Day 10 of 21

Today I’ve been a bit disconnected and overwhelmed.  It seems that there’s always too much to do and not enough time or energy to do it.  Every so often – much more often than I’d like – I feel this way. It’s usually when I haven’t taken the time to be still and simply be.  So, during the girls’ nap time I took a bit of time to do just that.  I’m so grateful that I did.  I took a couple of books, a magazine and notecards and went outside to sit at the patio table overlooking the garden of azaleas.  It was only a couple of paragraphs into an article that I felt the Lord urging me to walk down the path through the azaleas. 

The azaleas are full of blooms – new blossoms unfolding every day.  Their sweet scent floats along on the breeze with the buzzing of bees and the songs of birds as its accompanying symphony.  There was a spot along the trail where the sun shone like a spotlight through the trees; I stopped there to bask in the warmth of the sun.  As the rays of the sun gently and intensely reached through the trees to envelop me in its light and heat, I realized that I was basking in the warmth of the Son*.  I sensed His presence and His words of love.  He was inviting me to look around and take in the beauty that surrounded me.  As I did, the words washed over me that I am more beautiful than the whole garden of azaleas.  Did I believe that?  Could I receive that and really take it in?  Well, if you’ve seen the glory of these azaleas and the ugliness that can come from my heart at times, you’d know why it would’ve been easy for me to dismiss those words.  But I didn’t.  Instead, I decided to risk believing that God sees all of me and loves me – that indeed, I am quite beautiful to Him.  It’s honestly even hard for me to write those words for so many reasons,  but I do it in faith and obedience.

I’m so thankful for His gentle ways, His stooping down to speak in ways that I can understand, His relentless pursuit of my heart, and His marvelous creativity. 

May you be blessed by the hands that hold the cosmos and your very heart.  And may you hear His words spoken over you and receive them deep in your being. 

Lord Jesus, thank You that You are speaking to my heart, changing my life and making me whole. 

Peace,

Kristie

*Please note that I am NOT saying that Jesus is the sun.  To be sure, Jesus made the sun and sees fit to allow the created things to illuminate the Creator.