"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light...." Matthew 10:27
Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey him. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light.
(Oswald Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest)
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
The relief of a new chance
"Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time" (Jonah 3:1)
"But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved." (Judges 16:22)
"The Lord says, 'I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.' " (Joel 2:25)
“But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope...." (Hosea 2:14-15a)
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28)
"and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations." (Isaiah 61:3-4)
************************************************************************************
God has a theme for my life and for yours.
We get new chances every day; to redeem words we didn't mean to say, situations we mishandled, lessons we missed, relationships that need to be reconciled, hearts that need to get right before God.
I am a walking, in-living-color, vivid example of God's fresh chances. My hair, like Samson's, is growing back. (For his full story check out Judges 16) There's where the story of second chances lies for my heart. My hair has been the source of joy and grief the past year and a half. But it is a very real sign of God's grace on my life and his protection of my heart.
If you haven't seen me in a while you may be surprised when you do or you may even walk right by me. My hair's growing. Now it's not down my back mind you, but it is to my shoulders and curlier than ever! It's earned me lots of pulling of the curls, new nicknames, and general speculation about it all.
I'm here to set the record straight.
It was suggested to me a little over a year ago that perhaps I should prayerfully consider growing my hair back out. Pray about hair? Does God really care about the length of one's hair? Call me crazy if you want but my answer is going to be - YES. I think he cares. About the length of my hair that is. And here's why. It's not about my hair, it's about my heart. WHAT?!?! Now you really think I'm crazy don't you? Stay with me on this one. When my daughter was 6.5 months old I chopped my waist length hair to my shoulders. I felt inconvenienced by it. I ended up twisting it into a bun on top of my head everyday. Not so attractive day in and day out mind you. So I chopped it and then it just got shorter and shorter until it was really short. And I was oblivious to what it did to my spirit. The shorter my hair got the more unhappy I became in my heart, the more withdrawn I became from people, the more I withdrew - much to my shame - from my husband. Yes, all due to the length of my hair. Interesting isn't it?
But then God began to move. He led me into the desert to speak to me tenderly (e.g. Hosea 2:14). He captivated me until my heart was fully his again and then he spoke. Now, he wasn't audible and he actually never confirmed with a "yes" or a "no" but he spoke and I know it now. I prayed about my hair and decided that since I wasn't getting an answer either way I would just start growing it until I heard from him. And here I am with it down to my shoulders and confirmation in my spirit that it was what he wanted me to do. I'll let you in on the secret to this knowledge.
I feel different in my spirit. My heart feels lighter, there's more joy, there's more peace, I'm willing to be more open. The longer my hair gets the more I want to minister to others. The longer my hair gets the closer I cleave to my husband's side. ALL BECAUSE OF HAIR!!!! I know some of you think I'm nuts but I am telling you with clarity of mind and heart, I am for real on this.
I mentioned the grief it has caused me. Well, yes there has been that. Because of the general speculation some conclusions were made about why I was growing out my hair that didn't match my reputation nor my character. I've had to allow God to defend me on those accusations. In the secret places of my heart those careless ideas about me have stung, wounded, and caused division and strife. But God has proven - yet once again - faithful to his word. Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." In the midst of the pain of betrayal over my hair God did a beautiful thing. He took my valley of trouble and transformed it into a true gateway of hope (e.g. Hosea 2:15). He took my marriage that was good and molded it into something even better -great! He took the remaining pieces of my heart and healed them in ways I didn't think would actually happen! He made my tears into rainbows and placed a value on the thorn that had stuck me and caused my heart to bleed. It is a beautiful thing when God takes the ashes and turns them into beauty, when he restores the joy and then doubles it, when he repairs the devastated places of a heart (e.g. Isaiah 61:3-4).
I thought about cutting my hair. Fine, I thought, if they think its for that reason then I will prove to them its not. But what's more significant? What God thinks or what a few select people think? What carries more weight with my heart? The kind words of a friend who told me how wonderful my spirit was with longer hair or the uninformed words of people who don't know me?
My hair is staying as is - I want others to know when they look at me that not only do I look different on the outside but I look really different on the inside.
Praising God for his new chances......
"But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved." (Judges 16:22)
"The Lord says, 'I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.' " (Joel 2:25)
“But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope...." (Hosea 2:14-15a)
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28)
"and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations." (Isaiah 61:3-4)
************************************************************************************
God has a theme for my life and for yours.
We get new chances every day; to redeem words we didn't mean to say, situations we mishandled, lessons we missed, relationships that need to be reconciled, hearts that need to get right before God.
I am a walking, in-living-color, vivid example of God's fresh chances. My hair, like Samson's, is growing back. (For his full story check out Judges 16) There's where the story of second chances lies for my heart. My hair has been the source of joy and grief the past year and a half. But it is a very real sign of God's grace on my life and his protection of my heart.
If you haven't seen me in a while you may be surprised when you do or you may even walk right by me. My hair's growing. Now it's not down my back mind you, but it is to my shoulders and curlier than ever! It's earned me lots of pulling of the curls, new nicknames, and general speculation about it all.
I'm here to set the record straight.
It was suggested to me a little over a year ago that perhaps I should prayerfully consider growing my hair back out. Pray about hair? Does God really care about the length of one's hair? Call me crazy if you want but my answer is going to be - YES. I think he cares. About the length of my hair that is. And here's why. It's not about my hair, it's about my heart. WHAT?!?! Now you really think I'm crazy don't you? Stay with me on this one. When my daughter was 6.5 months old I chopped my waist length hair to my shoulders. I felt inconvenienced by it. I ended up twisting it into a bun on top of my head everyday. Not so attractive day in and day out mind you. So I chopped it and then it just got shorter and shorter until it was really short. And I was oblivious to what it did to my spirit. The shorter my hair got the more unhappy I became in my heart, the more withdrawn I became from people, the more I withdrew - much to my shame - from my husband. Yes, all due to the length of my hair. Interesting isn't it?
But then God began to move. He led me into the desert to speak to me tenderly (e.g. Hosea 2:14). He captivated me until my heart was fully his again and then he spoke. Now, he wasn't audible and he actually never confirmed with a "yes" or a "no" but he spoke and I know it now. I prayed about my hair and decided that since I wasn't getting an answer either way I would just start growing it until I heard from him. And here I am with it down to my shoulders and confirmation in my spirit that it was what he wanted me to do. I'll let you in on the secret to this knowledge.
I feel different in my spirit. My heart feels lighter, there's more joy, there's more peace, I'm willing to be more open. The longer my hair gets the more I want to minister to others. The longer my hair gets the closer I cleave to my husband's side. ALL BECAUSE OF HAIR!!!! I know some of you think I'm nuts but I am telling you with clarity of mind and heart, I am for real on this.
I mentioned the grief it has caused me. Well, yes there has been that. Because of the general speculation some conclusions were made about why I was growing out my hair that didn't match my reputation nor my character. I've had to allow God to defend me on those accusations. In the secret places of my heart those careless ideas about me have stung, wounded, and caused division and strife. But God has proven - yet once again - faithful to his word. Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." In the midst of the pain of betrayal over my hair God did a beautiful thing. He took my valley of trouble and transformed it into a true gateway of hope (e.g. Hosea 2:15). He took my marriage that was good and molded it into something even better -great! He took the remaining pieces of my heart and healed them in ways I didn't think would actually happen! He made my tears into rainbows and placed a value on the thorn that had stuck me and caused my heart to bleed. It is a beautiful thing when God takes the ashes and turns them into beauty, when he restores the joy and then doubles it, when he repairs the devastated places of a heart (e.g. Isaiah 61:3-4).
I thought about cutting my hair. Fine, I thought, if they think its for that reason then I will prove to them its not. But what's more significant? What God thinks or what a few select people think? What carries more weight with my heart? The kind words of a friend who told me how wonderful my spirit was with longer hair or the uninformed words of people who don't know me?
My hair is staying as is - I want others to know when they look at me that not only do I look different on the outside but I look really different on the inside.
Praising God for his new chances......
The value of a thorn
My God,
I have never thanked thee for my thorn.
I have thanked thee a thousand times
for my roses,
but never once for my thorn.
Teach me the glory of my cross,
teach me the value of my thorn.
Show me that I have climbed to thee
by the path of my pain.
Show me that my tears have made
my rainbows.
(George Matheson)
I have never thanked thee for my thorn.
I have thanked thee a thousand times
for my roses,
but never once for my thorn.
Teach me the glory of my cross,
teach me the value of my thorn.
Show me that I have climbed to thee
by the path of my pain.
Show me that my tears have made
my rainbows.
(George Matheson)
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