"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."
~ Ephesians 2:8
Gifts of God...
The most extraordinary thing happened this morning. Perhaps it was only extraordinary to me and maybe nobody else will understand…. though, it could be you will. But, if you don’t, maybe that’s the point?
I’ve never been one to grasp or understand the idea that creation or salvation could all have been for me. For everyone, absolutely! But, just for me?
It’s something I hear a lot though, and I nod and smile through my lack of understanding. By the way, I haven't come across anything scriptural to support the idea (or if I have, I don't recall,) but it seems a relatively common theme.
About a year and a half ago, I had the privilege to meet and share a meal with Lee and Leslie Strobel, among others. I was seated next to Leslie and we talked about how, under my absolute choice of faith and belief, my worldly lingering human nature doubting Thomas rears its ugly head from time to time.
We agreed that was very common in the minds of man, and she suggested I consider reading The Case for Faith…. which, of her husband’s published library, was the only one (other than The Case for Christ) I knew I had sitting on my bookshelf.
In fact, I had clapped eyes on it earlier that day and considered bringing it along on the off chance I actually met Mr. Strobel face to face and the opportunity seemed ripe to ask for a signature.
I opted to leave it at home, but was thrilled with the presence and influence of the Father when I realized the way He shows up in the seemingly inconsequential details.
At any rate, I finally picked up the book this morning and all I’ve finished is the interview in the introduction with Charles Templeton, a man who went from great faith to seemingly none.
Of course, that kinda gets the dander of my inner doubting Thomas a bit rankled.
And, of course, I know Mr. Strobel is setting up a bigger conversation, so that doesn’t worry me a bit, but that’s the frame of mind I found myself in when I left the house.
My beau has a beautiful ranch in Colorado. He’s been away for a bit and some mornings I’ve had the privilege of helping to feed the horses.
To be fair, someone else does all of the hard stuff and heavy lifting to set me up for success. All I have to do is grab the handle of the Tonka truck style wagon, lean forward, and it starts to roll.
Last night we had rain, so I’m sure you can imagine how breathtaking the ranch was this morning with the smell that follows storms and low grey clouds.
One horse in particular seems to be nearing the end of her journey on earth, so we do our best to ensure she has time alone to eat before we open the gate and the other horses help themselves to her hay.
I was perched watching her eat and thought I’d walk a smidge.
I was looking down at the ground as I strolled along and suddenly realized something was off. So, I stepped back to take it in and realize there was the perfect outline of a horse, all four legs and everything, in dry ground surrounded by moist soil.
It occurred to me that one of the horses must have lain perfectly still through the rain for me to get to see something like that.
I stepped back a bit more and discovered there were four. They had all lain there together throughout the storm and before me was a work of art only nature could provide... I was truly breathless. Two of them were perfect, the other two muddled by a bit of movement, but all I could think was…. what an extraordinary Creator we have, how absolutely amazing He is.
What a sweet sweet Father to be willing to tap me on the shoulder after reading the Templeton interview and whisper, “I’m here.”
In that one moment, I caught a glimpse of... perhaps this was just for me.
I wish I had a photograph for you, but I didn’t have my phone and the ground dried quickly.
Perfect time, perfect place, for just one fleeting moment.
I guess you’ll have to use your imagination and in your mind’s eye be breathless at the majesty along with me.
Blessings and love and light to you, now and always. May you ever know the presence of the Father in ways astonishing and undeniable. That He would whisper to you in your own language, in ways only you will understand, “I am here.”
"The LORD is my inheritance and my cup. You are the One who determines my destiny. Your boundary lines mark out pleasant places for me. Indeed, my inheritance is something beautiful. I will praise the LORD who advises me... I always keep the LORD in front of me. When He is by my side, I cannot be moved. That is why my heart is glad and my soul rejoices. My body rests securely... You make the path of life known to me. Complete joy is in Your presence. Pleasures are by Your side forever." ~ Psalm 16:5-11 (GWT - excerpts)
"Lord, you know everything there is to know about me. You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind. You are so intimately aware of me, Lord. You read my heart like an open book and you know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence! You know every step I will take before my journey even begins..." ~ Psalms 139:1-... (TPT) I was very tempted to include the whole Psalm here, but that seemed a little much. Go find it, steep in it, enjoy it, be comforted by it. ♥
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." ~ John 3:16 (KJB)
May the Good Lord bless you and keep you, friends... always, in all ways. Amen.
Bonus song of praise. ♥
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