“Just as the sinner’s despair of any hope from himself is the first prerequisite of a sound conversion, so the loss of all confidence in himself is the first essential in the believer’s growth in grace.” ~
A. W. Pink
(Oooooo what a quote!)
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So where's ol' Debra been?
She's been lolling away on The Red Couch while watching myriad episodes of Disappeared.
But here's the odd thing. Last Spring, I placed Disappeared on our Netflix instant queue, watched one episode and got a little freaked-out. Sad, shaken. It even haunted me a bit while lying in bed that night.
Well, I'm no fool. When that happens, I've learned that Grace is giving me a big, fat, "No. Don't watch that. Not now--and perhaps--not ever." So I removed Disappeared from our queue and moved on with my life. heh.
But fast forward 6 months and there I was at Netflix searching for something that felt just right (like Goldilocks) and poof! Disappeared appeared again. But this time I didn't feel Grace breathing down my neck to avoid this show so I watched an episode and ...
... no eerie feelings. No creepiness inside my head and no awakening late at night.
Instead, I found myself praying for these poor people who'd lost a loved one, praying for the missing woman, herself--and--reminding myself that although I'm having a happy little life, not everybody else is. I need to grow in compassion and never forget that not everyone knows that only seeking God with all their hearts will fill their heart's emptiness.
I need to remember all that and pray, believing prayer--and God--changes things.
What a difference! And since? I've probably watched 15 episodes of Disappeared, have done a heck of a lot of praying for all those people and have never felt so much inner peace in all my life.
Grace. I want her timing, her advice, her direction. Nothing else and certainly not 'my will be done.' Uh, no. I want Grace, Grace and more Grace. That's the kind of life I have chosen to live and the one that's changing everything.
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My autumn flowers remind me of children who spent the entire day at the beach, but have returned home oh so tired--but happy.
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See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled." ... Hebrews 12:15
Oh outside! It's a gleaming, blowy, golden, nippy-but-invigorating autumn morning.
I hope it's the same at your house.
Debra, the way you describe your autumn flowers in this post just delighted me. So poetic and whimsical!
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