Forever

I lived with my mom for a long time in my young adult years.  I think I loved it because I always wanted to be an only child and I had to share her with my sisters for so many years.  But when I graduated from college until I was almost thirty I lived alone with her. 

One of the beautiful memories I have is in an apartment we shared that had a bright and beautiful kitchen.  We would gather there on Saturday mornings and talk about God and the Bible.  She had a sunny window in that kitchen and started a garden.  One plant was a flowering pink plant with petals that folded upwards.  It was a funny looking plant, but of all the flowering plants we had it lasted the longest.  For at least a couple of years it would bloom.  We were always amazed by it.

Recently my mother was hospitalized.  I wanted to bring her flowers and found that same strange pink flowering plant that she had in her kitchen window.  She remarked that she remembered we had that plant when we lived together and that it lasted all year…

I quickly responded, “yes mom it lasted forever….”

A seed that will remain...

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

Never underestimate the power of prophetic women.  Consider Mary, the mother of Jesus.  She was told of the birth of her messianic son before anyone else knew about it.  She traveled to meet her cousin, Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s son, John the Baptist prophesied even in the womb.

The angels appeared to the Shepherds pronouncing:

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:11-14

Mary was favored and chosen by God to birth His son and all she could do was hold these words of promise and ponder them in her heart.

And then painful words would come, too-“A sword will pierce your soul as well.”  Speaking of the sword that would pierce her son's side while on the cross in which He died for all mankind. 

Mary pondered the Good news of the Savior’s birth.  She nurtured the Word planted in her, and it developed and bore fruit that would eternally last. 

And as prophetic women, we need to treasure up the words that have been spoken to us.  We need to wait, and allow God to develop and give birth to a seed that will remain from everlasting to everlasting…

Rough places smooth

“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth: I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron.”  Isaiah 45:2

The streets are a rough place to live.  You see how people wear poverty and violence like jagged rings in earlobes.  It’s wonderful to still see the innocence, and purity of children who live in the midst of it all, but soon that innocence will disappear beneath the harsh realities of street life. 

Yesterday, I went out into the streets to talk to people; characters that I would normally pass on by and maybe even walk more quickly when seeing them, but yesterday I stopped, I smiled, I talked, I listened, I invited, I made connections.

There is so much violence on the streets, because people are desperate.  People are hungry.  And this is what Jesus asks of us.

Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. Isaiah 58:10

Dirty Rags

You made me,

And all I can

Offer you

Are dirty rags.

You tear

Up my soul

With your

Beauty;

With your

Sacrifice.

I am

Lost without

You. 

You

Make me

Clean;

All of you.

I just stand

And adore

You in frailty,

In vulnerability-

And you

hear me.

It’s not cheap-

Nailed hands

and feet.