frost pattern, different in it's own way, shined like a twinkling star in the sky.  The intricate tendrils began to melt in a blink of an eye, and before I knew it, my vision was clear and I could see beyond the once crystalline confines.  I have to say, I was a little disappointed that I didn't have time to sit and look awhile before the flaky design faded, but as usual, time left no room for that.  

I can't help but compare this to experiences of life.  Dark and cold times come in and out of our lives, most of the time unexpectedly.  During the nighttimes of hardship or trials, we struggle.  But when the dawn breaks, and the warmth of light penetrates the soul, we can see that somehow, good came from the difficulty. Tiny patterns of purpose are revealed, as we wait for clearer vision to move forth. But with the busyness of life, we seldom take the time to ponder the grace, the lessons, and the strength that came from the frigid and foggy stretch of time.  We rush on, wanting desperately to see what lies ahead, and in a blink of an eye, we have forgotten that those crystalline confines right at the beginning of dawn, are meant to show us glimpses of the intricate plan of God in our midst.  He puts grace marks that cling, right in front of our eyes so that we may know His mercy and care in every darkness of our life.

Take time to examine His goodness in every trial. Take time to notice that He is always with you, and His light follows every darkness, revealing glimmers of His plan and purpose in all things.

The Washing of the Water

I saw it on Facebook~~~it was one of the most beautiful things I had seen in a long time.  A Baby Bath? Yep!  For those of you that know me, you know that I LOVE BABIES and everything about them!  God has blessed my love for babies by giving me a career that involves caring for them.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for His gift to me.  So when I saw this video, I was naturally taken by the sheer tenderness displayed as this nurse bathes a newborn baby for the first time.

I've probably given hundreds of newborn baby baths, but what is it about this video that moves my heart so? I watch it again and again and I see things that go beyond a routine baby bath.  There is a sacredness to this act of love.  I find that as I see the baby being soothed, I am soothed as well.

Fresh from the warmth of the womb, a child's first experiences of life in the world can be harsh.  After being thrust from the confines of safety into the bright and open world, so many stimulating sensations happen at once, many of which are unavoidable and just part of being born into the physical world.  But as we seek to find ways to make the transition easier, we have to look deeper into the true needs of the tender and fragile little life of a newborn. There are ways to nurture the peace that was created inside of that little being, so that new life begins with a feeling of protection and safety, rather than fear and discomfort.  This video is a picture of that nurturing and love. But I wonder~~~is there something even more profound here?

As I watch how the nurse handles the baby, I notice that her hands never completely separate from the baby's skin during the entire time. She makes sure that there is steady support as she cradles the infant in her hands and arms. Constant touch gives this infant security. Slow and relaxed movements keep the baby from startling and careful positioning keeps the baby in it's fetal position of comfort.  But it's the water~~~it's the washing of the water that brings me to tears.  And it's then that I realize the profoundness of this beautiful video.  The Washing of the Water is what makes New Birth sacred.

For me, this video symbolizes how we are taken from the confines of the physical world into the actual hands of God when we are reborn in the Spirit of Christ and receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior.  Complete and utter surrender to the capable and loving arms of God brings a deeper security than we've ever known.  As He seeks to nurture that peace within our soul~~~the peace that He created within us~~~the peace that passes human understanding~~~we begin new life in the safety of eternal salvation.  God's hands never leave us.  His touch is evident all around us as we experience His grace in so many ways.  Prayerful communion with Him brings assurance as He moves us to new positions in life, so we need not fear~~~He is always with us.  Living in the constant flow of His Living Water~~~~allowing it to wash over and into our entire being~~~brings rest and restoration to the soul.

It's the most beautiful thing~~~watching New Birth rest peacefully in the arms of God.

Heart Sore to Heart Soar

The heart......the core of life....physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Without it, we would physically die. It's vital to a sustained life.  Maybe that's why it is referenced in so many ways emotionally and spiritually?

Is it possible to be heart-sore and heart-soaring at the same time?
                         I believe so

Some may call it "bittersweet", and some may say they have "mixed emotions", but it's all the same really.  I believe that things can touch us so deeply that our hearts feel pierced, but at the same time are so profound that they take us to a new heights of understanding.
                 I believe God does that.


Yesterday, I saw a man, thinned by cancer, walking slowly down the sidewalk holding the tiny hand of his granddaughter.  He had the most gentle and tender look on his face as he led her to the front door of the town candy shop.  Emotions washed over me like a giant tidal wave.  Sadness, adoration, gratitude, and hope.  My heart was made sore as I thought of this fleeting moment in time and the temporariness of beautiful moments with this sick grandpa and little girl.  At the same time, it was one of the most precious things I had seen all day.  It was a blessing. It made my heart soar to think about how God can take the hardest things of life and transform them into fleeting moments of tenderness and love.

 Those things that pierce the heart can sometimes be felt like a physical ache from deep within.  An ache that makes the heart heavy.  An ache that makes one feel all broken inside.....broken to the point of no return.  And we can stay there if we choose.....all caged up and bound.....separated from the rest of life.
                 But that's really not necessary.


We have a God that cares.  We have a God that not only comforts sore hearts, He also has a way of causing them to soar in ways we never could have imagined, teaching us to look for the hidden things in each moment..... the blessings of His grace.....the lessons that we can take along with us as we soar to new heights of awareness of who God is.  

We live in a world full of broken people.  Not one of us is free of a sore heart at times.  I believe God made us that way.  Why?  Because without the sore heart can we really experience a soaring heart?
Without darkness, would we ever really know what light is?  Without cold, would we ever really understand warmth?

In this world you will have troubles, but take heart!  I have overcome the world.
 John 16:33

Sometimes I feel so hopeless and helpless.  I hear the problems of my loved family and friends,  and my heart hurts.  It's sore with sadness, guilt, fear, anxiety, and just plain tiredness.  I can't fix things.  I want to, but I can't.  But God can.  The thing is, He does it in His own way and time.  And usually that's not in my way and time and so I get discouraged.  But He sees the entire picture from beginning to end, and He knows how it all fits together.  So when I take my sore heart to Him, He lifts me up and shows me things from His perspective.  You see, it's not because of who we are.....it's because of Who He is that our hearts can soar. When He dwells in our heart, we can soar above the troubles of the world. Because of His wisdom and grace, He works all things out according to His purpose.  He can bring good out of every single situation.  He already has overcome the world.  In Him, we are saved from a forever sore heart.....How?  By His Son Jesus who was pierced for our sins so that we could have eternal life in Him.   So that we could have soaring hearts, even when we have sore hearts.