My various blog posts typically roll around in my head for awhile before I "pen" them....two such thoughts have been rolling around recently..until they collided and became the answer to one another.
I was shopping..alone (my favorite way) and I spotted her. Nicely dresses, on a Saturday morning no less. Hair and make up done, and both of her shoes were the same color even! But this in and of its self was not really what struck me. She was not shopping alone. She had three little ones under the age three in tow...one in the cart, one at her side, and one strapped to her. All little angels, neatly dressed and clean. But again, this was not why I really noticed her. Mind you I use the term "at her side" loosely for the eldest angel as she had to touch every item they passed, as little ones do, but her mother was not phased by the wandering hands. What I noticed about the foursome was the peaceful spirit and smile on that mothers face. As I continued to cross paths with her as we went up and down isles in oposit directions, I pictured the acrobatic act it must have taken to strap the littlest angel to her chest. While my children are well past the car seat stage, I remember very well the cat herding it took to get them from the car into the store when I was alone with all three of them. On our final pass the middle angel sitting in the cart waved at me, and her mother gave a Mary Poppins giggle as I waved crazily back at her. I gathered my groceries and left the store, but I pondered the scene for days. What was that smile about? How did she manage to get herself together and have all three of those kids clean at the same time? And did I mention they were all three happy at the same time as well? Did she have some magic fairy with her that I had not noticed?
This brings us to the second possible blog that had been rolling around....a topic I wrote on some years ago actually, about a well.
We travel through the desert of life, sun beating down on us, hot thick sand, and we trudge threw. All the while we circle a well, a well of living water. All too often we allow the heat to over take us, even as the well is with in arms reach.
I have waded through that hot sand, cursing it. Looking to the sky and asking God why..why is this so hard? And He whispers..."Come to the well, child..." But I carry on, growing more and more weary with each step. I wonder why I am so thirsty..."Come to the well, child..." I wonder where the relief is from the blistering sun, maybe if I walk faster, try harder there will be relief. Maybe the sand storm will stop whirling around me if I just...do something. And the circling just continues. I even go into the desert with out my armor...I leave my belt of truth behind, and give the enemy room to speak lies. I drop my shield giving the fiery darts full access to my soul. And yet my Father continues to call, "Come the the well, child.."
As I pondered these two thoughts, the Lord rolled them into one. That mother in the store did not have a magic fairy...she must have had a yielded spirit to our father's voice calling her to the well. Maybe that morning before her shopping trip she stopped dragging her feet threw that hot sand and drank in His goodness. Maybe instead of trying harder, she rested at His feet. Maybe she put on her full armor before she ventured into the desert. And while I only got a glimpse of her seemingly charmed life, I know the truth. I know those angels are not always happy, and I know her smile some days fades in exhaustion. But maybe just maybe she knows the truth of how He sees her...oh to know that truth.
And so our Father waits , waits for us to stop struggling, waits for us to come, empty handed to Him. Lord forgive me for my stubbornness, forgive me for not full resting in You. Thank You for continuing to call...continuing to offer relief... I love You Lord...
Just Me, Pondering...
Wonderful!
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