WEEKEND ENCOURAGEMENT

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

Simply Blessed – Word For Today

Psalm 23

King James Version (KJV)

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Can there be anything more beautiful than the 23rd Psalm?  Images, poetry . . . we read it, recite it, love it . . . books are written on it, yet it seems the most profound message, and the simplest, escapes us in our day-to-day walk.

As I faced the challenges of my day this morning I was reminded of its value  as a prophetic message of life with Christ.  Surrender, follow, absent of fear, absent of stress, carrying no heavy load.  Sheep who do this have joy and purpose, and rest and all their needs and more are met.  The ones  who run on their own?  They also are sought after in love and given the same grace.

I needed to be reminded of this.  Perhaps you did too?  Blessings!

 

Trust In Him

I look out my window

Yet see nothing.

Darkness has consumed . . .

but, wait!

Have things really changed?

Is the grass no longer green?

. . . the trees no longer tall?

Will the sun I cannot see

Truly never shine again?

My soul,

Though wrestling fear’s attempt to overtake

Is opting instead for some needed rest.

Day has gone

And night indeed has fallen.

Morning’s sun will

Like my spirit rise

And I restored,

Once again will follow

and reflect the Light!

By Martha L Shaw © 8-18-2013

Trust Versus Fear

I heard an inspiring and convicting sermon today on fear.  We all worry, fear, hesitate to surrender and trust Abba.  I sure do.  I know better, but still the “reality” of what “this world” screams at me takes hold and how easily I forget for a time that I am not of this world.  This caused me to think, to pray, to strive for a new heart.  It also made me look to the dictionary.  Pretty revealing:

TRUST
1.
reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
2.
confident expectation of something; hope.
3.
confidence in the certainty of future payment for property or goods received; credit: to sell merchandise on trust.
4.
a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.
5.
the condition of one to whom something has been entrusted.

FEAR

1.
a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Synonyms: foreboding, apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm. Antonyms: courage, security, calm, intrepidity.
2.
a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights. Synonyms: phobia, aversion; bête noire, bogy, bogey, bugbear. Antonyms: liking, fondness, penchant, predilection.
3.
concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone’s safety.
4.
reverential awe, especially toward God: the fear of God. Synonyms: awe, respect, reverence, veneration.
5.
something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of: Cancer is a common fear.