The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God...
- Isaiah 61:1-3
The month of December is fast drawing to a close, and with it, the year 2015 as well.
It's past midnight, but I'm taking time to finish this end of year blog post.
Reflecting on what God is doing in the midst of my circumstances is one of the things that nourish my spirit. Writing these things down in an organized way is an act of worship for me. Probably unconventional to some, but it works that way for me. Looking back, evaluating the past events, and seeing where they fit in the bigger picture of eternity, help me gain spiritual understanding. My faith is strengthened, and my response is one of worship, acknowledging God's eternal purposes and perfect will in my life.
A few months ago, I came across this quote:
Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.
- Coco Chanel
The words stuck with me. Simplicity is one spiritual discipline that I have been wanting to develop in my life these past years.
To be simple, without letting go of what is beautiful and elegant... that is what I really want.
To be simple means to be uncomplicated, uncluttered... being willing to let go and do without.
Not to make unrealistic or unreasonable demands (of myself, of others, or of life in general).
Not to be weighed down by expectations.
This frees up my heart, making room for the more important things that God wants to pour in.
Embracing simplicity. This very much sums up what the past twelve months of this year has been like.
A simple faith, nurtured by honesty and transparency.
An authentic relationship with God that is without embellishments, uncluttered by convention or religious talk.
The year 2015 started twelve months ago with a bit of inner struggle for me. I felt time was going by too quickly, and I wasn't quite ready for the new year. I named January Tenacious, Enduring, as it was within the first few weeks of the year that I experienced anew God's tenacious, enduring love for me. He is a God who affirms me, even in the midst of my struggles and doubts.
Peaceful One, my fourth grandchild was born in February. That same month I traveled to Manila to spend five days with dear friends Rosemarie and Tina at a farm in northern Philippines for a spiritual retreat. It may have been an unexpected invitation for me, but I have no doubt it had been planned way ahead of time by my Abba Father. I named that month Royal Diadem because God reminded me that I was a crown of splendor, a royal diadem in His hand (Isaiah 62:3).
In March we had the one week School of Ministry conducted by Neil Campbell of Family Foundations International. Together with 52 other participants from this nation and several other nations, I was the recipient of life-changing truths and ministry process. I named that month Treasures of Darkness.
April was an extremely dry month, and somehow, that also described my inner spiritual condition. In A Dry and Weary Land was my location statement.
In May rains of refreshing fell upon my heart, the month my daughter and I traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand to visit dear friends. It was also the month my friends and I went up to the cool mountain city of Baguio to witness the beautiful wedding of Joey and Sitti. I named that month Privilege.
In August I stood as principal sponsor at the wedding of Edward and Janice. Then I spent two weeks in Manila while my daughter competed in the Iron Man Triathlon in Hokkaido, Japan. I named that month Broken, but Unbroken, however, my end of month blog post was never completed. What I remember clearly about that month is the important spiritual lesson Abba Father impressed in my heart, the necessity of seasons in our lives. Melissa Hesler shares in a video what the Lord spoke to her about this... about the clarity that the lonely, dreary winter season brings.
We need such seasons to serve as a foil subplot to the main plot of our life stories. In literature, a subplot is sometimes used to make the main story line clearer. The term foil comes from an ancient practice of backing gems with foil to make them shine more brightly. (Wikipedia)
In the same way, God doesn't want us to misinterpret what He is doing in the cold and dark seasons of our lives. He wants us to trust Him, and to understand that if we are rooted and grounded in Him, we know that we will bloom again. He wants us to understand the necessity of seasons of rest and barrenness to the fruitfulness of our spring and our harvest.
We celebrated several important feasts in September, starting with Rosh Hashanah, the New Year in the Hebrew Calendar, and ending with Sukkoth, the Feast of Tabernacles. This month was significant because it was a blood moon month. This was also the month my beloved pet of 14 years, Sammy, went up to dog heaven. I can't let the death of my furry friend overshadow the spiritual significance of the month, nevertheless, the pain of losing a beloved dog was very real to me.
I named September A Touch of Kindness because it was in this month that I was re-connected in a significant way to my friend of friends, Melanie.
In October, my third grandson turned one year old, and my first grandson celebrated his seventh birthday. In November, the month we celebrate Thanksgiving, we were indeed thankful for many events in our family: Ernie's birthday, my second son's birthday, my second grandson's birthday, and Ernie's seventh year in heaven.
All, All is Well is the name I gave November, a reminder that we create our reality with the words we speak. We have the choice to give voice to the negative things we see with our physical eyes, or to declare the life that our spiritual senses perceive way beyond what our external realities show.
I entered 2015 reluctantly, taking small, tentative steps, unsure of what was ahead; but now that the year is about to end, I see myself taking huge strides into the new year. My 2015 life events began to pick up momentum as early as February, and these last few weeks it seems they were really moving along on a fast track.
Yet I have not been burdened with the series of events. On the contrary, even if things have been happening so fast, I have seen myself savoring each moment, being truly present to appreciate what Abba Father is doing.
Because of the extended dry spell over our region, I have been out in the garden daily before the break of dawn, making sure that my plants receive the much needed moisture while the water pressure is still strong. By mid afternoon my body begins to feel the need for a nap, and I happily oblige. Sometimes, when there are no appointments for me to keep, I allow myself to sleep longer, often awaking way past sundown, but feeling so refreshed and re-energized.
This irregular sleeping pattern is something I will have to get used to until the dry spell comes to an end. There has been no inner resistance within me to these changes. I suppose without my knowing it, the lesson of the necessity of seasons is becoming a part of my system. The barrenness and the emptiness will eventually give way to growth and fruitfulness. The seeming confusion will pave the way for clarity and understanding.
Embracing simplicity has truly given me seasons of rest in the whirlwind of activities and commitments.
A simple faith, nurtured by honesty and transparency.
An authentic relationship with God that is without embellishments, uncluttered by convention or religious talk.
The year 2015 started twelve months ago with a bit of inner struggle for me. I felt time was going by too quickly, and I wasn't quite ready for the new year. I named January Tenacious, Enduring, as it was within the first few weeks of the year that I experienced anew God's tenacious, enduring love for me. He is a God who affirms me, even in the midst of my struggles and doubts.
Peaceful One, my fourth grandchild was born in February. That same month I traveled to Manila to spend five days with dear friends Rosemarie and Tina at a farm in northern Philippines for a spiritual retreat. It may have been an unexpected invitation for me, but I have no doubt it had been planned way ahead of time by my Abba Father. I named that month Royal Diadem because God reminded me that I was a crown of splendor, a royal diadem in His hand (Isaiah 62:3).
In March we had the one week School of Ministry conducted by Neil Campbell of Family Foundations International. Together with 52 other participants from this nation and several other nations, I was the recipient of life-changing truths and ministry process. I named that month Treasures of Darkness.
April was an extremely dry month, and somehow, that also described my inner spiritual condition. In A Dry and Weary Land was my location statement.
In May rains of refreshing fell upon my heart, the month my daughter and I traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand to visit dear friends. It was also the month my friends and I went up to the cool mountain city of Baguio to witness the beautiful wedding of Joey and Sitti. I named that month Privilege.
In August I stood as principal sponsor at the wedding of Edward and Janice. Then I spent two weeks in Manila while my daughter competed in the Iron Man Triathlon in Hokkaido, Japan. I named that month Broken, but Unbroken, however, my end of month blog post was never completed. What I remember clearly about that month is the important spiritual lesson Abba Father impressed in my heart, the necessity of seasons in our lives. Melissa Hesler shares in a video what the Lord spoke to her about this... about the clarity that the lonely, dreary winter season brings.
We need such seasons to serve as a foil subplot to the main plot of our life stories. In literature, a subplot is sometimes used to make the main story line clearer. The term foil comes from an ancient practice of backing gems with foil to make them shine more brightly. (Wikipedia)
In the same way, God doesn't want us to misinterpret what He is doing in the cold and dark seasons of our lives. He wants us to trust Him, and to understand that if we are rooted and grounded in Him, we know that we will bloom again. He wants us to understand the necessity of seasons of rest and barrenness to the fruitfulness of our spring and our harvest.
We celebrated several important feasts in September, starting with Rosh Hashanah, the New Year in the Hebrew Calendar, and ending with Sukkoth, the Feast of Tabernacles. This month was significant because it was a blood moon month. This was also the month my beloved pet of 14 years, Sammy, went up to dog heaven. I can't let the death of my furry friend overshadow the spiritual significance of the month, nevertheless, the pain of losing a beloved dog was very real to me.
I named September A Touch of Kindness because it was in this month that I was re-connected in a significant way to my friend of friends, Melanie.
In October, my third grandson turned one year old, and my first grandson celebrated his seventh birthday. In November, the month we celebrate Thanksgiving, we were indeed thankful for many events in our family: Ernie's birthday, my second son's birthday, my second grandson's birthday, and Ernie's seventh year in heaven.
All, All is Well is the name I gave November, a reminder that we create our reality with the words we speak. We have the choice to give voice to the negative things we see with our physical eyes, or to declare the life that our spiritual senses perceive way beyond what our external realities show.
I entered 2015 reluctantly, taking small, tentative steps, unsure of what was ahead; but now that the year is about to end, I see myself taking huge strides into the new year. My 2015 life events began to pick up momentum as early as February, and these last few weeks it seems they were really moving along on a fast track.
Yet I have not been burdened with the series of events. On the contrary, even if things have been happening so fast, I have seen myself savoring each moment, being truly present to appreciate what Abba Father is doing.
Because of the extended dry spell over our region, I have been out in the garden daily before the break of dawn, making sure that my plants receive the much needed moisture while the water pressure is still strong. By mid afternoon my body begins to feel the need for a nap, and I happily oblige. Sometimes, when there are no appointments for me to keep, I allow myself to sleep longer, often awaking way past sundown, but feeling so refreshed and re-energized.
This irregular sleeping pattern is something I will have to get used to until the dry spell comes to an end. There has been no inner resistance within me to these changes. I suppose without my knowing it, the lesson of the necessity of seasons is becoming a part of my system. The barrenness and the emptiness will eventually give way to growth and fruitfulness. The seeming confusion will pave the way for clarity and understanding.
Embracing simplicity has truly given me seasons of rest in the whirlwind of activities and commitments.
In early December I celebrated Hanukkah mostly by myself, lighting the candles each evening at sundown for the eight days of the feast.
There were many occasions to be with friends or family at social gatherings, Sunday family lunch get-togethers, ministry team building sessions, Bible studies, and disciple-making opportunities, but the truth is that much of my life these days is lived alone.
When my best friend arrived from the States over a year ago, I thought that she and I were going to pick up the pieces of our friendship from where we left off. She had been away for twelve years, and I had so looked forward to spending time with her: over coffee, or at the bookstore, or just sitting in my front room chatting like we used to.
But that did not happen. And I have to face it, the dynamics of relationships do change over time, even that of close friends.
So, yes...there is much value that I continue to derive out of my alone moments. Those are the moments when I come to Abba Father to speak to Him about what is on my heart, and though I hear no verbal response, I know He is listening. He speaks quietly to my heart and there is no need for words.
These past months God has been teaching me so much about divine displacement. For anything that the enemy has stolen or destroyed, God gives a beautiful replacement. The enemy wants me defeated or discouraged, but I can walk in the opposite direction of where the enemy wants me to go.
Forgiveness displaces anger.
God focus displaces self-pity.
Graham Cooke says that the Father makes available to us an alternative to what the enemy wants us to see or believe.
Some of us could be living our lives as storehouses for the enemy, Cooke says.
That's really scary! I would not want to live my life only to become a storehouse for the enemy, a junk yard filled with unresolved issues, bitter memories, grudges, offenses, unforgiveness, doubts, worries, and fears.
I want to walk in the path that leads to my inheritance and birthright of divine displacement.
My name for the month of December is Divine Exchange. It's also my name for this year as it is the over-all theme for the 2015 chapter of my life story.
This year I may have started out unsure, but I am ending it confident and secure of my heritage in Christ Jesus.
One Bible story that has struck me recently is the one where Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1-11).
The couple who were in the midst of their wedding festivities encountered a serious, embarrassing situation: they ran out of wine. And Mary comes to the rescue. She asks her son Jesus to do something about it.
So Jesus, as a response to Mary's request, tells the servants to fill six stone jars with water, with each waterpot holding 20 to 30 gallons of water. Once the jars were filled to the brim, Jesus tells the servants to draw some of this "water" and serve it to the master of the feast.
We know the rest of the story. The master of the feast is amazed that the bridegroom had waited until the end to serve the better wine, instead of at the start of the feast.
Many times we look at our circumstances and our need, and we see nothing but water. Water stands for lack, disappointment, fear.
Unknown to us, Jesus is turning the water of our lack into overflowing, superior quality wine, so much better than what we have already tasted, or are asking God for.
Six is the number of man. It represents our human limitation.
God takes over where we fall short.
This is just one wonderful example of divine exchange and divine displacement.
There's more:
Instead of death... Jesus offers life.
Instead of fear... hope.
Instead of failure... honor.
Instead of shame... dignity.
Instead of inadequacy... fulfillment.
Instead of blindness... vision.
Instead of weakness... strength.
Instead of woundedness... healing.
This year I may have started out unsure, but I am ending it confident and secure of my heritage in Christ Jesus.
One Bible story that has struck me recently is the one where Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1-11).
The couple who were in the midst of their wedding festivities encountered a serious, embarrassing situation: they ran out of wine. And Mary comes to the rescue. She asks her son Jesus to do something about it.
So Jesus, as a response to Mary's request, tells the servants to fill six stone jars with water, with each waterpot holding 20 to 30 gallons of water. Once the jars were filled to the brim, Jesus tells the servants to draw some of this "water" and serve it to the master of the feast.
We know the rest of the story. The master of the feast is amazed that the bridegroom had waited until the end to serve the better wine, instead of at the start of the feast.
Many times we look at our circumstances and our need, and we see nothing but water. Water stands for lack, disappointment, fear.
Unknown to us, Jesus is turning the water of our lack into overflowing, superior quality wine, so much better than what we have already tasted, or are asking God for.
Six is the number of man. It represents our human limitation.
God takes over where we fall short.
This is just one wonderful example of divine exchange and divine displacement.
There's more:
Instead of death... Jesus offers life.
Instead of fear... hope.
Instead of failure... honor.
Instead of shame... dignity.
Instead of inadequacy... fulfillment.
Instead of blindness... vision.
Instead of weakness... strength.
Instead of woundedness... healing.
When we are not encumbered by intellectualism and a humanist perspective, the message of the gospel is simple and easy to understand. Paul gave this warning to the church in Corinth:
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,
so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 11:3
God wants to bring us back to a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
A childlike trust instead of mere head knowledge.
Authentic faith instead of mere mental assent.
When our spiritual lenses are not clouded by human pride, we go back to the simplicity that is in Christ.
A divine exchange: this is what Jesus accomplished through His death on the cross.
When I allow the anointing of divine exchange to operate in my life, I leave no room for anxiety, grumbling, or complaining.
True faith brings me to a place of quiet rest in the heart of my Father.
There is an ebb and flow to God's perfect timing in our lives, no matter what the external situation may be. One season leads to another. And in the continuous cycle of death and life, there is a divine plan, an upward progression from glory to glory, from strength to strength.
He confers on us dignity and royal status, replacing our filthy rags of self-effort with the rich robes of His righteousness.
- John 1:16
Father, I thank You for how this year has been like for me.
I desire to continue to receive more from You.
Let me not waste the many opportunities You bring into my life to be a woman walking in the path of Your favor.
Truly You reserve the best for the last.
You are bringing me to higher ground, opening the eyes of my understanding that I may see what is happening in heaven... far above the mundane implications of my existence.
I give praise, glory and honor to You alone, Lord, for all the things You have done in my life.
One of my favorite songs, Our God is Greater, by Shane and Shane:
2 comments:
A beautiful reflection and an inspiration toward simplicity that allows the elegant fingerprints of our God to show in the glory of daily life. Love to you, and a blessed Christmas.
Tears, tears, tears. My heart resonates its YES in every word you wrote.
Super loved this: "In the same way, God doesn't want us to misinterpret what He is doing in the cold and dark seasons of our lives. He wants us to trust Him, and to understand that if we are rooted and grounded in Him, we know that we will bloom again. He wants us to understand the necessity of seasons of rest and barrenness to the fruitfulness of our spring and our harvest."
I want this so much, Lord Jesus.
"to be simple: uncomplicated, uncluttered, being willing to go and to do without."
Thank you very much for blessing my heart today. In the midst of the preparations~ I find this PAUSE.
LOVE YOU, DEAR FRIEND. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Post a Comment