The Sylvr Pen

I never intended to hook up to a (nearly) month-long blogging commitment when, in late October,  I came blog-hop stumbling into Beholding Glory.

I just wanted to read some spiritually edifying posts. But after watching the video explaining “Not About Me November,” I knew I had to. 

It was another holy happenstance.        

At the time, God was giving me some spiritual vocabulary lessons, and the word we were on was “humility.” (And believe me, we’re still on it!)

When I say vocabulary lesson, I don’t mean like school ones, where you get an “OK” by reciting a term’s definition, then using it in a sentence or two.

In God’s vocabulary lessons, the thing is not considered learned till lived out in life, even in spontaneous reactions.

So, my goal isn’t learning about biblical humility (although that seems an important part of the process), but learning to live it, to think it, to breathe it – and I’m not going to achieve that in one day! Or week. Or, apart from God’s grace, one lifetime!

But you have to start somewhere… and from what I’ve come to understand so far (more about this in future posts), biblical humility is best expressed in the prevailing thought that “IT’S NOT ABOUT ME”

And a great way to develop God-centered habits is one that Flylady (of whom I’m a fan) uses for overcoming household mess: doing one focused thing, for 21- 28 days.

Now, here at Beholding Glory, this gal Laura was calling for 27 days of focusing on just the thing I was aiming to learn, as a “routine” way of thinking and behaving!

How could I not say yes? Clearly, God brought me here – to learn more about how…

It’s not about me!

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What was it like, that Daddy-lifted flying, heaved straight upward in the air, laughing breathless, secure in knowing on the comedown, lean strong arms would catch and hold me safe, so I could still erupt with wild laughter even then?

What was it like, riding aloft on shoulders seeming mountain high, way up, above it all—precarious perch, yet held fast by hands that would not let me go?

So long past it is now, how can I remember, the earth-daddy, earth-flight riding-high? And yet I know the feeling…

From the echoes in the Father’s lifting up to soaring heights… and the sometimes plunging down thereafter—but always into strong and loving waiting arms…

And the echoes in the riding up above it all on His omnipotent shoulders, to see my world from higher view, meanwhile moving right straight smooth through earthly circumstance, held secure by hand of love.

Or, is that backwards? The daddy-lifted short-flights a foreshadow of the soaring the Great Father gives? The rides on daddy shoulders but a foretaste of how the Heavenly One would carry me high and above those things I could not plow my way through on my own?

Yes, I think the latter. And I think of Husband, who never rode earth-daddy shoulders, or did the short flight up and up, and down and back, into arms of love. Because his daddy was so sick, and died while he was but a babe.

And I think how many others never had that daddy happening. And I have to ask him, have you ever felt the heavenly other, without the earthly preview?

And Husband answers: “A definite yes! And that’s why those verses are so precious to me, about the fatherless and widows–like Psalm 68:5.”

And now I read Psalm 27:10 KJV and Psalm 27:6 KJV, and I see them in new light, from a new perspective.

…..

Riding on Daddy’s shoulders today. Soaring as on wings of eagles.

[Reposted from the Archives]

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Linked to

“Our Father...” How the words roll off my heart this morning, warm in Your presence,

Father of it all, Father of everything in this whole vast, wild yet ordered creation.

Father of all life,

of my new life,

of my Rebirth,

and of all the rebirthed lives, collected, called Your Son’s Bride…

Father of compassion,

of care incomprehensible for tiny us, concern for little frets and heartaches of such creatures miniscule.

Yet it breathes on, your constant Father-love. And this morning as I say the word, I feel it: feel its meaning surround me, gentle wide embrace.

Father Who art in Heaven, where my life is hid in You with Christ.

Father, thank You, for all You are as Father—no human dad, however good, can live a picture of it fully…

Thanking God today for all He is as Father…

~Father of the fatherless (Ps 68:5)

~Father of forgiveness (Mk 11:25; 1 Jo 1:9)

~Father Who knows,

~even the end from the beginning (Mk 13:32)

~Who knows each sparrow, and lets not one fall to the ground outside His will (Mt 10:29)

~Father Who prepares a kingdom for His own (Lk 12:32)

~Father of all mercies and comforting (2 Cr 1:3)

~for Whom all things are possible (Mk 14:36)

~“Daddy” (Abba) Father always approachable(Mk 14:36),

~Who draws me to Himself (John 6:44)

~Father of Lights (Jas 1:17)

~of truth,

~of love,

~of life…

~And more… and more…

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Linked to…

Looking for a Friday sheep parable? This week, go to last Tuesday’s post, which talks about how a good shepherd (also the Good Shepherd) goes ahead of the sheep to prepare their next pasture. And God bless your own pastures!

Just this today:

Moments of stillness. Sunlight and shadows play tag on a tabletop, over books and papers, across index cards bearing precious Bible verses, and up and down my corduroy sleeve. I sit, letting the Light call the shots, orchestrate all the dancing – outward on the table, inward on the heart strings and soulworks.

It’s a change-of-plan day. I had big ideas… But…

I’m thanking God I’m not out there, chasing foolish ambition, on this sunny but chilled windy day – not trying to build a whole large “lasagna bed” in the old herb garden, with wild gusts stirring up a tomorrow head-cold, and a today frustration of wind-whipped black plastic and dampened newspapers, compost-chopped leaves and wispy grass clippings, flying in manic fits, everywhere.

I resigned that battle.

I’m not losing; I’m choosing. Choosing to relinquish the (over)ambitious – the kind of thing I too easily indulge before “counting the cost” (as Husband gently admonished, this morning), too often loading myself with unneeded burdens (as Crumbs from His Table so wisely warned, yesterday).

Putting all this together with today’s Bible verses and the printed devotions I “just happened” on, I get the strong sense my plans were not God’s!

The gist of the printed matter: (S)he with the task of encouraging others in Christ, of sharing words of God’s truth and good purpose, must first sink them down deep into [her] own soul, must draw aside to commune with their Author, drink rich from His wellspring, gather His leading – so there’s something to draw from the storehouse – so that what one draws out is God’s choice for the sharing.

“The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops” (2 Timothy 2:6).

Just feeding and ruminating in speckled dancing sunlight today.

Joy. Quiet joy.

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