Unconditional Love

Previously, I shared with you how excited my five grandchildren were when they saw the picture of their long-awaited baby brother, and how the Lord had spoken to my heart, showing me that this is how He longs for us to worship Him. I can’t even begin to describe to you how blessed and excited I was as the Lord revealed that to me! For those of you who didn’t see the post on True Worshipers, please check it out.

As excited as I was about that post, I’m even more excited to share with you today. Previously, I shared with you how excited my five grandchildren were when they saw the picture of their newborn baby brother, but that was NOTHING in comparison to their response when their Mommy and Daddy brought their baby brother home. I have never witnessed such screaming and shouting and jubilation as when their parents entered the house with their baby brother. There were ooh’s and ah’s and “He’s so cute!” and “I love him!” I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to witness my youngest grandchild’s homecoming, because it was the most beautiful experience I’ve ever had!

Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

~ Psalm 103:1 — NKJV ~

And the Lord has given me another beautiful revelation of His great love for us. My newborn grandson wasn’t released from the hospital until Sunday night, because the doctors feared there was something wrong with him due to his size (he weighed 9.56 lbs!) and because his white blood cell count was elevated. Long story short, there was absolutely nothing wrong with this beautiful baby and he was finally released.

Do you know how hard it is to wait for something or someone that you have longed to see, touch and hear? Do you know how hard it is to have to wait, knowing that this person is so close to you, that he/she is in reach, and yet despite that wonderful news, you must still wait for another day? I know how hard the waiting was for me. I longed to see my newborn grandson, but I had to stay at home with his older siblings, all of whom I love very much… Still, I wanted to see my baby grandson and hold him in my arms, kiss his little cheek, his little forehead, his little hands and feet — well, you get the picture… but I had to wait to see him.

Now, as hard as it was for me to wait to see my grandson, imagine how hard it was for his five brothers and sisters, aged 2 ¾, 4 ½, 5 ½ and 7… When you are a child, waiting for something, hours can seem like days, and days can seem like months, and months can seem like years. Waiting is extremely difficult for young children, and now, I had to share with the children that their baby brother might not come home right away.

⁸ You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.

~ James 5:8 — NLT ~

While waiting for their baby brother to come home, the children decided they wanted to give him and their Mommy a present, so they hunted for their crayons, while I passed out a paper plate to each child, who in turn, drew and colored (or scribbled, depending on the age), pictures on the front and back of the paper plates. Then, using an extra long sparkly red pipe cleaner, we created a mobile, which my husband hung from the ceiling. The children were all quite proud of their handiwork, and there was a celebratory air in the house as we waited for the baby to come home.

Finally, after what seemed like years, (Okay, I was just as excited as the children!), there was a knock at the door. Mommy and Daddy were home with Baby Ian! Have mercy! What a time of rejoicing that was, as I went to open the door, with all five of the children crowded close beside me, anxiously looking for their baby brother. They saw Mommy first, but no baby, and while they were happy to see  her, they wanted to know where their baby brother was, and then, in walked Daddy, carrying their brother in the car seat carrier. You should have heard the shouting and the laughter. There was so much joy in that house that it was  palpable.

¹ Praise the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

² Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

³ Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
⁴ Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
⁵ Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

~ Psalm 150 — NKJV ~

My daughter-in-law sat down on the love seat and held the baby, while the children gathered around to finally see and touch him. Hands were reaching out from all around, followed by squeals of delight… “Oh, him so cute!” “I wub him!” Mommy unwrapped the baby and took his clothing off, so the children could see his cute little legs, feet and toes. This was followed by even more marveling shrieks, “Oh! Him so little!” “He so soft!” 

As I was thinking back on the beauty and wonder of my grandchildren’s loving celebration as they welcomed their baby brother into their family, the Lord spoke to my heart…

My beloved readers, as much as my grandchildren love their new baby brother, and as much as his parents and his grandparents love him, the Lord loves each one of us — you and me — even more! You see, He loves you with an all encompassing, never ending, undying love. As you read the scripture below, read it out loud, and replace the name, Israel, with your name…

Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself.

~ Jeremiah 31:3 — NLT ~

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Saints Peter and Paul: Joy in Heaven

As wonderful as it was to be a part of the celebration with my grandchildren, as they rejoiced over their baby brother who had come home, the Lord reminded me that an even greater celebration takes place in the heavenlies every time a sinner repents and gives his/her life to Christ… Have you repented and asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? Have you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (the ruler) of your life? Do you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? If you have, did you know that on the day you were born again, the angels in heaven threw a party in your honor?

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My Father’s Child

My beloved reader, do you understand that God loves you so much that He has talked to the angels about you, just as my son and daughter-in-law talked about their unborn baby to their other children. Their older children loved their little brother before he was even born, because their parents loved  him and took the time to share their great love for their unborn son with their other sons and daughters. Because their parents had shared their great love for their unborn son, his brothers and sisters were excited about his arrival.

In the same way, God has shared His great love for you and for me, so that when we repented of our sins and asked Christ to be our Lord and Savior, the angels in heaven rejoiced over us. You see, God looks at each one of us as His errant children, and He longs for each one of us to turn from our wicked ways and turn to Him. And when one of us repents and asks Christ to save us, there is great rejoicing in heaven, just as there was great rejoicing in my son’s household, when his newborn baby came home. 

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

~ Luke 15:10 — NIV ~

My beloved readers, do you know how much you are loved? You are worth far more to the Lord than diamonds or gold. You are more precious than any fine metals. You are loved for more than you could ever imagine. 

This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

~ 1 John 4:10 — MSG ~

Image Credit:
Preborn Babies Are People too/Facebook

Beloved, did you ever think to yourself, “How could God have time to love me or even think of me, when there are so many other people in the world…”? I used to think that there were a lot of more important, better people for God to think of than me, but then He showed me how foolish and wrong that was, and that false belief was a lie from the pit of hell. Did you know that this, my newest little grandson, is my eighth grandchild, and that I was just as excited about his birth as I was about my first grandchild’s birth? Do you know that out of my eight grandchildren, no two of them are exactly alike, including the twins? And do you know that I love each one of those precious grandchildren equally, but differently? Each one of them holds a special place in my heart, and I love them dearly. And guess what? I’m expecting my ninth grandchild in July, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will love him/her just as much as I love the other eight!

Now, if I am able to have that much love in my heart for so many different grandchildren, why is it that we can’t believe that an Almighty, Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent God can’t love us? How can you believe in my great love for my grandchildren, and not believe in God’s great love for you? Don’t put God in a box! Read these words from the Lord out loud, and hide them in your hearts…

“Can a woman forget her nursing child
And have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.”

~ Isaiah 49:15 — NASB ~

My beloved readers, I want you to be confident in God’s love for you. Just as my newborn grandson was born to parents who love him deeply, so those of us who have been born again, have been born to a heavenly Father who loves us even more deeply. Just as my newborn grandson was born into a family of brothers and sisters who love him and rejoice at his birth, so we, who have been born again are born into a family of brothers and sisters, who are joint heirs with Christ, and we dearly love our born again brothers and sisters and rejoice because once, they were lost, and now, they are  found! Even the angels in heaven rejoice at our rebirth! 

And now, my beloved readers, I will leave you with this final thought… When my husband and I got ready to leave my son’s house and return home on Sunday night, one of our grandchildren (I can’t remember which one) asked with great concern, “Can we keep the baby? Can he stay here?” And the child’s father replied, “Of course he can stay with us. He’s going to live with us forever.” My beloved reader, if you have been born again, then you have an eternal home with your heavenly Father…

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~ Romans 8:38-39 — NLT ~

© 2013
Cheryl A. Showers

True Worshipers

Today, while I was thinking about the joy that I experienced this weekend, as my husband and I cared for five of our grandchildren, while their Mommy and Daddy were in the hospital giving birth to their baby brother, Holy Spirit began to show me examples of what He desires when we approach Him and worship Him, and I want to share those examples with you…

²³ “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. ²⁴ For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

~ John 4:23-24 — NLT ~

Saturday, as soon as I received a picture of my newly born grandson, Ian, I called his five siblings to come and look at his image on my cell phone. You should have seen them as they came running to me, squealing in delight, loud, raucous, unfettered and unrestrained joy emanating from each child, as they laid eyes on their baby brother for the first time. “Aw, he’s so cute!” one shouted, “I wub him,” another shouted, wanting her voice to be heard. “I can’t wait to touch him,” my oldest grandson said so sweetly, “’cause him’s skin is so soft.”

Though they hadn’t yet seen him face to face, it was evident that every single one of the children loved him passionately. As each one gleefully touched his picture on the cell phone and declared his/her love for Ian, I realized that’s how the Lord wants us to respond to Him. Though we’ve never physically laid eyes on Him, we must love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength, and we too must jubilantly declare our love for Him…

²⁹ Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. ³⁰ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’”

~ Mark 12:29-30 — NLT ~

As I spent the weekend with my five adorable grandchildren, I was able to see their innate differences more clearly than ever before. J., my oldest grandchild, is an adorable little boy who is almost seven years old, and very shy around those he doesn’t know, but once he is comfortable around you, he opens up, sharing whatever thoughts happen to cross his mind at the time. He takes his role as big brother quite seriously, and is quite the worrier, caring that his brothers and sisters are properly cared for, and that they do what is right. He is the one who expressed his love for his baby brother by stating, “I can’t wait to touch him, ’cause him’s skin is so soft.”

What about you? Do you ever long to touch the Lord? Do you long to feel the warmth of His embrace… to feel His hand covering yours… to caress His face??? Do you care about doing the right thing? Do you take your role as a man or woman of God seriously, watching over your Christian brothers and sisters to make sure they are being properly cared for? These qualities are part of what it is to be a true worshiper…

³¹ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

~ Mark 12:31 — NLT ~

M., my almost six year old granddaughter reminds me of myself. She can be quite bossy, as she takes charge, and tries to make her brothers and sisters do as she says. As my pastor says, M. isn’t bossy… she’s just demonstrating leadership at a young age. She was my little helper this weekend, ordering her brothers and sister around, when they didn’t respond to Nana as quickly as she thought they should. A couple of times, I had to let her know, “I’ve got this one or I don’t need your help this time,” but for the most part, she was quite the little helper. As she gazed at her baby brother’s picture, she informed me, “When Mommy brings Baby Ian home, she said I can hold him, but I have to sit down first.” She beamed at me radiantly as she said this.

Some of us, like my granddaughter M., are called to be leaders, and it is as we lead others in the spirit of love and truth to the Lord, we are also worshiping the Lord. Those of us who are called to lead must demonstrate a loving and nurturing spirit, just as M. displayed, when she joyfully told me that she was going to hold her baby brother. Everyone is called to lead someone to the Lord… If you are a parent, you must nurture your children… if anyone looks up to you, nurture them and lead them to Christ… This is truly an act of worship. There is one more thing that I need to share with those who are called to lead… A true act of worship for a good leader is to humbly submit under someone who has greater authority than you. When I told M. that I could handle things on my own, she immediately submitted to my authority. How quickly do you submit to authority?

¹³  “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. ¹⁴ And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. ¹⁵ I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”

~ John 13:13-17 — NLT ~

My third grandchild, a four year old little boy, full of exuberance and life, I.R., keeps you running, from the time he gets up. He lives life to the fullest, and with him, there is no middle way. Everything with him is full throttle. When he is happy, his loud laughter rings throughout the house, and when he is unhappy, his discontent rings equally loud. “Aw, him’s so little!” I.R. shouted boisterously, as he laughed, jumping and dancing  around, “I love him so much!”

When you worship the Lord, are you filled with joy at being in His presence? Do you love Him with everything within you? Do you love Him with your whole heart? Do you rejoice as you think about Him in all of His glory and splendor? Do you worship Him with your entire body — your hands, your feet, your thoughts, your eyes, your mouth? Are you, like my four year old grandson, I.R., and like King David, so passionate about the Lord, that you don’t care if anyone else thinks you look foolish? Or is your worship quenched, because you worry about what others may think about you?

²¹ David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. ²² Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!”

~ 2 Samuel 6:21-22 — NLT ~

As my little two year old granddaughter, C. looked at the image of her baby brother, she looked back up into my eyes with her sweet shy little smile and said in her lovely little high-pitched voice, “That’s my baby brudder. I wub him!” Little C. is a beauty. She is the second of only two girls among her siblings, and while she appears tiny, petite and shy around strangers, she is quite different around her family, and in a household filled with little boys, this tiny little beauty is able to hold her own. As Little C. earnestly declared her love for her brother, there was a look of sweet adoration on her precious little face.

What do people see as they look into your face? Does your love of the Lord show in your countenance, just as Little C.’s love for her baby brother lit up her eyes? Or do your eyes light up for another? Do your eyes light up for fame? Do they light up for fortune? Do they light up when men speak highly of you? When things don’t go your way, or when someone crosses you, does your love of the Lord still shine through your eyes? Or does your countenance fall, revealing a bitter spirit?

⁴ Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, ⁵ but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

⁶ So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? ⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

~ Genesis 4:4-7 — NKJV ~

Little M. is Little C.’s twin, and they are both as different as black and white, and big and little. Little M. is a free spirit and a wanderer. When watching the children, we quickly learned that we truly did need to keep our eyes on Little M. at all times, because he could very easily disappear — not because he was being rebellious, but simply because he was curious and at two, he gave no thought about disappearing. When an idea or a thought crosses his mind, he acts on it as it comes to him. Therefore, when he saw his baby brother’s picture on my cell phone, he quickly responded by kissing the image of his baby brother, then he looked up at me with his sweet little cherub face and smiled so sweetly, that my heart just melted.

And this causes me to think about the Lord. When we respond to His wooing, what do we do to His heart? How do you respond when you sense the Lord calling you? Do you run to Him? Or do you run away from Him? Do you respond by falling to your knees? Or do you willfully fight those feelings? Do you respond by joyfully coming closer? Or do you turn away from Him? Do you respond as my Little M., by kissing Him with your praise and adoration? Or do you respond by hardening your heart against Him?

¹² Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. ¹³ You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. ¹⁴ For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. ¹⁵ Remember what it says:

“Today when you hear His voice,
    don’t harden your hearts
    as Israel did when they rebelled.”

¹⁶ And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard His voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? ¹⁷ And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom was God speaking when He took an oath that they would never enter His rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed Him? ¹⁹ So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter His rest.

~ Hebrews 3:12-19 — NLT ~

I praise God for the newest addition to my family. I am truly a blessed woman, with a big and beautiful family. I am also grateful for my other grandchildren, and for the lessons that I learned from each of them this weekend. My beloved readers, do you love the Lord? Do you long to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth? If you do, then follow the examples of my five grandchildren…

1. Just as J. longed to touch his baby brother because he loved him with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength… so we must long to touch the Lord because of our deep, deep love for Him.
2. Just as M. wanted to hold Baby Ian and nurture him and her other siblings, so we must long to cling to the Lord, while nurturing our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
3. Just as I.R. passionately declared his love for his baby brother, so we must passionately love and declare our love for Jesus!
4. Just as Little C.’s love for her baby brother shined in her countenance, so our countenance must reflect our love for Jesus!
5. Just as Little M. immediately responded to his baby brother’s image by kissing it, so we must also be quick to respond as our Lord draws us closer to Him…

I learned so much from my beautiful grandchildren this weekend, and I’ll share more with you next time. Until then, God bless each one of you and may He draw you closer to Him in Jesus’ name!

© 2013
Cheryl A. Showers

Caddo’s Seven Word Sundays!

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http://gracepieces.com/

Jesus Is The Rock Of My Salvation!

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Living Praise Ministries

¹ I love You, Lord; You are my strength.

² The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress,
and my Savior; my God is my Rock,
in whom I find protection. He is my shield,
the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

~ Psalm 18:1-2 — NLT ~

Every Good Gift and Every Perfect Gift is From Above…

¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

~ James 1:17 — NKJV ~

Hallelujah – I have much to thank the Lord for… He has given me life — not just for yesterday and today, even though if that was all He gave me, it would be enough… He has given me life for tomorrow, and for every tomorrow hereafter, into eternity, just because He loves me and chose me, and because I believe in Him.

Still, the Lord blessed me abundantly above that too. As a child, I felt unloved and unwanted, and I used to pray that the Lord would bless me by sending someone to love me, just the way I am. I used to dream that my special someone would love me, and that he would stand up and defend me, protecting me from anyone who would harm me, and He did just that. First and foremost, each and every time the enemy has sought to destroy me, using nearly every dirty trick in the book, God has caused it to work together for my good.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

~ Genesis 50:20 — NLT ~

 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

~ Romans 8:28 — NLT ~

Not only did I pray that God would send someone into my life to love me unconditionally, but another prayer that I prayed  regularly as a young girl was for the Lord to bless me with a large family. It’s funny, because I truly didn’t see how this would be possible, but when you’re a child, you don’t worry so much about the how’s and how to’s, like we do as adults. When I married my husband, I remembered the prayers I had prayed for a large family, and I wanted to have at least three or four children, but it took nearly two years of marriage before I gave birth to my first child. Almost a year later, I became pregnant with my second child, and I figured children three and four would follow shortly after, but I was wrong. Despite trying, right into my early forties, it wasn’t to be. It seemed that my prayer for a large family was not going to be answered, because in 2006, at the age of forty-five, I had a partial hysterectomy. Now, for sure and for certain, I would not have anymore children. I thought my prayer for a large family was simply one of those unanswered prayers that people talk about all the time…

But I was wrong. In May, 2006, my son’s wife gave birth to their first child, a little boy. Then, in February 2007, my daughter gave birth to her first child, a little girl. My son and his wife had a little girl in October 2007, and a little boy in January 2009, while my daughter and her husband had their second child in October 2009. My son and his wife gave birth to twins in August 2010, and today, at 11:16 a.m., my son and his wife gave birth to their sixth child, a little boy. In addition to that, my daughter and her husband are expecting their third child in July… This will be my ninth grandchild in seven years! It seems that the prayer that I prayed so many years ago, as a child, for a large family for me to love, and who would love me in return, was answered quite differently than I had expected it to be answered… Indeed, it has all worked out much better than I could ever have dreamed of, and both my children and my grandchildren truly love me. I am truly blessed among women, and every good gift and every perfect gift is from my Father above…

© 2013
Cheryl A. Showers

Mystical Allure Award

Mystical Allure Award

My good friend, Brother Wendell Brown, gifted poet and author of the blog, Forever Poetic, blessed me with the Mystical Allure Award several days ago (Isn’t it pretty?),  however, sadly, at that time, I was in a lot of pain, and I was weighed down with the heavy burden of depression, and so I thought to myself, “I’ll just respond to this when I feel better.” 

It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the award, because I did. The sad fact was that I was too consumed with myself to respond. Have you ever been there? I didn’t feel like doing anything… no writing… no cooking… no cleaning… no talking to anyone, not even my beloved family and friends. The worst part about all of this is that I didn’t even feel like talking to my Lord and Savior (I didn’t even realize this until I wrote the words!).

I have the same type of curvature as this girl, though mine is a little less obvious…

You see, with everything that’s been happening in my life, constant acute pain, pain medication (that I hate taking, but can’t seem to do without), losing my mom in February, being hospitalized in March, my daughter and her family moved hundreds of miles away in March, and my son and his family live 3 hours away, and somehow, in the midst of this, I lost my hope and my joy. I am a worshiper and a prayer warrior, but as I plummeted into the depths of despair, it became harder and harder to worship.

Holy Spirit was still with me, loving me and consoling me, and speaking to me through God’s word, and I would share the words He shared with me, but then, I would slip again, falling into darkness and gloom. I felt like a failure and a fraud…

How could I so clearly hear the Lord’s voice and not trust Him?

How could I read His word and be blessed as He revealed His heart and love for His people, and yet doubt His love for me?

How could I minister to others about the necessity of faith, when I had lost much of my faith?

I was so disappointed in myself.

I thought I was strong in the Lord, but I was weak.

I thought I was a woman after God’s own heart, but I was a failure.

I thought I had the joy of the Lord, and yet, when I needed it most, I couldn’t find it.

I thought I knew who I was in Christ, but now I questioned that too.

Quite frankly, I wasn’t in the mood to receive an award that I didn’t deserve, so I didn’t respond to it, because I wasn’t sure what to do. Monday when I got up, I walked over to my recliner, propped my feet up, and sat there all day, watching Little House on the Prairie, and trying not to think, only getting up to use the bathroom. I didn’t feel like eating, so I didn’t bother, and there were leftovers for my husband to enjoy. 

Then, as I sat there, the Lord began to minister to me, telling me that I needed to start setting my clock so that I would get up in the mornings. He told me to get my shower first thing, and to have a plan to do a little each day, and to make sure I allot myself some time to write each day. That doesn’t seem very “mystical” does it? 

And yet, this was just the push I needed. On Tuesday, I wrote my Psalm of Hope and Despair, because that’s where I was at the time, but my cry was not only one of despair. It was also a cry of hope, which was being rekindled within me.

Then, yesterday, I wrote Words of Jesus – Great Faith. Perhaps, given all that I’ve shared here, the title of that post seems ironic, but that’s what the Lord led me to write, and as I  wrote that post, Jesus ministered to me through the words He placed in my heart. As I wrote, great faith was being conceived within my womb.

Photo Courtesy of:
http://www.autostraddle.com/playlist-when-youre-feeling-helpless-148190/

Then, today, I read a post entitled Daily Prompt: I Want to Know What Love Is, by Brother Ben Nelson, gifted teacher and author of the blog, Another Red Letter Day, and  as I read, the Lord ministered His great love for me, but He wasn’t finished, because He knew I needed further encouragement. Therefore, He pulled out the big guns and sent healing words to me through none other than Sis Caddo-Jael Sterling, gifted poet and author of the blog, Grace Pieces.

Sis Caddo had written a response to yesterday’s post, Words of Jesus – Great Faith, in which she testified of her own struggle with faith, and her words ministered greatly to me. In fact, it was her testimony that led me to graciously accept this award from my beloved Brother Wendell Brown, without feeling like a hypocrite… Just look at Sis Caddo’s complete humility as she openly shares about her own faith crisis…

“Help my unbelief”–it’s amazing that I go along “thinking” I totally believe and trust in GOD. But in the last 48 hrs or so, I’ve been in a mini crisis–because I just can’t see that God is big enough to help someone I’ve come to care for. It’s a startling admission, I know–I can barely believe I’m saying it. But it’s not about WHO GOD is, or HOW BIG I know He is–it’s about my human powers of reason, that I can’t see HOW He’s gonna take care of this person/situation. And bless God–He knows me, He knows I come from a background of Worry–so He’s not even mad at me; just keeps telling me that I don’t have to figure things out for Him, to let Him be God and worry about the details. And I should just be me–the me He loves so much that He died so I could be with Him forever, in Glory, where there will be nothing more to worry about. Praise His Name, Jesus! God bless you, Cheryl–love, big sis Caddo (imperfect, but redeemed)

~ Caddo-Jael Sterling ~

Sis Caddo’s testimony moved me, as I realized that I wasn’t the only one who had suffered a faith crisis, but it was through these words, from Sis Caddo’s pen, that my Father spoke straight to my heart,  bringing healing and inspiration to my soul… 

“… And bless God–He knows me, He knows I come from a background of Worry–so He’s not even mad at me… And I should just be me–the me He loves so much that He died so I could be with Him forever, in Glory, where there will be nothing more to worry about. “

I heard my Daddy speaking to my heart, “Beloved, though you’re disappointed in yourself, I’m not. I know you, and I know your weaknesses. I am not the One who is angry with you. YOU are the one who is angry with yourself. Beloved, stop trying so hard to measure up to impossible standards set by you and by man. Just love Me and rest in Me, Child.

“It is not faith in Me that you lack. What you lack is faith in yourself. Beloved, I knew your weaknesses before I called you, and still, I chose you and loved you. I knew this day would come, when you would lose hope, believing that you are not worthy of My love or My healing touch, but still, I chose you. Trust Me, Beloved, to do what is best for you. Trust in My love for you. Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. Beloved, My love for you has made you worthy. Stop doubting this and look beyond yourself to Me.“

This probably seems like the craziest award acceptance ever, but I have to go where the Spirit leads. Therefore, it is with gratitude and humility that I accept this award from Brother Wendell Brown. Wendell, please forgive me if I seemed ungrateful and slow to respond, but at the time, my heart was not able to receive your gift. When I read the requirements for this award, I was even more humbled that you would ever think of me…

“This award is granted to poets who show a profound understanding of spirituality in their writings. An understanding so profound that it has an enchanting effect on its readers.”

I’m honored that you see these qualities in my writing, and all I can say is that any good qualities you see in my writing come from God, the Author and Originator of Creativity, while any errors you see in my writing come from me, a frail human being, who apart from Christ can do nothing.

In closing, I would like to nominate the following for the Mystical Allure Award…

• Sis Caddo-Jael Sterling, gifted poet and author of Graces Pieces… I know very well that Sis Caddo does not accept awards, but because her words, a gift from God, brought such healing to my soul, there is no doubt that she qualifies for this award, and her acceptance of the award is not what is important. What was important was for me to express my love, respect and appreciation for this gifted woman of God and her great God-given talent. Check out her blog — her poems are magnificent!
• Diana Rasmussen, gifted poet and author of the blog, Prayers and Promises… Diana’s poetry is also a gift from the Lord, and not only does she write poems that glorify God, she also writes and sings songs that uplift and glorify God. Please take the time to visit her blog. You will be glad you did!

I pray the Lord blesses each one of you, my beloved readers, and that He draws you close enough to hear and feel His every heartbeat. 

Love,
Cheryl

Related articles

• Mystical Allure Award (Nomination) (evaxthepoetess.wordpress.com)
• Mystical Allure Award ! (soumyav.wordpress.com)

Words of Jesus – Great Faith

⁵ When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with Him, ⁶ “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

⁷ Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

⁸ But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come into my home. Just say the word from where You are, and my servant will be healed. ⁹ I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, He was amazed. Turning to those who were following Him, He said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! ¹¹ And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. ¹² But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

¹³ Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.

~ Matthew 8:5-13 — NLT ~

There was something different about this Roman centurion. He was humble and reverent, and on top of that, he had the kind of faith we all long for and need. He had storm-stopping, mountain-moving, sea-parting, water-walking, blind-seeing, deaf-hearing, mute-talking, sickness-healing faith. This gentile heathen had a deep abiding faith that even the Jews, God’s chosen people couldn’t match.

He had boundless, unswerving faith, that was undettered by time, distance, or space. His faith was undiminished by circumstance, logic or “reality”. His faith was dauntless, in spite of what his fellow centurions thought. His faith was unmoved by the faithlessness of his superiors, subordinates and peers.

This centurion only knew that he had a need, and only ONE could help him, and he was willing to humble himself, forsaking his status as a Roman officer, by approaching the Jewish Rabbi with reverence. “Lord,” he respectfully addressed Jesus, despite the fact that his clothing was much more costly than this Nazarene’s clothing. Regardless of the fact that this Roman centurion had so much more than this homeless Jewish peasant, he meekly approached Jesus, telling Him, “my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 

You see, this Roman Centurion somehow knew that it was senseless to pray to the numerous Roman deities for his servant’s health, for they were merely the figments of men’s imaginations, with no real power. He knew that if his servant was to survive his terrible affliction, he would have to seek help from Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, King of kings and Lord of lords. He knew that he needed help from the Creator and Lifegiver, and so he unashamedly approached Jesus and before he could even ask Jesus for help, Jesus offered to come immediately to his house.

Now, just imagine how he must have felt at that moment, in the presence of the Almighty, when Jesus offered to go to his home. I’m reminded of the prophet Isaiah’s response, when he was in the presence of the Lord…

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ² Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”

⁴ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

⁵ So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The Lord of hosts.”

~ Isaiah 6:1-5 — NKJV ~

Just as the prophet Isaiah, realized his unworthiness in the presence of the Lord, so this centurion suddenly became aware of his unworthiness as well, in Jesus’ presence… “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come into my home.” 

And there, in the presence of the Lord, as he humbly realized his lowliness and that he was unworthy to have the Lord enter into his home, in that instant, the centurion’s great faith was born. By God’s grace, he understood something so deeply profound that each one of us needs to know. He understood that he wasn’t worthy for the Lord to stop what He was doing to come to his house. He comprehended that he wasn’t worthy to have Jesus enter into his house. Do you understand the magnitude of this realization?

Roman officers were proud and confident in themselves. They had a great sense of self-worth. They often thought higher of themselves than they thought of others. Their pride in themselves was how they were able to justify their cruelty to others, but now, in the presence of LOVE, he realized how despicable he really was. In the presence of Jesus’ MERCY, he realized how unmerciful he was. In the presence of Christ’s KINDNESS, he realized how unkind he was. In the presence of the Lord’s JUSTICE, he realized how unjust he really was.

When you enter into the presence of the Lord, are you undone as Isaiah and the centurion were? I submit to you that it was when he entered Jesus’ marvelous presence, that the centurion became aware of his unworthiness, and that it was in the midst of this realization, that the centurion’s great faith was born. You see, it was when the centurion became aware of his unworthiness, that he also became aware of Jesus’ total and complete worthiness. For it was as he became conscious of how unloving, unmerciful, unkind, unjust and impotent he was, that he understood how LOVING, MERCIFUL, KIND, JUST and POWERFUL Jesus was, and it was in the midst of that revelation that his great faith was born.

My beloved readers, I don’t know about you, but I long to have great faith like the centurion had. My heart’s cry to the Lord is, “Lord, help my unbelief!” As I struggle through the pain that assaults me, Lord, heal me, and help my unbelief! As the heavy weight of depression crushes me and oppresses the hope that lies within me, Lord, set me free, and help my unbelief! As the enemy of my soul steals my joy, Lord, bind him and make him restore my joy seven times, for the joy of the Lord is my strength. Lord, in my weakness, You are strong.

Hear my cries, O Lord, as I pray for each person who reads this post, including me. Lord, I pray that we would seek Your face for all of our needs, and that as we enter into Your presence, we would be overwhelmed by Your goodness and Your power and Your glory, just as Isaiah and the centurion were, and just as each of them saw how unworthy they were, so we would also see how unworthy we are apart from You. And Lord, as You reveal to us how unworthy we are, help us to see more clearly just how worthy You are, and as we begin to comprehend Your great worth, Lord, cause great faith to be birthed in each one of us! In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

© 2013
Cheryl A. Showers

 

My Psalm of Hope and Despair

¹ Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to You for protection.

    I will hide beneath the shadow of Your wings
until the danger passes by.
² I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill His purpose for me.
³ He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me. Interlude

My God will send forth His unfailing love and faithfulness

O Lord, You know the pain I’ve dealt with for so long now!
You alone know my struggles and my deepest fears.
Only You know the torment I’ve suffered this year.
Father, I am weary, and weak and so broken.

I’ve fought and I’ve fought, but still, the enemy marches over me.
He taunts me day and night, mocking my pain,
While I curl up into a ball, helpless and alone, unable to fight
For my strength is gone, it’s wasted away.

My Lord and my God, to You I cry out, “Save me, my King!”
For the bonds of the enemy are choking my life out.
My joy has departed, and now only darkness remains,
Cloaking my days in blackness and despair.

Yet in my weakness, I lift my eyes to the heavens
And cry out to You, Lord, My Rock and my Refuge!
“Arise now, O Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered!
“Be strong in my weakness, as Your light splits the darkness wide open!”

Though I see nothing but gloom all around me,
I will trust in You Lord, knowing Your ways aren’t mine.
I will cling tightly to You with all that is in me,
For this battle is Yours Lord, it isn’t mine.

© 2013
Cheryl A. Showers