A Prayer for the Weary to Keep Going

This is the new icon I made for my blog.
I etched the three crosses in it to represent Jesus and the two others beside Him.
I can identify with them most before I became His

Thank you, Lord, for giving us the work of our hands.

For giving us a plan and a purpose while we're here on earth.

Help us not to grow weary in doing the good that you give us to do.

Let us not be deceived by the outward appearances of others, who seem to have it all together, but want nothing to do with you.

Although they are fit, dressed up, and portray success in this world, we remember from where true riches and satisfaction come.

Help us not to give in to discouragement when we're mocked for living out our beliefs. But give us the strength to pray for those who think they are superior to us. Better they make fun of me than of my Lord.

You, Lord, are always with us. 

Watching and guiding, loving and protecting.

You make us contented with the little things.

Things we cannot plan or fathom.

For you know our innermost being, and exactly how we tick.

You created us in that secret place, wonderful thoughts in your mind before we came to be.

You gave us our talents and abilities.

To be used as you saw fit.

For a grand plan and purpose.

Yes, strengthen us, and help us to continue on.

Give us food and rest at their proper time, and shelter those who need it.

Give us visions and ideas for what you want us to do and lead us to the sources in which to help us do them.

Open our hearts, Lord, to look for ways to give to others like never before. Of our time, in our talents, with our resources. Help us to slow down enough to see the needs that are right there before us. To see and prioritize the things that matter.

We look to You for guidance, for You alone are our hope, to the glory of Jesus' name.

Amen.

The Wisdom of Nature

Toxicodendron radicans, i.e., poison ivy

I love being in nature. There's so much to learn about life from spending time in it. 

This morning on my daily morning jog, I was joyfully celebrating my third day of summer vacation. I was listening to my favorite music with my Apple Beats in my ears, taking in all the sights and sounds that surrounded me. Tall trees, green grass, birds of all colors flying to and from, chipmunks, and squirrels scooting here and there. 

Taking in all the beauty, I noticed a lush green poison ivy vine, blending inconspicuously into its surroundings. It had grown beautifully up the trunk of a very large tree. How do I know it was poison ivy? Because I've been "poisoned" by it one too many times when I came in contact with the urushiol oil that is present on its stems, leaves, and roots to which I'm highly allergic. 

And I'm not the only one. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, so is 75-80 percent of the population! When we come into contact with this plant, we develop severe itching, redness, and swelling, followed by blisters. And for me, pure misery for about 2 weeks of my life.

The USDA says the first line of defense is to recognize the poison ivy and avoid it.

Getting back to the wisdom of nature. 

Like nature, our lives are filled with many great things; blessings of work, community, friends, and family. But like the poison ivy in nature, we must recognize and establish boundaries with people and things that cause harm in our lives, and either stay away from them or allow them to help us grow and mature in our faith.

Discernment between the two is key. Some of us who are just beginning our walk with God in this area may need to stay away from everything that causes us harm. Others who have been at this a while are able to recognize the poison ivy in their life, can respect the threat it imposes on us, not go near it, and are still able to enjoy their "nature jog in the woods." 

I'm recognizing that when I become emotionally triggered in my life, it is most often related to a negative experience I had in my childhood or early adulthood years. Knowing this, I can take a deep breath and let it go instead of taking it so personally. Later, in a more quiet place, I can reflect on the situation and reassure myself of who I am in Christ and how valuable I am in Him.

I'm also accepting that when people act rudely toward me and I am unaware of anything I have done to deserve such treatment, it is merely a reflection of what is in their own hearts and minds and I can pray for them, respond to them in a loving way and not allow myself to be brought into their negative space. 

Praise God for this realization! It is only because of His un-tiring love for me and His work of grace in my life that just as I am able to easily recognize the poison ivy plant, I also am able to interpret the meaning of my emotional triggers and discern what their messages are telling me to do.

Reflection:

Recognize that when anger, and defensiveness begin to rise up in you, an important message is being transmitted for you to decipher. Step back and evaluate it for what it is. Does a conversation need to be had? Is this situation or person hurting you? Do you need to leave? Or is this person hurting (within themselves) and do you need to pray for them, serve them, respond to them lovingly?     

https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm07672313/index.htm#:~:text=About%2070%20to%2085%20percent,to%20urushiol%20oil%20than%20others.

Don't forget to post about the sunrays!

It's halfway through the week, Wednesday evening, and I almost forgot to write my blog post. I took this picture on my Monday morning jog and couldn't wait to write about it. The rain from the day before brought such clear skies that the rays were so distinct and beautiful, beaming down, everywhere I looked. It was breathtaking. Yet, I almost forgot to post about it.

I could blame it on how busy the last days of school have been, but it's more than that. I was thinking about all the negative situations that happened at work, in my mind, and replaying these scenes over and over again. Not only that but I was anticipating that I would struggle through the last 3 days of school with the same thing. 

In so doing, I was left with no energy, motivation, or oomph to write or do much of anything else. The only thing I could do was struggle, worry, and feel depressed. So I decided to just STOP it.

Just because I had some crummy exchanges with people at work doesn't mean I can't still have a GREAT next several days. In fact, what we think will happen and envision to happen, is usually what will happen. 

So no more dark days this week. Just sunshine and sunbeams ahead.

Morning Prayer

As school winds down and end of year reports are freshly submitted, I wrote down the following prayer this morning with a glad heart in anticipation of a much-needed summer hiatus:

You are so good, Lord.

You provide us with seasons to enjoy and reflect on.

You create us to desire deeper things than what's on the surface.

So nobody can miss your ever-giving grace.

You heal, you provide, and you strengthen us with hope.

You give us our desires and make them within reach.

You are good, Lord. So, so good.

May hope strengthen you and fill you with gratitude for the upcoming season of God's grace.