This morning at the Created for Care retreat, I went to an 8:00 A.M. "Date with God" organized by the conference. There were several stations set up around the room, and we had 45 to go to any stations we wanted and follow the instructions for each station. I stayed for some time at the painting table, where we were to ask God for an image of the way he sees us. There were tears rolling down my cheeks before I even picked up a brush.
I prayed and heard the still, small voice in my spirit say, "Frolic. Flip. You do not carry this life." I painted a child doing a back flip barefooted in tall, green grass. I wrote beside her, "You do not carry this life." When I finished, I walked over to a huge world map that was spread out on the floor, stood on Uganda, and prayed. As I was walking away from that station, the session leader stopped me and said, "Before each session, I pray and ask God to direct me and show me people he wants me to pray for. I believe he showed me you." We wrapped out arms around each other, and she said, "He wants to be the strength in your weakness. He sees you." We prayed, and I picked up a scroll of scriptures they were giving out, and these are the scriptures on the scroll:
2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Psalm 33:20 "We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
Isaiah 26: 3-4 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal."
Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of t hose who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."
It is a journey filled with God's grace. It may not be as we originally planned, but it is the path that God intended.
ReplyDeleteAs you can see I'm far behind...but my heart is still with you on your journey. God's ways are always best but not always easy. hugs...
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