Sigh...

God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. Revelation 21:4

Recently my pastor made a point about how the Puritans used to start and end each day with one of the following comments:
-in the morning: "Maybe today God?"
-in the evening: "Maybe tonight God?"

He explained that they were so focussed on the goodness of heaven and God's promises of a perfect world upon His coming that they hoped for it eagerly everyday.

I can see why they would long hopefully each day for His coming with this quote from Revelation. While He is near at all times, and certainly close with those who mourn, grieve, are troubled, in need, or weary, it's hard to feel Him when He can't simply reach over with a finger and wipe away a tear, give a hug, or give you His hand to hold. We have to rely on faith to help us feel those comforts. We also have to allow the Spirit to break down any barriers we have as fallen humans that restrict His comfort from coming through strong and warm.

...no more tears. Wow, unfathomable.
Praise God for this word which He left behind for me to have sitting waiting in an old email I stumbled upon today when I needed it.

Didn't you know...

This song is helping me cross over to new beginnings...

I continue to wonder why it takes longer to grieve than to fall in love.
Everything a season, I recall...I hope this isn't a permanent season. I'm looking forward to a new spring (even if it's snowing!).

How does He always know?

I just wanted to share this little insight I read to start my day today. I was grateful for it on many deep levels, but moreso because often it is through my plants that God shows me how His plan makes sense in the long run.

Enjoy this for yourself. :)
God bless!

Wishing

Hard to swallow, but easy to digest

"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord stands forever."
1 Peter 1:24-25

For Heaven's Sake

"However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him'—”- 1 Corinthians 2:9

Wasted

I've found it hard to share here lately, mostly because I feel as though there is an expected expiration date on my current struggles. If I continue to wade through the same garbage does that mean I'm getting somewhere or does it mean I'm defeated? I can't decide yet because I'm still waiting for one whole day of pure and fresh air, one day when I don't lose my footing and slide back down into the dumpster, not even one toe slip. The breaths are getting longer, but the stench is still very present.

I drove home, another solitary Friday evening, and wondered when I will stop believing that just because I was thrown into the trash that I am actually trash. Maybe it's just the time of year, a time when traditions used to run deep and now they are just memories left in the dust, most never to be spoken of again. Perhaps it's another year gone by, still with little obvious progress or change to my circumstances. Maybe it's just me. But I'm hoping to understand the secret to actually believing that a diamond is always valuable, even if it's thrown away and never retrieved or thought of again.

Or is that diamond's value wasted when it's given to someone who doesn't know it's a diamond?