Maker of the Seas

~

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:31

~

**********************

 Maker of the Seas

**********************

They’re rolling in again

waves higher than my craft

threatening to topple all

and be done with me at last

~

I’m lulled into the surf

focusing on white-capped giants

forgetting the God of all comfort

in whom should be my reliance

~

I shout into the storm

“Why must I be here again?”

while letting go of oars

doubt’s become my sinking sin

~

Then I recall a fisherman

who walked on water a bit

until his eyes wandered

and he sank beside his ship

~

He shouted to his Master

“Lord, save me from this sea!”

and of course the One who made it

could rescue so easily

~

So each storm is but a trial

each wave is just a test

If I keep my eyes on Jesus

no gale can ruin my rest.

~

Wendy/2013

******************************************************************

The last few weeks have been so testy that I keep waking up at night with a sinking feeling in my chest. Each time I grasp onto a bible verse as my lifesaver. Then I fall back to sleep.

Yesterday, I specifically asked God for his peace to return fully. I told him that I missed it so much. When I was about to get into bed I remembered how encouraging the songs had been at church on Sunday and how an idea had come for a poem. So I wrote the rough draft for this poem and then went to sleep.

It was the most restful sleep I’ve had in weeks. I woke up with a heart full of peace. The storm is still here; but I am not sinking. My eyes have been refocused onto the Maker of the seas.

*******************************************************************

Do you have a favorite bible verse that you say to yourself during stress?

*******************************************************************

Peaceful Blessings ~ Wendy

PS – Toby Mac is great to listen to when you need a lift… here’s a link to click on:

What if?

*************************************************************************************

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Matthew 25:21

*************************************************************************************

*********

What if?

*********

What if my talents resemble

a child’s sandcastle on the shore

while others are built of stone

on mountaintops grandeur?

~

What if the crops I’ve planted

only yield some lowly grain

while others have mined diamonds

and other costly things?

~

What if the life I live

only leaves an etch in stone

while others have hewn marble monuments

when they’re warmly welcomed home?

~

What if I joyfully accept

the humble lot God’s given me

investing it with all I’m worth

for interest eternally?

~

Wendy/2013

~

********************************************

The comparison  game really isn’t appropriate for Christians to engage in. Our mandate is to trust and obey God; we are also called to make disciples. A spinster I know works faithfully at her day job quietly and reliably. She also serves faithfully in children’s ministries year after year in her church. I would not describe her as a glamorous woman; however, I believe she is potentially the most beautiful woman, from her fellowship, in the eyes of God. I admire her!

~

May we invest the talent we’ve been given.

*********************************************

Investment Blessings ~ Wendy

*********************************************

~

The Sting

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

James 1:19-20

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~

The Sting

~~~~~~~~~

Oh, the sting of it!

Do remind me

to turn the other cheek

while crimson

rushes to my temples

that I’d be slow to speak

Slow down this hurried heart

that pounds war drums

urging me into battle

against another one

May I feel the slap

as a pinch

to remind me I’m alive

and that I need to react

with gentleness and respect

and love within my eyes

How often have I been

in need of such grace?

And so –

remind me that soon

the tables may turn

and put me

in their place.

Wendy/2013

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several weeks ago I wrote this after having had my feelings hurt by the words of another.  It calmed me down and joy returned. Then I went on to write one of my best romantic poems: The Charmed Garden.

When I was face to face with my dear one again, I was greeted immediately with an apology and a kind smile.  Thanks to my submission to James 1:19-20…  I was ready to smile back.

Our home is laced with hormones these days.  Three teens and a mama (about to enter the change) reside here; however, so does the Holy Spirit!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Father,

I love how You transform me and help me through all the stages of life. You have blessed me abundantly. You are so good!

Love your daughter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Righteous Life Blessings ~ Wendy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melancholy Moments

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 

Romans 5:1-5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melancholy Moments

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melancholy moments

have their veins of gold

as do memories

marbled with grief

Good can come

from each circumstance

I’m told –

if we will…

but believe

For it’s our attitude

that blesses or burns

and gives them worth

I’m learning

to mine for treasures

and be thankful

for things could have been worse

Using faith to pick at rocks

and with His Power

I’ve found

I can pan for gold within the pain

swishing it

in Living Water

round and round

Focusing on eternal gems

casting aside

marred and broken thoughts

and slipping sparkling

words of wisdom

into my leather pouch

of all

that He has taught.

Wendy/2013

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The passage of time seasoned with His grace can turn anything life dishes out into something savory.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the low lying areas of life’s journey treasures can be found.  I love the mountaintops – but we can’t stay there all the time… at least not on this side of Heaven.

In the valley I become acutely aware of my lack and my need.  The personal growth of faith and spiritual maturity takes place here on the bottom.  And  you know what they say about being here: The only thing left to do is to look up.

When I am on higher ground and feeling confident in myself rather than confident in what He is doing in me, and through me, then I am dragged to the bottom in a landslide of suffering (pride before a fall).

Suddenly everything in my environment seems uprooted and unstable.  Any idols I had foolishly clung to show their real substance – fluff!

Some landslides come simply just because… and not self-induced.  Stuff happens on this planet. But our hope in Christ, and his word, can cause us to soar sooner than the world would have expected us to – and that glorifies God!

 It reveals his strength and majesty while we are slowly being conformed into his likeness, and our faith is refined into something of far more worth than anything we might mine for…

Character Building Blessings ~ Wendy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1: 6-7 

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:18 & 28

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~