Never Alone

"... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:20 NIV

While watching maple leaves drift from the trees this year I noticed the barren branches that have been left exposed to the coming winter. How lifeless they looked without the fluttering leaves keeping their constant motion in the wind. I snapped many of these shots trying to figure out the message I was trying to grasp.

Then it surfaced. Vulnerability. The starkness of the branches reminded me of the times I have been ill and needed to depend on others in the hospital and at home until I could move around again. I was like those branches, wishing to feel alive again. I was waiting, waiting, through my pain and praying I would heal quickly. The days dragged on while I was convalescing.

One spring after a major operation, my husband wanted me to see the creek below the ridge during the spring thaw. It was a time when beavers were busy building a dam and mallard ducks floated with the snow thaw current in pairs. It was a time we always shared, while rejoicing that the land had awakened once more from a deep winter's sleep. A symbol of the cycle of life.

"But I can't climb down the ridge in this shape," I told my husband, disappointed that I would miss this moment in time when the creek had turned into a rushing river. I was still walking with great discomfort.

He smiled. "Then I will carry you."

Gingerly Jeff carried me down step by step while I clung onto his neck and laughed for the first time in weeks. I was alive again!

Seeing and hearing the babbling and overflowing tannin water made my heart sing. And gave me more strength to work toward healing. It awakened me and gave me courage to wait out the time needed without complaining of my circumstances.

I remembered the saying, God doesn't give us what we can't handle.

So I don't have to feel vulnerable during those times of trial in the present and future. I know the Lord is with me. I have not been promised a carefree and easy life here on earth. During those hard times I know God's arms will be around me, even more sure than my husband's. :D If my hubby could carry me down a ridge and back up again a few minutes later, I know God can accomplish greater feats :D

I am never alone.

We are never alone. No matter what we go through. Christ has His loving arms around us. He knows our every second, our every breath, our every need. No matter what season of our lives we are experiencing, God is with us.

Dear Lord, thank you for your promise of being with us always. Please help those who are vulnerable and hurting to heal. Let them feel your loving arms around them and guide them with your Word.

Amen.

Blessings, Nancy J Locke

The Lord's Prayer

"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.
When he finished, one of his disciples said to him,
"Lord teach us how to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

He said to them, "When you pray, say:
"Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation." "

Luke 11:1-4 NIV

The above photo displays Snail Shell Harbor which I visited a couple of weeks ago. Scenes like this make me wish I knew more about how Christ connected with His Father while overlooking an expanse of water like the Red Sea with its calm or wavy waters.

Scenes like this remind me that the Lord brings Light into our darkness. As I stood on the Snail Shell harbor bank shivering in my hooded sweatshirt, I watched the silhouettes of the black landscape lighten in the peachy orange dawn, the light illuminating the water first, to where I couldn't take my eyes off it.

We naturally seek the light. Love the warmth of the sun on our faces, love a cheery and glowing fireplace in the middle of a blizzard, love the light shining in others' smiles and wonder how they can be sooooo happy? I've heard that the eyes are windows to the soul, for they tell a story. I want to be a happy soul. :D

Jesus can wash all darkness away. The darkness that brings on a bad mood and testy relationships. The darkness that draws people apart. The darkness that strains diplomatic relations with other countries. The darkness that takes life out of living.

When I am feeling blue, and those days do come, I pray the Lord's Prayer and know that is what Jesus instructed me to do. This prayer encompasses all I am feeling and Jesus hears my wants and needs through it.

How blessed we are that the Lord's Prayer waits for us. That the Lord can make His face to shine upon us and give us that blessed peace we all search for, even in difficult times. The true Light is always there, waiting for us to lift our eyes to the heavens and drink from the Living Waters.

Have you prayed today? Give it a try if you haven't. :D

Blessings, Nancy J

God's Shelter

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Psalm 91:1 NIV

When I am enjoying nature like this mossy sandstone cliff at Munising Falls, Michigan, I am reminded of the sheltering presence of God. He is always there for me to lean on 24 hours a day. And to nourish me with food for my soul. The coolness of the forest fills my lungs and revives my spirit as God instructs me through prayer. The rustling winds comfort me as do the clouds in the sky. When I see magnificent scenery, I realize that God can mold me for His greater good when I give Him the chance. I want to keep my free will in check and grow into something beautiful that is pleasing to God's sight.

Lord, I seek your direction each day and pray that I don't disappoint you, but grow stronger in your Word.

Please give shelter to those in need so they may come to know and love you. Know they can depend on your towering strength - no matter what life brings.
Amen.

My favorite Psalm 23 NIV

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Blessings! Nancy J