Yesterday, while relaxing with a cup of coffee, I read through many of my past journal entries. I would like to share this one with you, entered on September 8, 1998.
If only I had a shell to retreat into
Where no one could hurt me
And life would be safe and secure.
Or maybe a web, so I could trap
And contain all of the worldly things
That are dark and menacing.
Ah…but now I wonder…
Maybe God has allowed us to be placed in this hurtful world
To serve as our cocoon.
The world forces us to change and grow (which is a painful process) until one day (the day He has planned) we will emerge beautiful and victorious…flying to the freedom of His perfect love.
Being that it’s a gorgeous sunny day today…in the eighties, I decided to take a walk during my lunch hour.
As I stepped outside and breathed in that amazingly warm and comforting air, I asked God to speak to me. You see, usually I pray (talk!) the whole time I am walking, so I asked the Lord to do the talking today.
And I was listening for His voice.
For a few moments I was hearing the common drone of cars humming down the main road, and those sounds gave way to the gentle whirring of the breeze around me. All of a sudden, there was the sound of a bird squawking. The sound was getting nearer and nearer to me, and I looked down. The bird was running in circles right in front of me and making all sorts of crazy sounds. Then I saw it. Her baby was off to the left of me, running toward the grass. I realized that the mommy bird was protecting her baby!
Seeing the natural instinct of a mother protecting her little one really warmed my heart. I thanked God for showing me such beauty, turned the corner and stepped up to the sidewalk. Then I saw something I wish I hadn’t. I saw two little furry baby birds, all soft and downy, lying dead on the ground. I asked the Lord why He allowed me to see that? Why did I need to see those sweet little birds that looked as though they just died? And why did they have to die in the first place?
He answered, “there is beauty to be found through both life and death.” After a few more steps, once again I looked down, and I saw it. A bookmark had flown over and landed on the side of the path I was walking on.
I saw the words…Jesus is Alive! And I understood that because of Jesus, death holds no power over us. In Christ Jesus, we are saved. He is waiting for us to invite Him into our hearts and our lives, and accept the precious gifts He offers us. Love, mercy, and salvation. These are not merely words to bring us comfort. Jesus is truly alive…He is right here with us now!
Lord, there are so many times I don’t understand your ways. I don’t understand why some people suffer more than others, why some seem to attract the good things of the world, while others struggle just to survive. Help me to understand that you are present in all of our lives, and in all circumstances. Help me to trust that your grace is sufficient in all things, and that suffering, even death itself, can bring us closer to you.All we need to do is open our hearts to you, and ask that you fill us with your saving holy presence.
Many people are on a never ending quest for miracles… looking for evidence that the Lord is working in their lives. They wonder why God is not revealing himself to them, or to the world in general.
I see things much differently. Our Lord communicates and speaks to us constantly. He reveals himself to us in many different ways, and if we invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts, and ask that he open our eyes and ears to him, we will discover the never ending miracles and blessings of each new day. The miracles are always there, we just need to expect and be open to them!
This is a little miracle that God blessed me with today. If I didn’t keep a journal, I would have missed it. The knowledge that the Lord is ever so close, and sometimes chooses to reveal himself through unexplainable events in my life, just overwhelms me!
So, here is what happened:
My husband and I have been re-watching the old series “Lost.” Although I know it is not biblically correct, there are many interesting characters, and the story line is filled with symbolism and spirituality. This series is making me think even more than usual about how our lives all interconnect, and how the Lord is always working all things toward good. While I was thinking yesterday, I remembered a dream I had in the past about my son and his wife. My curiosity about the dream led me to pick up my journal to investigate. I randomly opened the notebook to the correct page.
The entry was written on February 4, 2015, and I described the dream I had the night before. The dream was kind of silly…my son and his wife were telling me excitedly that they were being sent baby powder every day for the rest of their life. At the time, I remember knowing in my heart that the dream meant a baby would be coming soon!
This is just a little reminder from God that he is with us always, and there is always more going on in our “unseen” than we are aware of. The dream was a gift to me, and I would have missed the significance if I did not write it down, along with the date.
Dear Lord, help us to open our eyes of faith, so that we can see, hear, and feel your presence in our lives. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that your love touches all the hearts that we encounter in our daily lives. Help us to always believe, even when we don’t see, hear, or feel you in our lives…for you are always with us.
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