WEEKEND ENCOURAGEMENT

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THE MIRACLE

 

I cry out

While you hold me close.

Yet I,

So blinded by my own fear,

Am unaware of the miracle

Of your nearness.

The gift is mine.

I have only to choose to receive it.

Be mine.

By Martha L Shaw ©12-1-2015

It Is Well!

My heartbeat quickened when I heard your voice

Beckoning me to come and see,

And eagerly I stepped out into the night.

The cool air refreshed me

And though I walked hesitantly at first,

I soon hurried on in hopeful anticipation.

We were making progress,

You said.

I, my human sight far weaker

Than your vision for me,

Saw only that home and familiarity

Were no longer in view

And realized the night air had grown cold.

I held my breath,

Saw the darkness and wondered at the hour.

I lost sight of you,

And felt frozen in place

Without a plan,

With legs suddenly as marble,

Stiff and immobile

I wondered what to do,

My eyes tightly shut.

I cried out

And heard your voice,

As though you were standing

Right in front of me

“I’m here” you said, reassuring me.

I opened my eyes and saw you

Standing so close

Your presence warmed me

In body and in soul.

You reached out,

I placed my hand in yours.

“Look!” you said

And I saw more stars than I could count

Studding the night sky.

“I placed each one of them there for you”

You told me.

At that moment, I knew your love

As I had never known it before

And hope swelled within me

Until happy tears fell

And we walked on together.

“It is well” you assured me,

But I already knew.

by Martha L Shaw – Copyright 11-25-2012

In His Arms

When I was small I rarely had to fear because Daddy was there to hold me close. Brokenness never challenged him much whether it was a displaced dolly’s head or my broken heart. He always held me close, dried my tears, and put my broken pieces back in place with his love. He’s not here to do that anymore but Abba still is whenever I need Him. I needed Him today.

Assurance

*

Pause

Flutter your wings

Feel the breeze

Alight from the exposed tree root

Ascend to a higher branch and sing

*

By Martha L Shaw – © 6-18-2013

Resource links to Micropoetry, Haiku, Gogyohka, and more:

TINYWORDS

Micropoetry Society

Anchored By His Word

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”   Matthew 14:29-36

 

I just heard a young veteran, a born again Christian, speak of his time in Afghanistan.    He was injured badly there, losing both legs as he did his job . . . securing a building without knowing he was standing on a bomb.

He said that he didn’t feel the pain and thus didn’t have fear of losing his legs.  He said that he felt the Holy Spirit within him and felt assured he would go on and life would be good.  Maybe different but good and perhaps better than before.  Then he heard his buddies around him speaking of how bad he was and how they’d never seen such a dreadful injury.  His fear came then.

In the quote from Matthew’s gospel, we hear of Peter walking on water and his ultimate sinking into it as he looked to the wind  . . . now, having heard this young man speak, the question becomes what made Peter lose his faith and begin to sink?  What made him look to the wind and not to his Lord?  Was it perhaps the sounds of his friends in the boat who were worried about him and perhaps calling out in fear “here, Peter, grab this rope and we’ll help you back into the boat!”

Peter’s situation, storm or no storm, was unchanged.  He WAS able to walk on water toward his Lord and yet in that same situation and set of circumstances Peter also quickly began to sink.  We know the ending . . . Jesus was there and had a plan.

Jesus still does.  When Peter saw the storm and heard the cries, he surely saw an impossible situation.  It was NOT impossible though.  We know why.  How often do we Christians who know Jesus still use words which rather than reflect our faith, instead cause us or someone near to sink?  The storm was still there yet the outcome was entirely different . . . Jesus words versus human words of fear.

I often wonder if my mess is because I missed something Jesus told me.  Did He let Peter sink for listening to cries of human fear and the sounds of the wind?  No, Jesus saved Peter.  He spoke to the fear and the weak faith gently to teach and not to condemn!  You?  Me?  We are no different from Peter.  We speak in faith but we also speak in fear.  Jesus has His hand out to us.

Tapestry

 

He weaves my dreams

Together with His own

And the result

Is far greater

Than anything I could imagine!

Ny Martha L Shaw – © 4-5-2014