A Quiver Of Arrows | Part 2

I sit in a hospital waiting room while my mother is having shoulder surgery. I watch a woman take a picture of herself eating a sub so that she can send it to her brother. They usually eat subs together while their parents are having surgery. Today it is her husband that is having a procedure. Her heart wishes her brother was there.

I see a father come in the room bringing a birthday gift for his daughter, an OR nurse. I am caught more by the way that he beams than I am by his thought or gift. What a blessing it is to be loved. To have someone to love. ... and to miss.

I laugh about the morning. I sat by my mother's bed after she had received a nerve block. She could not feel her entire arm. I take advantage of the situation and use her arm to wave at people in the hallway, then to scratch herself maybe even to flick me off and pick her nose. For a combination of reasons, she is defenseless and can't jerk away from my attacks. I am tickled. She is too, even if she is annoyed. I do the little piggies on her fingers.  I repeat another version that I've heard from my husband's great aunt. I know that this is becoming another story that will be retold.

...heritage.

I think of my last post about arrows. -About children. I've edited it a dozen times since it's been published. At first because I only spoke of wrongs I do as a mother. You may not know that I laughed as I wrote about the early years of parenting. I should have included my usual "haha" at the end of each paragraph. Then you'd know I wasn't taking myself too seriously. I've practically been obsessed with what I might need to do to fix the story. Something just felt off. ...it had such potential to be beautiful.

This morning I realize that it's not what I need to go back and correct. Mistakes are part of parenthood. It's the addition that still awaits us. There is more to say.

The first two lines of my verse (Psalm 127:3-5) are: Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

The generations of lives, I've watched touch each other in the hospital just this morning, reflect family, lineage, ...heritage. Coming from somewhere and belonging to someone. A knowing that no matter what two are better than one. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

How much my children make my heart burst open to the realization that I can love MORE. It outgrows my heart and becomes a giving of the soul and spirit. Not just at birth. Not just in a sleepy-eyed snuggle in the morning. Not just in witnessing them in their rarest and purest form(s). I love them more than I ever thought that I could love anyone or anything. But not just that-

Charles Dickens said “It is no small thing, when they, who are so fresh from God, love us. ”

Because they are fresh from God, they are not yet polluted with smut of the world, or stale words or false intentions. It's always sincere. Pure. Unconditional. Hopeful. Not waiting for an answer. Seeing their love reminds me of how much we (adults) confuse and misshape the gifts that we give others.  Their simplicity makes me realize that I can love others more and differently as well. Not only in my future path but those I am alongside or have left behind.

They a curious about life. Honest about what they see and still able to dream without hindrance. They forgive easily because they desire us more than the grudge or any thing.

They truly are a reward. Not because we deserve it, earned it or won it. Not even because we are (what you and I might deem) "worth it". They each are a blessing and a gift. ...because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Click here to read Part 1

A Quiver Of Arrows | Part 1

My sister in law is expecting her first child soon. At her shower there was a neat activity using round gift tags (the kind with ribbons attached). Each person at the party would write a message on a tag (string side down). Then you arrange and mount each to the same piece of paper so that it looks like a bouquet of balloons. Of course, I wrote several of them. What kind of aunt would I be to only write one???  On one, I referenced the scripture Psalm 127: 3-5.

³ Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,

    the fruit of the womb a reward.

⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

    are the children of one’s youth.

⁵ Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

When I was asked about the verse, I read it. I wish that I could’ve been able to explain what that verse has come to mean to me on such a tiny little card.  Even when prompted, I couldn’t seem to muster up the words.

I will never forget coming home from the hospital with Ethan. I would just hold him and stare at him and cry. I was so moved just by looking at such a tiny and perfect incredible little being. I had never felt anything else in my life that could compare to that “gush of wonderfulness”.

Before birth, I was the one who wanted a child although I was afraid that I would have no idea what to do with a baby once ‘it’ got here. How much my position changed after his arrival! It wasn’t about me ‘getting’ a child. It was the humble and honorable experience of being ‘given’ a child. How or why would God give me such and incredible gift? How could he know that I would be so trustworthy? What had I ever done with my life to deserve that? …Tears and tears for this sweet, sweet little blessing.

Of course I felt that way again, when his sister and brother were born. –But as the first, he has been such a pioneer in his role as a child. Bless his heart for how much work he has to do and how much Ethan has had to suffer while shaping me into a parent. 

Like with the fact that he had acid reflux for the first year of his life and I simply didn’t know until his sister arrived and received her own diagnosis.  Of course, he was over it by then but he just had to tough the whole thing out. Then he had to wait for me to learn things like; which diaper rash creams burn the worst, when not to make a child ‘cry it out’ at bedtime and that after a long day with someone else, even an infant sometimes needs an hour to unwind when arriving home.

Hopefully, his role as a child hasn’t just made me a better parent but also a better woman. It wasn’t until he arrived that I committed to church because I didn’t know how I could help him love God and church, if we weren’t in it together.

It’s wasn’t until he was much older when some of his worst flares of temper and displays of attitude, reflected what he had seen from me. How quickly, I was convicted of my own behavior. How they speak so many layers to us when we open up our hearts to God and allow children to teach us.

It amazes me how much each of them reflect so many different things about me. Not just in temperament but in goofiness, in love, in sense of humor, etc. What a gauge to have in your presence every day! Yet, they are so much their own person and because of their differences, they have taught me different perspectives that I might not have ever considered without them. Oh, how I marvel at what they continue to add to my life!

This weekend I was with a sweet friend and in discussion about them, I had two little revelations about myself. One is that I have discovered since children that I am much more sensitive than I thought that I was.  I just didn't know how to navigate that very well and so I usually avoided it.  However, because they are so sensitive, I have found myself practicing sensitivity more often.

The other is that 3 kids equal a lot of chaos. There is a lot of dirt and there is always 3 different skill levels, 3 different pitch levels, 3 different directions, etc.  Having them together sometimes completely overwhelms my senses. For a while, I felt like there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t master having them all together. Maybe it was my guilt for working and being away from them so much, but in trying to make the most of our time together, I think that I was trying to make something else happen instead.

I do "one on one" really well though. Now, instead of just making plans for the regular one on one time, I’m trying to create the habit of making the most of every opportunity when it presents itself. Whereas before when we were all free, I tried to squish us altogether.

Now, when Ethan runs to a friend’s house, I throw down the dishes and go find Sophie. If I head out to the store, I try to only take one child. When everyone except Ethan is asleep on Friday night, I go find him and we stay up late and snuggle. Jackson, being a baby, gets his time in. There have become many other little examples of this togetherness. Somehow those successes and making so many more of them, make any group defeat not quite so discouraging and even seeming to happen less often.

Of course that second bit was worded a little differently to my friend but as I said it that same verse that I’ve been thinking about all year, seemed to finally come together in my heart. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior. Children really are like arrows...

Many of you might not know that my husband likes to hunt.  Bow hunting has become a particular area of interest to him. So many times, I have watched him shave and mount the feathers on each arrow to adjust the way that they fly.  Then when he is finished, he spends time not only learning how to hold the arrow but also how to hold himself and the instruments that he is using between the two. You could imagine the success of him or the arrow, if he tried to shoot the whole quiver at one time. Instead, he picks up each arrow one by one.

Just like I said earlier that each child reflects characteristics and direction of myself; each arrow reflects the influence of the Archer. It’s not having a quiver of arrows that makes him a warrior. It’s the practice and the skill that is learned from being with each one, over and over again.

In haste we can send them in the wrong direction. With misuse we can make them dull or waste their strength. With neglect, they can become damaged or endanger someone else. Yet, for as small and fragile as they may be, it only takes one (that is properly released) to take the prize or defeat an army. I’m sure that the similarities go on and on…

Allowing God to use them to convict me, shapes me into someone that I was not before them. Parenting is not only about who we get to send off into the world, it’s also about who we can learn to become. …Warriors.

With each child, there is a new perspective, a new challenge, a new relationship, a new lesson and new love. I think to myself how “blessed” would I be had I allowed God to fill my quiver full of children, instead of trying to limit that number to only 3. That isn’t said to make anyone uncomfortable. It is just a thought that floats through me occasionally and this verse carries it back to the surface. Learning how to embrace each one has shaped (and is shaping) me so much. How much more would God be able to teach me, so that I could teach them.

Maybe it’s my Indian heritage or my simple love for the culture but when I think of the word “warrior” I always imagine a Chief with the full head dress. -The Leader. The Fighter. –Not only the wisdom, and vigor and courage that the position represents but the respect that it commands. If you are a warrior, even your enemies will respect and/or admire what you represent, even when you disagree. When something is done well, people will come out to see how it is that you do what you do. If we take time with our children, "He shall not be put to shame..."

For the first time ever, I almost feel glory in the scattered dishes and laundry and dirt that am letting linger longer than I used to. As I am starting to spend more time with them in the moment, the other things just fall aside. The once "messy house" represents my new "battlefield". The clutter and debris just represent that a more important action is taking place somewhere else. Hopefully, it's an action that involves a feather being mounted. -Not only to an arrow but also to the crown of a warrior.... 

Please continue on for part two.

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Note to the reader: I might have read that scripture at the beginning of the year. I might have thought about it enough times for it to touch me so that I could include it in a note at a baby shower. It wasn’t until I made a comment this weekend with my friend that it really convicted or solidified a personal meaning to me. 

So many times, when we sit to read the bible, we are looking for something that speaks to us right then. While that does happen, there are many passages that do not "bring a personal message" until much later. Do not be discouraged if you don't find something immediately. Keep reading. When something strikes you, even if you can't explain why, pray about it, think about it, and allow time to take as long as it needs to do it's work. Something might be taking shape in your life so that the meaning can unfold itself to you slowly. 

Take Only What You Need

Sophie has a movie called 'Barbie and the Magic Pegasus'. Princess Annika has to break the spell of Wenlock, an evil wizard who had turned has turned her family to stone. In order to do this, she must acquire pieces to create a wand of light. The 3 pieces needed are a measure of courage, a gem of ice lit by Hope's eternal flame and a ring of love.

At first, it was the last day of her journey that stuck out to me more than the others. Annika and her friends find Hopes Eternal Flame. It is a giant mountain of ice that seems to capture a perfect beam of the sun. Inside the mountain lies the gem. The entrance reads "Beware take only what you need but never from greed." When the sign is read, stairs appear from within the wall of mountain. Inside is a sparking cavern of ice. That perfect beam of the sun, shines through the mountain and Annika must "follow the light" in order to locate the treasure.

The words "Take only what you need" have been a soft echo in my thoughts lately. I hear them as I try to manage time, overwhelmed with things that I should be doing; I find myself only planning what is needed for that day instead. Yet, somehow also establishing boundaries to protect what I need from the day as well.

"Take only what you need" as I try to fill a grocery cart and then to stretch the contents once I am home. Trying not to cry at the register when I realize that my best effort to calculate still came up short and the money that I hoped would be left over for a bill, is now filling up a bag instead. Learning that just because I am out of something, doesn't mean that I need it. -Then trying to apply that lesson in other areas, outside of the store.

"Take only what you need" as I cling to hope in prayer; trying to figure out how to only hang onto God, as so many other things that I thought that I needed fail me. This has been one of the hardest times that have experienced as an adult. Not just financially but spiritually, and even physically.  -Although not in a 'health' sense of that word. Tests have hammered away and successfully chiseled off what I thought was part of my identity. The list of "need" is considerably slimming down.

Just as I think that I am "getting the message" I stumble across "A Mother's Emptiness" by Tony Evans. This sermon was based of 2 Kings 4:1-7 "The Widows Oil".  The meaning of "Take only what you need" is redefined. Take only (from someone else) what you need (someone to take from you).

While I let that new version take its shape in my mind, I switch back to the Barbie movie. The whole purpose of Annika's mission was to free a people. Their freedom was all that she needed. I took a second look at what she needed to complete this mission and was struck by the irony.

A measure of courage - The courage to have faith in something/someone that we cannot see. The courage to face ourselves and try a new way to live. - Verse: So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 - Your strength.

A gem of ice lit by Hope's eternal flame - It is the Hope in our Eternal Flame that drives our purpose to endure and fulfill...  When you scale back life, to only what is needed, doesn't it change the things that you treasure and what you fight for? - Verse: This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary.  Hebrews 6:19 - Your anchor or your compass.

A ring of love - A commitment to love everything/one. - Verse: Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death... Solomon 8:6 - Your weapon.

I know it seems crazy to think so much about a Barbie movie. -Especially when the author probably wasn't writing around the same theme. Don't we spend our time though, pining away for fairy tales and riches? Yet, even when we have "it all", we still desire something... until we have faith.  When we need to move, it's only hope that gets you or your circumstance beyond the curtain. -And Love... Love is as strong as death...  I just can't think of anything that needs to be added to that statement.  

We are never satisfied until we have those three. It's the combination the three of them that radiate the power of his light and transform not only our heart of stone but the hearts of those around us.

***below is what was added later****

It might seem like those three things aren’t really weapons for battles in the real world. –But I assure you that they are.  If you’re struggling with time, be sure to make time first to cultivate your faith. Reading the word and praying sound too simple and so we often skip them. Our father really will give you strength if you just come to him. Get to know him. Call out when you need it. This world will exhaust you with things to do.  You will have to fight for physical rest. Fight for time to do the things that you enjoy and for your time with him. Fight the good fight of faith! (1 Timothy 6:12)

Whether it’s a financial matter, your health, a relationship or a job, whatever your battle is, cling to hope in prayer. Our circumstances can change in a blink but God never changes. Romans 15:4 says that whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 

The more that you know about God and his promises, the more that you can use them to keep you focused when things go awry. When you fail, refocus on him. Don’t venture off with should’ve, could’ve or more self-defeat.  Reclaim his word and try again or simply stand against the current. Hope in him will let us know when it’s time to wait or time to move. But God is your anchor. He will keep you from getting lost in the sea.

Love sometimes seems the least likely to be realistic weapon in many battles. Don’t let that little pink heart shaped word mislead you. I’ve prayed to God to make me love the bible when I couldn’t understand it. (He answered) –To love prayer when I felt like I had no idea how to reach out. (He answered)  –To love a coworker that I sincerely felt like I hated (don’t worry, no one at my present organization. BUT he answered and we became friends). -To love better when I felt like someone else was mistreating me in a relationship. (He answered). I’ve even prayed to love my circumstances no matter what is happening around me. The more that we look for things to love, the more that we find things that are loveable. Then the darkness gets dimmer and dimmer.

Sometimes it is really hard in each scenario but remember that he’s faithful and he answers.  Then get back up and try again and let the spirit tell you how to act in love. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)

Whatever mission you are in right now, take only what you need...

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And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Reliance | Branch 36

I read an article a couple of weeks ago that called out some well-known preachers as false prophets. One of which happened to play a large role in cultivating my own faith. While I couldn't dispute some of the points that were noted, I believe that the author’s approach was also out of line. The sheer tone of the article made me grieve as it seemed to carry one of hopelessness. I didn’t fully support either side of what was presented. I was taken aback and stutter struck. 

It made me question so many things. What I was taught as a child. What we teach now at church. What beliefs others might share. Not just at church, but in family, friends, and in authors of books that line my shelves. Most importantly, the article made me question my reliance on others to provide a version of the word; instead of my going straight to the source. How well do any of us know how well another knows the word of God?

Is our only message about God what we hear from our Pastor on Sunday, or is it third hand news from a coworker that goes instead? How much of what we know is truly what we know or only what we’ve been told? At what point do we think that we’d recognize a misinterpretation? Who exactly are we following?

What about me…?  Am I at times a false prophet? The whole purpose of this blog was a commitment to develop my own relationship with God.  To cause me to commit to that quiet time alone with him for study, thought and reflection. I am human though, just like our preachers, our parents, our friends, our praise teams, etc. None of us are too strong or too smart to be misguided.

This type of situation is a pivotal moment for many in their own faith. Many would feel that same frustration and just throw in the towel. “I don’t know what to believe.” “I can’t trust anyone.” While, I may not have all of the facts straight, I have experienced enough evidence in my life to know that God is real and his answers are worth seeking out. My questions in this situation were geared more toward direction and not him.

There is a piece of commentary in my bible that I think of a lot when it comes to doubt.  It’s based on verses John 20:25-28. Thomas (one of the disciples) doubted Jesus’s return. He said “unless I see nail marks and unless I can put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

The commentary says “Some people need to doubt before they believe. If doubt leads to questions, questions lead to answers, and the answers are accepted, then doubt has done good work. It is when doubt becomes a lifestyle that doubt harms faith. When you doubt, don’t stop there. Let your doubt deepen your faith as you continue to search for the answer.”

In verse 27 Jesus and Thomas were standing face to face. Jesus told Thomas to reach out and touch his hands and to place his fingers into Jesus’s side. Verse 28 ends with Thomas proclaiming “My Lord and My God!” because he was able to confirm it for himself.

Whether it is doubt, confusion or simple curiosity, often the only answer that will satisfy is the one that we get for ourselves. Firsthand information or even identification is so much more powerful than what we have heard others testify to. Thomas would never have been satisfied without touching Jesus for himself.

There are many, many different methods and approaches for sharing the word of God. Being exposed to a variety of styles and interpretations will help us maintain balance, so that we aren't hung on one method alone. Even methods that we don’t necessarily like or agree with can still hold a valuable purpose. -Particularly, when they activate thoughts and fire motivation for each of us to start digging into the word.

The result may or may not be different than what we set out to find but everything is a teachable moment. -Especially when we take it back to the ultimate teacher. If you find yourself doubting something, ask God what he would like to show you.  Then don’t stop digging and praying and listening until you find peace (the answer that satisfies). For me, this moment has spawned a lot of possible changes in how I study the word, maybe even in how I “blog” and perhaps even more changes in other areas.

I always thought that there was a verse that said “even his correction is good.”  I found several others verses instead that simply state that we are wise if we love his word and his discipline. Either way, it’s very timely. Why, just in my last post, I said something about how I might not like when he first brings something to light but if I just hang on and ask him to show me something with it, I have always wound up thankful for it in the end. 

With his correction, I know he’s there. If another corrects me and I don’t like it, I can take it to him and he will tell me what I need to know. I have learned so many valuable things about myself in that light.

Earlier this year I said that I needed to be somewhere different with my faith by the end of 2013. As the months have unfolded, I have consistently felt like he was realigning me. The deeper I go, the more I feel his hand working in my life.  This moment, revealed another root for him to realign. It hurt when he pulled it up but I know that where he’s redirected me is such a better place.

And because I love a good testimony, let me also add that the Sunday before I read that article, I read the verse “CAUSE me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; For in thee do I trust: CAUSE me to know the way wherein I should walk; For I lift up my soul unto thee.” (Psalm 143:8 ASV). 

Tears welled up in my eyes and I prayed it in our Sunday School class. The following morning, I read that article.  Does he not answer our prayers?  Has he not caused me to look yet another layer deeper at the person that he has called me to be and what he wants me to know about him?

The day after that article as I rode to work, I passed a church sign that read “Prayer does not change God’s mind, it changes you.” Isn’t that the truth?!  I asked for a cause and it brought me to my knees. I will be the one making the changes because of it. For it is Jesus Christ that is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).



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The word "branch" was used in the title because it relates to one of the tree characteristics from an earlier post.

Reflecting | Branch 23

The last few months have sort of been a slow motion of God and I doing comparisons. Like reconciling the checkbook. Here is my list of my debits and credits. How do they line up with his word. Sometimes it feels like a line item by line item process. Unlike the dreaded checkbook, I love this kind of reconcile. Maybe not when he highlights an out of balance item for the first time; but after the thought has had time to settle...

I also love that when God is dealing with us about something, he continues with it until we get it. That is, as long as we continue with him. He plants these little seeds of correction that I might not understand at first but then when I am out of balance, he 'highlights' it again in real time. I can then see exactly where or what he's showing me.

I know that he is trying to teach me 'stillness'. Stillness can be applied in every area of our lives but for now that lens is focused on my mouth. Here are some of my examples.

1. How passive aggressive, sarcasm and even good natured humor can tear another down. We never know how the devil is working in someone's life and so if our words don't build another up, why say them at all?

2. I often over explain when it's unnecessary and even describe myself or my personal situation(s) with a negative tone. It doesn't represent how I feel about me or even who God created me to be. I think that it's a habit from an old place but it really doesn't fit me anymore. It's time to let it go!

3. Is my mouth so full of words that even though they are not all negative, the goodness is lost in the sheer quantity of what is being said?

All of the above and many other examples represent useless chatter. If it doesn't serve not only a purpose but the specific purpose of building up, is it in fact useless, or even worse... destructive?

The misuse of words doesn't sound like such a big deal but if I have to spend more time correcting what I just said, it can get rather exhausting.  Wearing myself out, isn't exactly the kind of 'stillness' God has in mind. Not only that but our mouth is often the first thing that people notice about us and the only thing that they remember later.

The Bible is full of verses about the power of the tongue and controlling the mouth but I am thinking of James 1:24 (NLT) instead. "But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like." 

I love that. "Face in a mirror". I didn't understand that verse when I first read it. But it just makes so much sense now. Doesn't the bible say that we are each made in his image? Aren't we all called to reflect a glimpse of God to all who see us, including ourselves? 

If that's the case, shouldn't we start in front of that mirror every day to 'fix' our eyes on our maker? To 'tweak' our thoughts 'just so' and 'blot' our lips to remove any excess? Do we truly see ourselves with the same purpose and vitality that we were made with and will we remember to display it when we walk away from the glass?

Later in the day when inadequacy begins to knock, will we return to that mirror to 'touch up' what has worn away. Reconciling our flesh against our father's truth. Restoring the fullness of hope and inviting his word to not only penetrate but to purify what we offer of ourselves.

The very next verse says "But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." (James 1:25 NLT)

Free of the burden of heavy habits and then something to fret over later. Free knowing that we encouraged another and that by doing so, we encourage ourselves. Free to know the peace that comes with excellency when we obtain it. Free to anyone who believes...

Sometimes stillness isn't about not doing anything but more about allowing ourselves time to pause and think about who we are. As we realign our heart, his image comes into view. Then our reflection follows suit.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8 (NIV)

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Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:17, 20, 21 NASB)



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The word "branch" was used in the title because it relates to one of the tree characteristics from an earlier post.

Update to an earlier post

Please go back and check out an earlier post "The Life Of A Tree". I've added verses to each of those characteristics. Some of them really surprised me but when the Lord speaks to us, it's always timely and thought provoking. I hope that these comparisons speak to you as well.

Until next time...
Reggie

Psalm 23 | Scripture

Photo by: http://www.123rf.com

Within the last month Psalms 23 has popped up at least a dozen times, if not more. It was the verse of the day in an app that I use. It was on a bookmark that I found in an auto shop waiting room.  It was posted on a message board that I drove by on my way home. Again and again it has appeared in countless locations. Thankfully, none of which were funerals, where it is most often read.

I decided that God was trying to get my attention. I read the verse but didn’t have any giant "ahas". So I asked him what he was trying to tell me. I’ve thought about its meaning and read it several times. Finally, last Sunday it was read before the opening prayer in service at church. I resolved to a bucket of tears.

It felt like a sob of repentance. As if my soul knew everything that was being said even though my brain and my ears were still trying to figure out the real message. Just this week I feel like I finally get it.

While I haven’t been to any funerals, I have strongly felt God dealing with my character this year. The last month or two have been some of the hardest that I’ve had in a while. It’s actually felt like a dying of the flesh or a parting of self. I am sure that another post will come soon with details about that but for now I am just going to share Psalm 23 with my notes.

You probably already knew the message. It’s pretty clear.  My mind just had to catch up and recognize that it was more than words on paper. May it be a bit of encouragement to you. This passage is the King James Version.

1. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He is the provider of all things. He knows every one of my needs without my having to ask. He even knows the ones that I am unaware of. He gives them as needed.  Not too soon so that they won’t satisfy. Not too late so that they are stale.

2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

His path is refreshing, it carries necessity. Not just in water but in rest. Water revives what is dried up and cools what is overheated. Rest allows you to regain your strength, to adjust your attitude, find a new perspective or even the courage to try again. 

His path includes rest and water. While you relax in his presence, his water will restore you so that you can begin again. It leads to life. It’s a path of peace. A path of joy. Both of which are easiest to feel when we are rested.

Whenwe don’t follow that path, we become exhausted; searching for our own answers or solutions, wrestling with life’s challenges, draining ourselves of hope.

3. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Not only does he lead you along the peaceful path. He leads you to a place of dignity and not shame. He is the ultimate vindicator and when you get to your destination; all things will be made right. -Just as he has promised.

I like to think that it’s also because you and I are named after him and made in is image.  –It’s not just the fulfillment of his promise.

4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

It doesn’t matter what the circumstances are or what death you are facing in your physical, spiritual or emotional life. Your valley of death could be any of the following: No money for food, the threat of death to your job, the death of your reputation or image, death to a relationship or habit. You might even be experiencing a death of another kind but in that valley, he is there. Push on.

Like the coachman in a carriage (although thankfully not as aggressively), he corrects me and leads me through the valley, back to his path. The rod is a comfort because it reassures me that he is there. He knows the way out. I am not alone. He won’t let me go too far to the left or too far to the right, if I just follow his promptings.

5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

To anoint with oil, is a sign of being sacred. You and I are sacred and chosen. He loves us. Like the story about the father and prodigal son, he’s preparing a feast.

You and I know what it’s like to make a special dinner for someone that we love. There are some things that we prepare in advance. There are some things that we can prep and chop and clean up once the other things have been started. We like to time it just right so that this gift that is being prepared is just right when our beloved arrives. It’s fresh. Hot. -Just the way that they like it. So often, we don’t start those items until we know that the guest is at a certain place or has already arrived.

How many times do we doubt God and fight him. The problem arrives. We get distracted trying to solve the problem. God calls. Where are you? Seek me. Tell me when you’ll get here because I am preparing something for you. We silence the phone. Send him to voicemail. We’re still doing what we think that we need to do.

After hours, days, and sometimes even years, we are finally too tired to DO anything else. There is no other option except to turn to God. Our plans have failed. We return home too exhausted to speak. He doesn’t ask questions. He doesn’t say “I told you so”. He doesn’t even ask you to come help him with anything. He says go lie down and take a rest. Relax. When you’ve regained your strength, get cleaned up. I’m preparing my best for you. But we had to get in his presence first, in order to receive it.

And who cares about your enemies. He was waiting for you!!

6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The one magic word in this whole verse is ‘follow’. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…”  How many times do we focus on the prize instead?  We try to obtain goodness in ourselves, from others and in circumstances. We ask life for mercy and then try to squeeze it out with our own hands.

In verses 2 and 3 it says that God leads.  If he leads then I can’t possibly looking at anything but him. When that is true, I might see the valley or the death around me but I am not focused on it. I can’t do anything with my own hands or I will miss his direction.

I might feel the sand in my eyes, the sweat on my brow, the sun on my skin. But I look to him. He leads me out. The blessings happen. They are behind me because I am on the right path. They come after every step of faith into his direction.

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I hate to end it here but this was my version. I love that if you searched for other interpretations, you could probably find a thousand that were drastically different from mine. Sometimes though, God just has a little message for you and I. If you are facing a death in your own life, I hope that you get that rest so that you have not only the courage to face it but also the strength to enjoy the blessing that awaits you.

Oh and P.S. I’m going back and adding verses to every characteristic of my tree from my last post. I am almost done with the list and will post it soon. So stay tuned.