Tidbits…
I was doing my morning devos the other day, and you know when sometimes you just feel God speaking to you….your eyes are just opened in a whole new way. I just love that. I had that the other day. I was reading Streams in the Dessert by L.B. Cowan, and it spoke to me, or Jesus did through it:) And when He does I just can’t help but share! Here’s the excerpt I read…
Have you ever seen people who through some disaster were driven to great times of prayer? And have you noticed that once the disaster was long forgotten, a spiritual sweetness remained that warmed their souls?
It reminds me of a severe storm I once saw in late spring–one in which darkness covered the sky, except where the lightning violently split the clouds with its thundering power. The wind blew and the rain fell, as though heaven had opened its windows.
What devastation there was! The storm uprooted even the strongest of oaks, and not one spiderweb escaped the wind, despite being hidden from view. But soon, after the lightning was gone, the thunder ceased and was silent, and the rain was over; a western wind arose with a sweet and gentle breath, chasing the dark clouds away I saw the retreating storm throw a scarf of rainbows over her fair shoulders and her glowing neck. She looked back at me, smiled, and then passed from my sight.
For many weeks after the storm, the fields raised their hands, full of heavenly, fragrant flowers, toward the sky And all summer long the grass was greener, the streams were filled, and the trees, because of their lush foliage, cast a more restful shade.
All this– because the storm had come. All this–even thought he rest of the earth had long forgotten the storm, its rainbows, and its rain.
–Theodore Parker.
And then, because God has a sense of humor and it had rained for 65 of the 90 days at some point (and was raining at the time I read this) there was this poem.
Is it raining little flower?
Be glad of rain;
Too much sun would wither one:
It will shine again.
The clouds are very dark, it’s true;
But just behind them shines the blue.
Are you weary, tender heart?
Be glad of pain;
In sorrow, sweetest virtues grow,
As flowers in the rain.
God watches, and you will have sun,
When clouds their perfect work have done.
–Lucy Larcom
I chuckle at God and how He can give me a nice little nudge to set my thoughts on the right track:) And how He can use anything to speak to us…even rain!
The part I loved in this devotional though was the phrase, “…a spiritual sweetness remained that warmed their souls.”
I have always known God to be a father figure. And I know that God even carries the name “Abba” which means daddy. And I had tried so many times to pray to Daddy, because I wanted to be close enough to him for it to feel normal, but quite honestly it always seemed a bit hard to roll off of my tongue. But ever since we have gone through our whole story with Jules, I have felt a whole new side to God. He has become a daddy to me. He held me up in the darkest hours. He NEVER let me down. He revealed Himself over and over again through people, songs, words, and peace.
I clung to Him, and He held me up.
I hadn’t even truly realized this until a few weeks later when I would lay in bed at night and would start praying. I would start out saying, “Thank you Daddy….” and it came naturally. God and I had been through a storm together, and it was brighter than I could have guessed on the other side. I was left with, ” ..a spritual sweetness that warmed the soul.” and I didn’t know how to put it until I read those words.
I thank Jules for that. For bringing me closer to God. For allowing me to see Him in a father role.
And I pray that the storms you are enduring will be brighter on the other side as well!
