I took some of the boxes I've made and did a few extras to them... a little stain here, a little
varnish there, and I am much happier. I made my little boy box into a man box to avoid any trouble with the new law they passed....
Anyway, I was determinded to have fun tonight and just experiment-- not mess with urls and RSS feeds and codes and marketing.. LAME-O.
I did jewelry for a bit, but I was feeling very box-y! It gave me time to think. And to pray while I worked. There are so many hurting people. And people who are going through real physical pain. I think of the cross and the element of suffering that is common to the human experience. Would we experience pain (of any kind) if we didn't HAVE to? And yet there was one who did.. who didn't have to. And that has made all the difference.
I read a scripture last night, as though I had never seen it. You know, when you are cruising along, thinking you are doing pretty good, and then BAM! Right up against it you are.. Faced with the crushing reality of the truth, that cuts right down to the heart of things. I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget. It is the New Living translation.(I read in that last year, for something new, and liked it a lot.)
1 cor4:20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power.
Hm. POWER. Do we live in it? Do I? Brokenness, timidity, fear, longing, lack of self-esteem (I hate that term, there will be a blog one day on it!) Are those living in God's power? How many Christians are missing the boat, when it comes to the way they aught to live? And they are the very ones who are building the Kingdom. Did the Lord say , "OK, here are some of the things you need-- the bricks, the mortar, the tools... but you have to come up with your own plan. And when it is too heavy to lift, you're out of luck. " By no means! He gave us every gift we need to live this life and the plan, we can find with obedience to His Word. And the power-- even down to the air we breathe and the blood that pumps through our veins-- is all a gift from, guess who? Him. We are powerless to help ourselves. But it is in this discovery that we are at our very strongest. This is when the Lord can show Himself mighty on our behalf.
You know, if you have ever experienced God in this way, it doesn't make you impervious to forgetfulness. That is one reason I write. I have to admit that at the times in my life where I am the very closest to God, I am writing. There is a paper trail. Is that accidental? I think partly it is because He knows that I ponder what goes through my hands. And I pay attention when I have produced something with Him (or communicating with Him) in mind. I think it is also so that there can be "proof" when the world seems gray and hopeless that there is a God and He is not passive. He moves. Seeing it both fills me with joy and a little bit of fear, if you want to know. He is so WILD and utterly unpredictable... but tempered by His incarnate goodness and His love of order. He is a great one to have on your side. I can't imagine life without knowing Him.
Well, it has been a good day on the good-bad scale. I had dinner with my mom and her best friend, heard that I had been an encouragement to one of my sisters, played with my art toys, talked to my God, and wrote about His goodness and faithfulness. What more could you ask? :)
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