Sweet delight swept into my heart, as Sarah and I sat close on the couch pouring over an old Victoria magazine. While sipping steaming china cups of tea, we thoroughly delighted in the beauty and color of green, rose-covered English countryside that bespoke of our memories from past wanderings there. Too long it has been since we have had such a carefree moment of peace, fun, friendship and celebrating life together. My friends who know me over the years may think that all I do is drink tea with friends--it is such an anchor in some of my days--but this stopping with my oldest beloved treasure was a rare treat, but greatly treasured. I wish I could stay there in those happy moments. I wish they lasted longer. I am a Pollyanna at heart and wish all of my moments were just happy and uncomplicated. When I have my quiet times, in a hushed house, only the snore of my fat, soft golden retriever filling the air, but God is with me and soothing my heart. When I am reading His word and hearing His voice, I think all things are possible and my faith seems strong. Sitting on my deck while the pinks of the summer sunset washes over us in the cool shadows, then I feel and see Beauty for what it really is. Oh to stay in these places.
But by morning, the sink of life is piled again--yet again--with dirty dishes to be done. Dirty dishes are a never ending pile in my life because everyone insists on eating and drinking at least 3 times a day--and so are the stresses of life like those dirty dishes that won't go away. Bills, a child's parking ticket, illness, the dog throwing up on our new carpet, husbands pouring out stress attitudes from their jobs, children rolling their eyes or having one more bad attitude, and always more financial issues--doctor's appointments, cars, computers, and on and on.
One of my sweetest provisions this summer is having a friend who prays with me every day--we are believing that when we pray together and dedicate our days to the Lord, He is in our midst and He really will change history through our prayers.
This morning, we were talking about these dirty dishes of life--hers and mine. She said, "You know, God doesn't want us to yell at the dishes or complain about them or cry over them or throw them across the room--he just wants us to take them in course, deal with them and move on--and maybe even decide to have a good attitude about them every day in the dailyness of it all.
Just happened that in my quiet time today, I was reading about Moses and about Abraham--each of them, in the dirt, right where they were living, were approached by God. Both of them responded by making an altar, and praised His name--right there where they were, the sandy, weed-filled, spider ridden piles upon which their thongs trod--these places became an altar, a place of worship.
So, as I faced my sink this morning, and also the dirty dishes of my life, I turned on one of Joel's cd's and danced and sang and made this place where I am standing an altar of my own praise, a place of worship and grace.
Enjoy! This song is one of the new songs my sweet Joel composed for his new album. I will be giving some away next week! Enjoy.
01 I Saw Through The Eyes Of My Eyes 1
I See Through the Eyes of My Eyes
PS The Heart of the Matter online conference is coming up soon and I will be speaking on my book, "The Ministry of Motherhood" about setting up an intentional plan for discipling your children. I am so excited that I will be speaking at this conference, click the button to take a look:
I will be giving away 5 tickets to this conference--if you want to be entered, link my blog to your facebook or blog and let admin@wholeheart.org know for your entry!