This post was written for Five Minute Friday.Word prompt--HOW
Five minutes to write about it
This week I did not set the timer and write. I couldn't bring myself to do it. The prompt set off too many hows in my mind, and I took a walk to ponder them.
How did things end up the way they have? How will the discord, division, and hatred be brought to an end? Where is God in all of this?
Several Scriptures came to mind, but they did not comfort or reassure me. They only led to more hows, until suddenly, my thoughts were diverted by the sight of a carefree child who, with the help of his mom, was decorating the sidewalk with multicolored chalks. It made me think of Jesus' words that unless we accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, we'll never get in (Mark 10:15 MSG).
Jesus set the childlike qualities of little children as an example for us to follow. Little children are meek and teachable, gleefully focused on the now, and they have faith in their parents, trusting them completely.
God is our sovereign father, and deserving of our trust. He can see the whole picture, the beginning from the end, and even though it may not so appear, He is in control. There is evidence all around us if we choose to look.
The sun rises in the morning; stars come out at night; flowers are blooming even more beautifully this season than in seasons past; birds flit from tree to tree, chirping contentedly. If anything, Nature seems to have thrived during the brief quarantine-induced absence of man.
God will see us through this, but the how belongs to Him.
I like the Message version of Matthew 6:34 -- "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now (i.e. what He is trying to impart to us in this season), and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." I think this flower with it's finger pointing towards Heaven is saying Amen!
I totally agree with you! And I have often lately enjoyed the bird songs and beauty of nature, seemingly so at odds with the virus and also the meanness of people. But we know that God is here, right in the midst of it.
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DeleteI've only started 'blogging' since the lockdown and the time to sit in the morning with the peace, and quiet, which seems to make the birdsong louder was part of my inspiration to have a go! One of my first posts was 'Bird song and other Inspiration' :)
DeleteI love the way God comforts us through the everyday images and brings scriptures to mind - so many questions and only the One answer. (I used a memory of the childlike freedom to be yourself for the FMF prompt 'born')
ReplyDeleteYou are so correct in saying that if we look we can still see the signs of Jesus all around us.
ReplyDeleteYes! A teachable heart will allow us to change, reflect, and listen.
ReplyDeleteThis all feels so broken,
ReplyDeleteso storm-wracked beyond repair.
O Lord, please send a token
to let us know you're there!
Please don't now have turned away
in anger and disgust.
Please give us another day
to try and earn your trust
that we can uphold Your word,
carry faith in heart,
and in putting own the sword,
learn to do our part.
The clouds then parted, stopped the rain,
and His promised rainbow came.
This is so beautifully heartfelt, Andrew, and that you even wrote a sonnet is a testimony to God's grace at work through you. I know you've been hit with an additional blow (concussion) which is making it hard for you to even write anything right now, but you are an amazing example of living out the Scripture, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I know it's all God, and am not trying to detract from the glory that is due entirely to Him, but you do remind me of the Energizer Bunny. And how did you get that concussion anyway? (((Hugs))) Grams
DeleteGrams, first...I am so grateful for you, and for your affirmation.
DeleteGot the concussion while helping Barb assemble a desk. I fell...how silly! It's still pretty rough, as I used to play semi-pro rugby and have been concussed more times than I can count, and the effects are cumulative.
And, just for you, a joke...
If, at the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus had turned water into Budweiser, would that have been His first beericle?
Yeah, painful, but I could not resist.
Hahaha. Good to see that you still have your sense of humor. That's another miracle, given all you're dealing with. I think it will earn you another star for your crown, although your crown is probably already so heavy from all the stars you've accumulated you may need at least two of them. :)
DeleteGrams, thank you so much for this! Humour is really a big part of coping with things...I mean, if you can't laugh at eath, why bother dying?
DeleteHere's another, this courtesy Barb, who truly knows whereof she speaks.
"For Microsoft, failure is not an option. It's bundled with every product."
Thank you for this post.
ReplyDeleteThat is the perfect question "How"?
I Like God's answer...in His time...I'm grateful He knows it from the beginning to the end.
Sue
Me too, Sue. Me too.
DeleteI love the picture of having childlike faith. Oh how I wish I was better at having that kind of faith!
ReplyDeleteMe too, Annie. Me too.
DeleteThis was a really lovely post. We have certainly become stuck in the muck and mire and it is hard to see a way out. I love the image of the carefree child trusting a parent to control what they cannot. I remind myself often, about so many things, that God is God and I am not, that nothing is a surprise to Him, and He's got the whole world in His hands. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joyce, for the kind comment. Like you, I have to constantly remind myself that God is in control, and but also that His ways are not our ways.
DeleteHow true! I, too, need to constantly remind myself to surrender everything to God. In His time.
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