that leads us to who knows where,
who knows where..."
(He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, the Hollies)
You are faithful.
You are sovereign.
Your plans are good.
You are always with me.
You will NEVER leave or forsake me.
Have erred in moving to Orkney?
How can I survive having so few true relationships here?
Do you still have work for me to do?
Will I be separated from my children for the rest of my life?
Are You angry with me?
Have I somehow failed you?
WILL YOU PLEASE TOUCH ME? SPEAK TO ME???
the greater the preparation needed."
It is NOT forever! (though it may feel that way)
It is God's way of building character.
He has NOT abandoned you.
There IS a purpose for it.
(Warning: Stubborn ignorance may prolong the 'wilderness' experience)
For the first time in MONTHS my heart found rest, the sweet peace that defies understanding restored in an instant. There is a PURPOSE for the struggle.
Speaking of 'wilderness,' this morning I finished reading the book of Ruth. It is such a bittersweet, familiar story. It is the story of a grieving widow who has also lost her two sons, and her faithful daughter-in-law who refuses to abandon her:
"Where you go I will go...
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God..."
I appreciate Ruth afresh today. She is a woman of the wilderness! Imagine her plight. She is young, childless, and her husband is dead. Her brother-in-law (her rightful kinsman-redeemer) is also dead, as is her father-in-law. Her affectionate loyalty to Naomi leads her away from her homeland, away from her mother and father and everything else that is familiar.
She is a stranger in a foreign land. It is harvest time and she must glean in order to eat and provide for her mother-in-law.
We can only imagine her homesick heartache! Thankfully, Boaz comes to the rescue, redeeming her and making her his bride. The story has a happy ending after all!
That, however, is NOT the end of the story:
This stranger from Moab, this sojourner
will become the mother of Obed,
the grandmother of Jesse,
and great-grandmother to King David...
from whose line will come
Jesus, the long awaited Messiah!
The moral of the story?
Remember, God IS in control.
He sees the whole picture.
He is trustworthy!
Don't prolong the wandering through stubbornness.
Trust His plan,
and
BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED!
(I thank God for the reminder of brave little posies
blooming in the gravel of our drive :)