The first day of the year dawned quietly. Restfully. Gratefully.
It ended with family and new friends sitting at the dinner table. Conversations of curiosity, sharing stories of life. Fellowship.
Formalities pass, polite spaces, and then the real sharing begins. If You bring people to our home, do they see You here? Do the people that walk over our threshold experience You in our home?
LOVE THEM. Father, I think I am. They are welcome and warm, fed and comfortable. They have been given a place to rest. What more can I do to love them?
SHARE THE ME INSIDE OF YOU. There is a fearful groan that only my ears hear. What if they reject it? Scoff at it? I am scared.
I KNOW. YOU HAVE LIVED IN TIMID FEAR A LONG TIME. I DID NOT GIVE THAT TO YOU. For I have not given you a spirit of timidity, but of power, and love and discipline. Discipline? That speaks of obedience . . . to You.
I invite our guests to walk into my private place. The place most vulnerable. Where the walls come down. Where fingers dance across wood, paper, computer keys, books. And partners are inks, pens, glue, paper, His Word. The melody is His breath, Himself. Private.
And for sporadic snippets, self-control slips. What are they thinking? They are going to think I am so weird. Self is a slippery slope. Firm is my Father’s joy.
How deep the Father’s love for us,
how vast beyond all measure.
That He would give His only Son
to make a wretch His treasure
And His songs begin a melody in my heart. Abide in My love. My fingers dance. A lightness in my heart invites the guests into all of Him in this place. The joy of Him removes walls. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. My deep gladness is revealed. Moments that God touches. Father, I am loving them. I am sharing You in me. This . . . is . . . so . . . wonderfully . . . scary.
ARE YOU FULL YET? Am I full yet? What is that supposed to mean? I am pouring You out. You and us is being poured out before them. Do they know how special this is to me?
DOES IT MATTER? IF YOU ARE BEING WHO I CREATED YOU TO BE, DOES IT MATTER WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS OR SEES? For you are My workmanship, created in My Son, Jesus Christ for good works, which I prepared beforehand, that you should walk in them. Father, thank You for reminding me who you are and who I am and that You are my everything.
And our guests create. One watches. One photographs. One creates a collage. One writes her name. Another enjoys a poem.
We went to the garage turned art room. And we shared at the table.
What one word would describe the past year with the Lord? Grateful was mine.
Grateful for a Lord that walks me into fears only to stand on the other side waiting for me to follow. Grateful for friends that walk similar journeys. Clinging to our God who says, Follow.
What one word would describe her past year with the Lord? Trust.
Joy overflowed in our garaged-turned-studio-turned Holy of Holies as He was shared. And my heart was full (even today). What a great way to start a new year!
Love always,
Angie
2 Timothy 1:7; John 15:9, 11; Ephesians 2:10
Every time you trust God’s wisdom and do whatever he says,
even when you don’t understand it,
you deepen your friendship with God.
We don’t normally think of obedience as a characteristic of friendship;
that’s reserved for relationships with a parent or the boss or a superior officer, not a friend. However, Jesus made it clear that obedience is a condition of intimacy with God.
Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Life
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
John 15:10-11
