Where's My Faith?

If you've never heard about Corrie Ten Boom you need to read "The Hiding Place." She is the inspiration for my new blog. Corrie wrote about the beautiful weaving that God is creating within each of our lives. We can't see what He sees. He sees the whole creation from the topside. We just see the bottom, with all the beautiful threads, some dark, some light, some shimmery, some bright. But all we see the are the knots and loose threads that don't give us the whole picture that God sees. He's working on our lives and we won't get to see the whole thing until we reach heaven one day. That's where faith comes into play.

Faith is a never-ending process for everyone. No matter who you are, you have faith. I choose to place my faith in the Creator God and His Son Jesus. Not only do I believe in God, I believe that Jesus is God and that He came down in the limited body of man to walk this earth to be among His creation.

Jesus came down to live under the knots and threads of His creation. Even though He didn't have to. In fact, He placed the scarlet thread in my life and those who choose to place their faith in Him. He bled on a cross, crucified for all sin, weaving the black threads of the world into His beautiful masterpiece. He laid in a tomb for three days, as God wove a grey thread to bring depth to His weaving. He rose again, threading the fiber of gold throughout the majesty of His art. Now He lives above right by the Father seeing the topside of my life and the lives of His creation. He also dwells within those who love Him giving a glimpse of His eternity.

However, there are moments when I override that faith and place my attention on myself. I focus on the knots and bland threads ignoring the bright and beautiful ones that intertwine. I begin to believe that I'm in control and soon my life spins out of control. Am I just talking to myself here or are there others out there who are on the same page? What a dumb question. Of course there are. What am I thinking?

The definition of faith is confidence or trust in the ability of a person or thing. Do you see that we use faith in every aspect of our lives? When we get up, when we lie down and everything in-between. We have choices when it comes to faith. It's where we choose to place our faith that means anything.

I am fallible. So why do I choose to trust in myself? Why do I choose to trust in situations or people who may let me down? So I now choose to place my faith in Someone who knows me best and loves me most. And when my attention drifts to myself or other people or things or sunny beaches, Jesus gently reminds me to look at Him.

Like Corrie Ten Boom, I see my life from underneath the threads and remember that this life I'm living isn't finished yet. I so excited that one day I will see the completed picture. But, until that time I choose to place my faith in my Creator who sees the whole picture. He still threading His needle with a palate of colors beyond imagination. I can't wait to see how it will turn out one day ~ on the other side. I live knowing that Jesus resides within me reminding me that eternity began when I decided to love Him and believe that He, the great Weaver, loves me too.

"From the Highest of Lows"

Click, click, click...I need a manicure. It's so hard to type with these long nails. When can I go in to get a rebase from Queenie? Click, click, click-a-tee (don't you just love it?), click, click. I absolutely adore my computer. I admit that I get frustrated with it. I can't seem to get it to do my bidding at times and call it stupid. But, name-calling and all, I appreciate my little silver Mac.

My world is so nice. I sit in the comfort of my home near the mountains and spout words of insight hoping that someone will read it and find comfort...maybe a gentle nod in agreement...or even a comment or two. (I've only got one for each entry) Well, anyway...Am I affecting anyone in this world of mine?

My daughter and I were talking on the phone yesterday about things that are common to all of us. At least they are to her and I. Let me ask you if they are to you too. We were talking about the gifts that God has given us and which one we should focus on. For example, she sings and writes like me. Her voice is amazing and she writes too! (Calm down mama!) Hang on, I'll get to my point. My question is this, do you have trouble deciding the direction to take with your gifts? In other words; how can you and I find the best means to use what God has given us?

This world tells us we need to be good enough to have our own TV show where we lose the most weight...win the title of Idol...survive the island dangers...cook the best pot of beans...the list goes on. We are told that success is getting our 15 minutes of fame; make that a lifetime of fame and nothing less will do to be effective and have a useful life.

With those kinds of bars to reach, we are all losers. Hmmmmm... I don't think sooooo. You see, my God tells me different. He tells me that He will complete what He placed in me to do. All I need to do is use my gift/s when He gives me opportunity. I think we try too hard. All we need is a willing heart and an open mind. You see, He will take us to places that we never dreamed of if we trust Him.

Where are those places you say? That's the beauty of it. God takes us to the highest of heights and the highest of lows. That's right! I said highest of lows, because everywhere God takes us is good.

God took a certain New Testament preacher to one of the highest of lows and his ancient world affects my click-a-tee-clack world. His name was Paul. He was an itinerant preacher starting churches all over the Roman world almost 2000 years ago. One day he ended up in jail. In fact, he was in jail more than once and for a long period of time. How could God use a preacher in a jail, seemingly forgotten?

Instead of getting Paul released and placing him in the highest of comfy heights, He provided him with pen and paper in his prison cell. Paul wrote letters to the churches he helped start. Scratch, scratch, scratch he wrote. Words that God gave him. Words that came from a place that no one would suspect would help many at all. Paul wrote from a place of the highest of lows. The words he wrote make up the majority of the New Testament reaching down through the ages touching the hearts of many, even this heart, in this house clicking on this computer.

I guess the answer to our question of where is the best place to use any or all of our gifts is this: Use them wherever you find yourself today. Focus on Him and not direction. He is the direction. Find comfort knowing He knows exactly where you are and is guiding you in all things. Believe it! Know it! Digest it!

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you. I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." written by the Apostle Paul from a Roman prison to the first church he helped start in Philippi. Philippians 1:3-6

So wherever you and I find ourselves, let's pick up the tools God places before us and trust him. Use the gift/s He has given you and see what God can do!!