Friday, December 28, 2018

My Ten-Minute Movie From God



"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."  ... Luke 21:28


******


A week ago Monday, Tom and I received some distressing news.

Yet you know? The person sharing it bubbled over with such hope and relief at the telling and God assured us all that--in Time--things would be all right, remarkable, even.

But still. You feel unsettled upon discovering your years' long cluelessness while believing life one way while it was another. 

Yet since God is the best comforter, ever, in my unsettled state two mornings later at the coffee shop He showed me a miracle out the front windows.

Wild. It was wild.

See, taking a sip of coffee, I gazed up from my book (Michael Buble singing behind me) across the panoramic view to see  5 or more V's of Canadian geese flying from the east over the river, high, even over the 8-story hotel set back across the street. 

Now, that would have been heart-gasping enough, but no! They were the prelude, for behind them swarmed hundreds of birds, ones larger than sparrows, against a huge pink spotlight of sky over the glinting river.

As though with God-placed-ballet within them, the birds shot up in unity, leaned back, showed their underbellies, then dipped nearly to the river's surface, then rose, disappeared behind the hotel. Then they returned to the pink light, performing their unified dance over and over.

Oh my. The joy of a new morning, the celebration of an enormous, creative God--all of it splashed against the sky now gleaming peach. On and on went the swooshing bird ballet and even the geese returned for the finale. 

My eyes wide, I smiled. God made certain I saw this 'movie', one available for anyone nearby willing to look up from their phones, tv's, books, magazines, movies, newspapers, catalogues, online books or websites or -- 

Let's not stay mad at the phone-starers, ok? We all have stuff pulling down our eyes instead of yearningly looking upward toward our true redemption.

And too? Who knows what beauty gets crowded from our hearts when we allow Today's arguing world or the worried, unforgiving, shaken one to penetrate our godly armor and take us down?

Let's not do it. 

Let's hold on awhile longer to the sweetness, the God-and-I-can-do-anything of our younger years. Do we really want our spirits, our faces to morph into this in God's and others' eyes? --





Er, no. Let's remember the creative, new-heart-giving God who makes all things new, even for us who've been here ages and have trouble keepin' it new-feeling some long days.

May we stay strong in God so we can share Him with the hurting ones.

And may we all look up in case God has a new bird ballet movie just waiting to begin our healing.









"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."   ... Luke 19:40


Let's grow in love, not that old lady type of bitterness....yikes! ---

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."... Ephesians 4:15,16






******






On purpose, THINK of where you’d like your life to be ONE YEAR from now! 📆 Put some THOUGHT into what would make 2019 your greatest year ever! After all, your life moves in the direction of your most dominant thoughts!"

--- Terri Savelle Foy





******


“We must trust that God will provide when it is in His will and in His timing. Until then we must remain joyful, free from anger and jealousy, trusting that our Lord is in control.” -Amy Groeschel



(Shared by Petro at Twitter.)


******


I hope your Christmas was special! 

Need just one more gift? Here you go... even if you're not a huge fan of country music, this might still be neato.  シ  


Tom and I super enjoyed it and were reminded of this--


"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!"... Psalm 133:1--


-- for it felt unified, powerful, given no one was competing for record sales, name order on marquis, etc. 

Oh, what could happen if we'd all stay unified for more than ten minutes!








******

5 comments:

Terra said...

You looked up and saw a miracle, sometimes I am like that too. Soon after my father's death I saw 5 pelicans flying low right near me; the pelican is our family bird and my dad's nickname was Pelk. God sends miracles continually and Christians are sometimes blessed to recognize them.

Terra said...

My second comment; I watched the Forever Country video and loved it, thanks for the link.

Anonymous said...

That is a beautiful post today my friend. I think this is what I like so much about the lake in the summertime. It forces me to look up and out of myself. There I have witnessed Eagles, hawks, squirrels, geese, ducks and so much more of God‘s beautiful creation. At home I find myself contained within my four walls and don’t have the tendency to look out and around me. I pray for a much more unified 2018 in our country and the world. I wish God’s blessings upon you and your family Deborah. Blessings always, Betsy

Rebecca said...

God IS good. Thankful you didn't wallow in your potential distressful thoughts.Lift up you head! Redemption draweth nigh! 😄

Pam said...

Debra, I appreciate that you continue to look for God. It doesn't matter whether you're at the coffee shop, working at home, or online. I truly believe when we look for Him we WILL find Him! You inspire me to stay positive and expectant. Thank you dear friend. BTW, I loved Forever Country...so much incredible talent in our world.