warm and peaceful

It’s been a while – a busy while – & with many thoughts about this whole blogging thing later……here am I because:

Who can I tell about the wonders of the Lord?  Who can I sing with, laugh with, Rejoice! with in the goodness and mercy of our GOD?  The mountains already cry out!  The rocks already sing HIS praise!  The storehouses of the snow are even now pouring out their treasures to HIS glory!

I have determined I am more like my mother than I care to admit.  Not that my mother is an awful being or such, but she wavers so in her allegiances – she is ……well, never mind – this is not about my mother.  This post is about the glorious truth of God’s perfect love and strength (especially in my weakness).  It is about the most intimate relationship one could ever have.  The Creator of this unfathomable universe knowing the very inmost workings of our deepest thoughts, desires, hearts.  And not only knowing, but acting in those that will bring glory to HIM and be best for each of us.  For all HIS children for all time.

I speak now specifically to this unpredictable weather; the colds and sorenesses of the wintery season; the longings of a mother’s heart to do the right thing for her children in example and in teaching; the desire to honor and please a thrice holy GOD; the realization that HE wants our hearts first; the truth that HIS blessings are best when HE gives freely and then allows us to see what HE has just done for us.

Back to the mother-alike thing.  I get the highs and lows I see her have.  Although I strive for balance, I am stuck between flesh & spirit.  Praise God the highs aren’t SO high that I get light-headed, and the lows aren’t SO low that I get hard-hearted!  Nevertheless, I once again have been in a slight state of depression lately.  Who knows why.  Reading scripture, forcing myself to pray thankful prayers.  Pushing against the heaviness of heart with a conciously determined smile or laugh.  Yelling inside – GET me out of this place!!  all the while knowing my Savior is with me in this firey furnace and I will get out; so causing my self to die and my Christ to live, I perform those things He has laid before me and I wait.

I awoke at 4:45 this am and hoping for snow (the weatherfolks have been close lately, so I was hoping they were right this time), but upon further investigation (peeking through the slats in the miniblinds), no.  As my sleeping husband was sound-ful-ly dabbling at hibernation, I slipped downstairs, added a few crumpled newspapers and six small branches from last year’s felled birch to the smoldering coals in the woodstove, took up the NIV on the coffeetable and read Isaiah 9.   Then I coughed, sauntered into the kitchen for some Vit. C infested kiwi-raspberry Langers, returned to the cozy living room and plugged the festive tree lights in.  Nice.  After about 123 minutes of pure rest and renewal in the Word and prayer, my eyelids succumbed.  When my once-slumbering giant kissed me awake at 7:30, the quiet gave the surprise away – there was now a complete covering of white outside.  Needing to cling to this beautiful gift a while longer, I closed my tearing eyes once more and remembered the past few days.  Because of some inconvenient circumstances in this life (sickness, school closures), I was graciously surrounded by all of my children at some point – young, old, new, and grand.  My heart is bursting at the seams with gratitude to my Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God.  He surely knows the hearts of (wo) me (n) and like a true friend, has given me the shirt right off His back.  That His warm and peaceful love penetrates to the very core of my restless, needy soul through the lives of others is such an amazing mystery.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!!  I have no greater joy than to see my children walking in the truth!
and recouping on the couch; and working hard for others; and playing in the snow……

God is so good; God is so good; God is so good; He’s so good to me.