V is for Vinedresser

Living for over twenty years where the yard was heavily shaded by mature maples, I delighted in my new home. The new development had few trees of any size, so all the sun-loving plants I had longed for are quite at home. I positioned one of my favorites, a clematis, to climb our front lightpost. I have spoken blessing over it, carefully trimmed and trained it, and delighted in its glorious blossoms. I love being its vinedresser.

My vinedresser is Father God. He blesses me and lets me know His delight in my blooming. But He also trims and trains me. That's not always comfortable. In fact, I have seriously grieved some of the shoots and branches He has deemed unproductive and removed. I'm so thankful that I have the example of my own tender vines in my life. They remind me that Father always has my good, my health, strength and beauty in mind as He prunes.

I bless you today to receive the tender loving touch of the vinedresser in your life with a joyful expectancy for the fruit to follow.

R is for Reciprocity

Please forgive me for missing the Saturday deadline.  I had the blog written and thought it was scheduled for publication, but it somehow disappeared into the ether without a trace. One more novice mistake, I guess. Anyway, I attempt to recreate:

I have a vivid memory of my first awareness that the people I loved the most didn't love me the same way. As a devastated four-year-old, I made an unconscious decision not to invest myself emotionally in people who couldn't or wouldn't pay dividends on that investment. That decision was probably the reason that I never swooned over a musician or movie star, never joined a fan club, never let myself expect very much from a relationship with Father God.

Whenever I plotted to run away from home, I planned to run to my favorite aunt and uncle's family. They always loved you back.

What I learned about God was that He loved us first! His written word tells us that and promises that He never changes. He's going to love us now and through all eternity.  We can't invest any more love in Him than He has already given or any more than He will continue to give.  Holy Reciprocity!

I bless you today to experience Father's love in a deeper way than you have ever done before so that you can love Him back more and more.

O is for Overcoming

As the events in Boston and the reactions around the world pressed in on me, I found I had no words to write. I can understand individual madmen, casualties of war and natural disasters, but I have no reference points for the people that applaud and rejoice and dance in the streets over the deaths of innocents however they occur.

As I sat with Father God and let the tears come, I was reminded of Jesus' teaching. He said that the world would hate us because of Him. Our blessings would arouse envy. Our goodness would contrast with the world's evils. Our light would expose the daily increasing darkness. The result is a rage that even the angry cannot explain.

The size of this issue threatens to overwhelm me unless I keep listening.  Then Father lets me know that the answer is the same as it has always been. If we keep taking Light and Truth into the darkness and keep loving people one at a time until they see Him, we are His answer. We once lived in the same darkness and He came and sought us out. How can we do otherwise?

Light always overcomes darkness. Love never fails.

I bless you today to be re-armed with love for a desperately needy world and to overcome the darkness with the light He has placed within you.