Roots

I'm taking a class on the Book of Psalms.  Last week we were asked to right a Psalm about where we are in our walk with God.  I struggled the entire week with this assignment.  It was tempting to write something "lite" that wouldn't reveal too much about myself; nothing too personal.  I chose to be honest and so I wrote about my last two years with the Lord - because I've been stuck in "learn" mode with Him for this long.  But that isn't the amazing thing - the amazing thing is that when I read this out loud to the small group of people in my class, something incredible happened . . . something I had been struggling with these past two years melted away.  I could barely finish reading the Psalm because I thought I might cry at any moment, but I didn't cry.  Through reading out loud what I had written to the Lord, I was delivered from my struggle.  It's one of the most amazing, and immediate answers to prayer that I've ever experienced.  I'm rejoicing.  I want to share the Psalm with you.  I hope you enjoy it . . . 

Lord, you have stirred my soul; my desire is to know you more.

You reach for me and pull me closer; nothing compares to you.

When I struggle, you remind me that I am yours and not my own  – created for your good pleasure. 

You remind me of all the treasures you have given me because you love me.

 I draw nearer with fear and trembling; you wrap your arms around me and comfort me. 

You tell me who I am.

Lord, let all I desire be found in you; may you alone satisfy the longings of my heart. 

In times of testing I will trust you, Lord.  Let me quickly learn what you want to teach me so that I may draw even nearer.

Keep me close to you; jealously protect me; keep me from faltering, Lord.

I will praise you for your faithfulness, Lord.  You are good and everything beautiful and nothing I can desire compares to you.

By Anita Anderson

9/13/2011

On the Path

With the hottest summer in the history of America behind us (at least I hope), and a cool 88 degree temperature outside, I felt the need to get out of the house and move!  I coerced my family to go for a hike in the woods.  The closest wooded area is Lake Ray Roberts, about 35 minutes from our house.  With only a little grumbling, we chose a short two-mile hiking path through a lovely wooded area, packed our water bottles, my camera and some first-aid items and headed out.  When we arrived at the trail, there was a sweet breeze blowing through the trees.  We stepped off the paved parking lot and onto the dirt path which was full of promise and adventure.  It was 3:30p.m. on Labor Day so I had no feelings of guilt from having "left" work early.  Besides, this was a home education opportunity - we would see plant life, hopefully some wild animal and insect life (Biology) and best of all we would get some exercise (so that counts as P.E.).

As you can see from my picture, we did indeed see animal life - and it saw us.  The deer here must be used to hikers, because they didn't run away until we were very close.  This particular deer stopped and posed for me; I was grateful. We spent the next two hours (it turned out our trail map reader, aka Don, my husband had gotten a little turned around and we ended up cross-crossing several trails - not sure how far we actually hiked) walking, laughing, and taking in all the wonders of God's incredible artwork; His trees, His animals, His dappled sunlight as it streamed through the treetops; His plants, even His breeze.  We took in everything and for me, just the act of constantly moving - moving forward - revived me.  Walking on the narrow paths through the woods with my husband and our sons, reminded me of our walk with the Lord.  We're moving; sometimes we stop to rest, but we're always very careful not to leave the path He has set out for us.  We don't always know where it's going, but we're guided by those who have gone before us and have worn it smooth.  I thought about the prophets from the Old testament, King David, the Apostles, and Jesus Himself.  At times, we thought we were lost, but we knew if we stuck to the path, we'd be fine - it would eventually lead us home (at least back to our car) and it did.  It took longer than expected, but we were together - the thing we all love most in this world - and we never worried or fretted because we trusted our Guide (Don claims he knew exactly where we were at all times) and in the same way, as Don and I guide our boys on the path God has placed us on, we too must trust Him and I'm sure He knows exactly where we are.

Long since gone

I took this picture after the last, very brief rain we had here in Texas.  Of course, this bloom has long since died. I'm not even sure the tree will survive this brutal summer.  But . . . just one more day of heat and then the promise of cooler weather.  I don't like being in the mode of waiting for time to pass; but that's just what I've been doing these past weeks.  Usually, time passes much too quickly for my liking; I'm so aware of it at times that it's almost painful.  So, with the hottest summer on record, I've been wishing for each day to pass quickly so I can experience once again the more pleasant temperatures.  Once I experience just one cool day, then another, and another, well . . . the misery of these hot temperatures will just be a memory that I'll talk about from time to time when I want to recall "how bad things were" back in the summer of 2011.  I'm really going to appreciate the fall weather.

This summer's heat reminds me of times of the Lord's testing I've undergone.  I knew that with each day I could bear the situation, temptation or problem, I would be that much closer to being through it.  Sometimes I would be so angry for having to go through His testing that I wouldn't  speak to Him for days.  I couldn't see any sense or any good that could come from my struggle.  But, I knew He wouldn't leave me in this dry place.  I looked forward to the time when the testing would be over; when He would refresh me with a calmer spirit, a mended thought-life and a deeper understanding of who He is and His incredible love for me.  Each time I come through one of these trials, I feel a sense of loss mixed with the joy of having been carried by my Savior through the fire and set down in a cool place.  The loss is what was left behind; what I was clinging to that He had to take from me; no . . . what I had to willingly set down before He and I could move forward.

So, good-bye to extreme heat and of wishing away this season.