Psalm

I rejoice in You, oh Lord
When you make my paths straight
And set my feet in Your direction.
I praise You, oh God
When You lead me through uncharted woods,
And guide me carefully over the stones.
I praise Your name, when I feel the waters engulf me,
And I cannot hear Your voice above the waves.
I sing Your praise, oh Lord
When You steady my hand
And keep my feet from stumbling.
I find joy in You, oh God
When all that surrounds me seems dark,
And I cannot see Your face.

Oh God, You sustain Your servant.
You guide me in the paths of righteousness,
You keep my heart ever turned toward You.
Oh Lord, You lift high what should be made low,
You pour out grace abundant on Your people,
And reward those who have nothing to offer.
Oh God, You bestow blessing upon blessing on Your servant,
You give where nothing is earned,
And You take joy in Your mercy.

Surely, the Lord on High is the mighty God of all, merciful and full of grace is He.

It's Hard to Be the Art

I like this quote, and I don't like it.

You see, I feel like I'm the middle of when the artist is working His hardest on a certain part of the picture. I would imagine that any artist, at this point in their work, would not be overly talkative, would not necessarily be discussing their work with others. He would be focused, working at the vision of what He wants the finished work to be.

He already knows what the picture will look like. It's probably been in His head for a while. But now is the right time to mold this particular part into what it's going to be. The will be becomes the now.

The problem with this is if the piece of art starts questioning the artist. I can't see the finished product, all I know is that what the Artist is doing now is weird, kind of uncomfortable, and I'm not entirely sure it's going to turn out right. I feel like it will look funny when He's done. I'm not entirely sure He knows how to do it, because I have my own picture in my head of what this particular portion should look like. And I think He might be doing it wrong.

But He says He isn't. And there comes a point where the art has to stop trying to convince the Artist that He's doing it wrong, and just let Him work. After all, He's the one with the final picture.

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
Psalms 139:1-6

Hold loosely

I was recently talking with a friend....a friend who stands on the brink of possibly losing what she cherishes most. As I was talking with her, the phrase "hold loosely" came to mind.

As a Christian, I am called to hold firm to so many things. But what I haven't realized, up until now, is that what I think I should hold firm to, and what God asks me to hold firm to, are sometimes very different. 

I want to hold firm to my hopes, dreams, and desires. I clench them tightly in my fists, even if they aren't really there, yelling "mine!" at the first threat of it being taken away. In my head I've progressed way past toddler stage...but clearly, my heart still sits there. 

Sometimes I think that if I just hold tightly enough to what I want, it can still come true...it can still be mine. But the reality is that it isn't mine. And even if it ever does get placed in my hands, it still won't be mine. I can pretend that it is, but God has declared that it is His. And who argues with Him?

And if I can truly hold loosely to the things in this earth, I can enjoy them so much better. When a toddler has clamped down on that one toy she can't live without, is she enjoying it? Probably not. She is so busy guarding it, that she can't really enjoy it. But if she could just hold it in her hands loosely, she would be able to admire it, play with it, and her life wouldn't be ruined when daddy says it's time to put it away. 

So, in the end, all things are His. My life, my dreams, my desires, the people I love, aren't mine, and never have been. So, I hold loosely to them. And firmly to Him. And that's when I can truly enjoy the gifts...and the Giver.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21