Soul-Satiating

07.02.19.  Truth. Trust. Provision. Seeking. Soul-satiating.

Terry, my hubby, knows me inside-out. Terry sees me doing all the things and filling up the daily schedule and, when having been totally spent, he sees me fall into bed. Terry knows I love to travel and store up memories to recall, later. He may have planned this weekend to be a birthday trip to East Tennessee, but it was so much more. 

Soul-satiating space that could not be interrupted by the demands of schedule nor a cell signal. 

Soul-satiating pace with the perfect rhythm for Terry and I to walk hand-in-hand and to talk face-to-face about something or nothing in particular and to sing silly songs.

Soul-satiating place perfectly situated with water and bluffs and wildlife and a canoe for two to explore the good things of our living and loving Heavenly Father. Did I mention I'm a 7w8 on the Enneagram?

Soul-satiating grace. That's what grace feels like to me. 

It runs deeply to care for the things we keep buried, because they hurt too deeply. It soothes

and fills the dry, cracked, calloused areas exposed and desensitized by overuse. Soul-satiating grace is that soft

place to fall back and unclench our spirits to trust Truth. It is the provision of spiritual nutrients we are lacking, because we have gone too long unaware of being depleted and weakened.

Why and how do I allow myself to become empty? When does it happen? It's not penciled into my planner with a set date.

After I was full-up, again, I believe I caught a clue.

An intimate, soul-satiating relationship with God is not accidental. It is intentional.

Even though I plan daily devotions and attend Sunday worship service, my mind can fire a dozen different directions without fully being in those moments with Him. If I am not intentionally listening and not purposefully positioning myself to have my soul satisfied to the fullest measure, I will be back at that place -again- wondering why and how and when did empty happen?

Singer-Song Writer and worship leader, Jason Upton, raises his voice in lyrical prayer in Wild and Free with this one line that makes my soul agree - "Lord, fill my heart till it's full on hunger."

That deserves a two-hands-raised-in-praise!

I'm thankful for spotting the EMBRACED book by Lysa TerKeurst at a ladies' conference. I'm thankful for her devotions sparking my spirit for these 32 days, because the devotions have pointed to what is good and necessary and soul-satiating -- a deeper, intentional relationship with the One who loves me.

Grace: Tolerance or Love?

06.04.19.  I confess I don't find all scripture uplifting.

Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are the reasons my goal for reading through the year isn't well, yearly. The other reason is the Children of Israel frustrate me. Why couldn't they just remember all the amazing feats God provided? Miracle after miracle! Why did they keep messing up? 

I would much rather read practical Christianity tips in Ephesians and Romans. But, I chose for this year to be a read-through year and I'm in Judges. <sigh>

Pushing myself through these scriptures, I hear an annoying sound that reaches through to my brain making its way to my one, last nerve and bounces on it. It sounded like someone trying to start their car, but it just won't crank. It keeps on and on and on. 

mee-mee-mee-mee-me.  mee-mee-mee-mee-me.  mee-mee-mee-mee-me.

I look around to see if my neighbor is having car issues. Nothing. The sound stops. I turn back to the nagging failures of the tribes of Israel. 

mee-mee-mee-mee-me.  mee-mee-mee-mee-me.  mee-mee-mee-mee-me.

Once again, I look around for the irritating source. And, once again, the sounds stops.

Off and on for a couple of hours this noise filters through my focus as I work on the computer until focus cracks and I whip around to seek and destroy ...only to see absolutely nothing.

In Day 4 of Lysa TerKeurst's EMBRACE book of 100 devos, she writes about her quiet time with God each morning as a preparation and an invitation. This time spent with Him prepares her for the day at the invitation of Jesus "to do life with Him" and "to look for His activity" throughout the day as she redirects frustration to replace it with grace.

Grace looks like God's tolerance to me. I roll my eyes each time a verse begins with "The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord's sight." He could have crushed them into the

sand they wandered around and complained in for 40 years. But, He did not, because they were His chosen children. With all the moaning and disobedience, He still chose them.

Grace looks like love to God. With all the moaning and disobedience, He still chose to love them and wanted them to choose Him. 

He still chooses to look at me with those same eyes of grace and love when I am frustrating and disobedient. My soul is deeply thankful Jesus is the rose-colored filter covering my sin and shame. 

"Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with Him and to be His holy and innocent and loving people. God was loving and kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God's own adopted children. God was very kind to us because of the Son He dearly loves and so we should praise God." (Ephesians 1:4-6 CEV)

My hubby walked into the office about the same time I caught sight of a gigantic fly buzz in and circle around the office. Once I saw him, I knew the source of my frustrating noise, but it flew out the door before it could be silenced forever. 

If you need God to look at you through eyes of grace, I would love to invite to you consider a relationship with His Son, Jesus. If you have already experienced this love, say so, below.