Creation's Symphony: The Stars and Whales

Waiting: not "for," but "on"

"It is on God that we should wait, as a waiter waits--not for but on the customer--alert, watchful, attentive, with no agenda of his own, ready to do whatever is wanted. 'My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.' (Ps. 62:5) In Him alone lie our security, our confidence, our trust. A spirit of restlessness and resistance can never wait, but one who believes he is loved with an everlasting love, and knows that underneath are the everlasting arms, will find strength and peace"

{Elisabeth Elliot}

Ignore the Urgent for the Eternal

A few months ago, I sat at my desk sorting through my favorite quotes while personalizing a daily planner for 2013. On the front, my planner reads in glaring black capital letters:

"THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST MUST NEVER BE AT THE MERCY OF THE THINGS WHICH MATTER LEAST."
{goethe}

Here I sit, in the third week of 2013, browsing through the musings of a few of my favorite bloggers. I have yet to write out my resolved commitments for the year, though I have been successful in keeping them thus far. So, I read through some other girls' lists while I put off writing mine. I come across Megan Dutill's post over at Bloom!,  and her last point really strikes me. 

"And I want to ignore the urgent for the eternal."

 I think, "Wow. This is exactly in line with my thoughts and convictions lately. These simple words are what my heart has been longing to express these past weeks in the midst of renewed commitments." 

But all that my heart's desire contains cannot be expressed, nor clearly communicated, in that one sentence. Thankfully, Megan feels the same way. So she continued to write:

"What do I mean by this? I confess that making space, daily, for a quiet time is a struggle. I'm surrounded by deadlines that have to be met right now; meetings to go to, freelance writing assignments, thesis research, people to meet with and be with in this last semester. Everything seems so urgent - and then it's bedtime and my eyes don't stay open and I just collapse into bed way too late.

And God wasn't an "urgent" deadline...so time with him didn't happen.

Have you ever found yourself in this situation? I'm realizing that it really won't change. There will always be urgent things that are good and important and scream for my attention.  Next month won't be any easier. Nor will the summertime.

But nothing I do will have the eternal impact of growing closer to God. So I'm determined to make the time, let something else slide if necessary - because spending time with him is the most important thing.

"Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen it, and it will not be taken away from her." 

My prayer for this new year - whether or not I ever pin down something I want to make a "resolution" - is to do a little more being and a little less doing. A little more focusing on God and who he says I am than learning how to do XYZ.

What is your prayer for this year?"

And I completely identify with Megan's words. She could have been describing my semester as she was painting the picture of her own. 

I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit's working within me as I reject and ignore my relationship with the Father, all the while He is trying to pull me back. And I am so ready to be back in the comfort of His arms-- exactly where I have always and will continually need to be. No matter if I desire to submit or not, the need is undeniably there and sorely made known. So, for 2013, I am resolving to make the time to spend with the One who calls me His beloved. I have nothing to lose but myself, and everything to gain in Christ. And there is no better investment of my time and energy. 

I am resolved to ignore the urgent for the sake of the eternal.

I am resolved not to let the things that matter most be at the mercy of those which matter least.

"I'm Mary and I'm Martha all at the same time;
I'm sitting at His feet and yet I'm dying to be recognized.
I am a picture of contentment and I am dissatisfied.
Why is it easy to work but hard to rest sometimes,
Sometimes, sometimes

I'm restless, and I rustle like a thousand tall trees;
I'm twisting and I'm turning in an endless daydream.
You wrestle me at night and I wake in search of You...
But try as I might, I just can't catch You
But I want to, 'cause I need You, yes, I need You
I can't catch You, but I want to.

How long, how long until I'm home?
I'm so tired, so tired of running
How long until You come for me?

I'm so tired, so tired of running
Yeah, I'm so tired, so tired of running
I'm so tired, so tired of running."

 {audrey assad, lament}

A Hundred Prayers

Earlier today, I received this message from a dear friend of mine. I think it speaks for itself, so read on:

I was convicted today by a quote in one of my textbooks. I thought I would share. St. Patrick stated,

"Tending flocks was my daily work, and I would pray constantly during the daylight hours. The love of God and the fear of him surrounded me more and more-and faith grew and the Spirit was roused, so that in one day I would say as many as a hundred prayers and after dark nearly as many again, even while I remained in the woods or on the mountain. I would wake and pray before daybreak - through snow, frost, rain - nor was there any sluggishness in me (such as I experience nowadays) because then the Spirit within me was ardent."

Wow, to be in constant prayer, and never feel full! To have a cup that's overflowing, and still have room for more! To be in such communion with my God! And to know that no matter my circumstances, or physical capabilities, I would never fear of being "sluggish" or worn, because the ardent Spirit is within me, giving me all the grace I need! To dwell on this truth, and the be engulfed in it's richness and blessing is not where I am, but where I long to be!

Is the Spirit ardent in you?

Silence: the Deafening Din

I have, O Lord, a noisy heart. And entering outward silence doesn't stop the inner clamor. In fact, it seems only to make it worse.
When I am full of activity, the internal noise is only a distant rumble; but when I get still, the rumble amplifies itself. And it is not like the majestic sound of symphony rising to a grand crescendo; rather it is the deafening din of clashing pots and clanging pans. What a racket! Worst of all, I feel helpless to hush the interior pandemonium.

Dear Lord, Jesus, once you spoke peace to the wind and the wave. Speak your shalom over my heart. I wait silently...patiently. I receive into the very core of my being your loving command, "Peace, be still." Amen. 

(Prayers from the Heart. 1994, Harper San Francisco.)

As we prepare for a new year, the thought of a new set of 365 sets of 24 hours is refreshing. Though it is also somewhat daunting.  Too appealing is the temptation to mull over the worries and anxieties those days will bring through the trials and hardships that are sure to arise. The temptation to dwell on needs unmet, desires unfulfilled, and dreams crushed. Those things surely happened on some level over the past twelve months, so the coming year will no doubt be yet another roller coaster of crashing circumstances and surging emotions.

When we find our minds wandering in this direction, meandering through Memory Lane and making a wrong turn onto Regret Drive, we must stop and reevaluate our path. If we really believe that God is still in Heaven and that He is who He says He is, who are we to allow anxiety and worry to claim our hearts? A loving God dwells within us who reigns in ultimate goodness: holiness and love. I find that when I allow my perspective to be introspective and self-analyzing, my thoughts and emotions truly clamor within me to an unbearable level. However, when I turn my perspective to be God-analyzing and truly seek out the face and character of my Savior, my worries turn to prayers, my anxieties are overcome by promises, and my fears are ruled out with patience. What an awesome God we serve, and when we humbly recognize that He is in supreme control over every second of our lives, we can then rejoice in both the joys and sorrows that our days may bring. To spend our days wisely in spite of our emotions is to remember that when God made time, He surely made enough of it.

And when the clamor is too loud and the silence is deafening, we can quiet our souls with the cleansing promises of our Savior.

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
{Psalm 139:16}

~ GE (College Sophomore)

Dark and Gloomy Scenes

"I am deeply sensible in the kind of care of my heavenly Father.... Still, were it not for the support we derive from the Gospel of Jesus, we should be with ready to sink down in despondency, in view of thee dark and gloomy scenes around us. But when we recollect that Jesus has commanded his disciples to carry the Gospel to the heathen, and promised to be with them to the end of the world; that God has promised to give the heathen to his Son for an inheritance, we are encouraged to make a beginning, though in the midst of discouragement, and leave it to Him to grant success, in his own time and way."  {Ann Judson}

Sometimes, complicated and unwanted circumstances and emotions wrap such a tight grip around our minds that our souls struggle to rise above the heaviness on our hearts. It seems impossible to move on, to progress, with the mire of grief, pain, and hurt engulfing our feet. Forget finishing the race-- the next step is even too difficult to defeat. 

But alas, behold! The cross of Christ gleams in the darkness, and our Father is gracious enough to remind us that we are not running the race alone. The scene around us is bleak, but the finish line is yet attainable with the help of a Friend. Strength is renewed in our weary bodies by way of short seasons of rest. Encouragement enters our sore hearts as we glean promises and assurance from the Word. Sustenance is outstretched to our grappling hands as we reach for the provision of a loving Father. Comfort wraps around our wanting minds as we are reminded that we are complete in the finished work of Christ.

Equipped with the gospel, we are enabled to endure life's difficulties and submit to God's commands. In love, we can carry the Gospel to others.We obtain the assurance of a Friend who is with us to the ends of the earth-- both the farthest shore and the last moment in time. Clinging to the promise that the heathen are given to Christ by God as an inheritance, we are armed with boldness and confidence in completing our task of love. We can lead another to a new beginning even in the midst of unforgiving circumstances and lingering emotions. For He who has called us is faithful, and in His goodness, He will bring it to pass.

G.E. (College Sophomore)

Prayer in Faith

“It is good that we should have to submit to what we do not understand. it teaches us the laws of faith and hope. 
It is good that we should have to do what we should rather not, in circumstances not of our choice. 
It is good that there should be always something to prick us on, something to remind us that we are in an enemy’s country, belonging to a marching column. 
It is good that we should meet with checks and failures in what we undertake to keep us humble and prayerful. 
All these things belong to sowing in tears. 
God seems to have laid out the order of things in His Church, not for a general and brilliant triumph but for the hidden sanctification of the individual souls which compose it.”
{Janet Erskine}

Turkey: Looking Back

Grace with friends from English school

Well, I've been back State-side for twelve days now. It's hard to believe I was actually in Antalya less than two weeks ago!

Above all of the feelings that came with the hardships of the trip, I have a great joy from the countless lessons learned. I watched in awe as I again saw my God work in truly amazing ways in the hearts of our friends and in us in the past five weeks. Through the trip itself, our team, the Turks, and my personal devotions, He again interwove so many convictions, challenges, and so much encouragement as He revealed Himself yet further. I'll do my best at putting it into words, but you'll quickly see the focus of this post is clearly not on my eloquence.

Darlene with our host, Yula

Of the many lessons, one of the biggest was certainly the incredible impact of my relational investment in the lives of others. It's amazing what can happen when you make the choice to take your focus off of yourself and take the time to genuinely get to know someone! Taking a personal interest in the life of another will help you get below the surface and begin friendships. It paves the way for the a relationship that exemplifies true compassion.