Teapots and Broken Hearts

(not my photo)

She was in a meeting at a little white country church. It was the kind of meeting where people stood up to speak out a ‘word’ that they felt God was impressing on them for someone present. Usually someone in the group would accept it as being for them. They may share what they feel God is saying to them and why it relates to them. Or they may just receive it with thanks.

At one point someone said they got a picture of a broken heart. Considering the conversations that she’d been having with God as of late she knew it was a word for her but her pride wouldn’t allow her to speak up. She said nothing. And the group carried on. 

She needed to know though why God had shown this person her broken heart. So she emailed them. The return email said that not only had they been given a picture of a jagged broken heart, they’d received another picture along with it. 

This person had been shown a teapot.

 It had been broken a couple of times before and put back together. But this time the teapot shattered so badly that it couldn’t be put back together. 

(not my photo)

 This picture resonated with her immediately because that’s exactly how she felt. But she felt angry. ‘Why God?  Why did you show this person that for me? I already know that! I know that this time I’m so shattered that I feel like I can’t do much about it!! What kind of word is that for me? It tells me nothing! I still don’t know what to do!” 

It was true. Situations in her past had caused brokenness before. But she was outgoing, she was gregarious, she made friends easily, she was gifted in ways that allowed her to easily reestablish herself. She could shake it off pretty easily and start again elsewhere. She put herself and her life back together. 

But this time, this time she didn’t feel that she had anything left. She just couldn’t do it anymore. She was too shattered. Empty. There was nothing she could do... 

Now she couldn’t shake the visual of the teapot. As she battled with God about why He’d shown this person that picture for her with no answer as to what she should do, she began to realize that this was exactly the point. There was nothing SHE could do. 

She had to surrender. 

Finally she came to see that this was a good place to be, this place of complete surrender. She had to rely completely on God to do the work. It may be impossible for her but He could work miracles. Nothing was impossible for Him. 

(not my photo)

Over the next few weeks, months, 

as the various shattered areas of her life came to mind, 

she picked them up in her hands and 

she held them up to God. 

She gave the pieces to Him. 

She didn’t have a clue about how He was going to fix the teapot. 

Was He going to restore it to its original state? 

Would He aggrandize the broken and cracked areas? 

“When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something's suffered damage and has a history it becomes more beautiful.”    Barbara Bloom

Or might He make a mosaic of the broken pieces perhaps in the form of a stepping stone? 

She had no idea. 

But she was beginning to feel her heart restored with each piece that she lifted  up to Him…one by one…trusting that He knew best what to do with them. She became willing to wait to see what He would do. 

She started to feel some excitement and curiosity. She began to sing again. She began to feel alive.  

Today she still doesn’t know exactly what He will do with those pieces but she knows that this is where they should have been all along. Had they been in His hands the first few times of being broken they wouldn’t have shattered so easily again this time. 

It has taken a long time for her to get to this place but she can finally relax. She doesn’t have to work so hard to put the pieces back together. She knows now in her heart of hearts what she’s always believed in her head. 

It’s in His hands.  He knows what He wants to make of her. He knows how she can best be used for His glory. 

Still in awe of how God used one visual of a teapot to bring all this about, she now can rest and wait as the pieces are restored 

“Doh!” moments in the "Ya, buts" of Joy!

My mind wandered as I was sitting on my bed preparing to read my evening devotional. I thought about how I’m not in touch with either of my ‘daughters’ very regularly anymore. I miss them. 

Throughout my 20's I lived with someone but I’ve never married. And while I’ve not borne any children there are  two great young women to whom I am Mother.  So last night I was about to let the sadness of this change with my daughters get me down. I was hearing myself say, “YA, BUT how can I be joyful when they’re both living so far away and communication has become so irregular?” 

In my mind I immediately  heard, “My joy is not in my circumstances; my joy is in Him.” Clear as a bell.

Doh! I know this! 

I’ve heard variations of this so many times that it’s become cliché. But something about this time felt different. I think it finally sunk in. 

I’ve known this but I didn’t KNOW this! 

As you may remember, my One Word for 2014 is JOY ! I am asking the LORD to help me find joy in those areas where I have difficulty seeing Him. So, yes, I’ve known this but this time it resonated! 

“In His presence there is fullness of joy.” (Psalm 16:11)

My joy is not in my circumstances; my joy is in Him. 

Right after I heard this statement in my mind, I was looking up the Scriptures related to my devotional when my eyes landed on Isaiah 54:1: 

"Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child;

burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor;

because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,"

says the LORD.

“Burst into song!! Shout for joy!!” He says.

Further on this chapter in verse 4 it goes on to say: 

"Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.

Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.

You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

I’m not a widow obviously but I’m going to count being unmarried here if I may. 

I don’t particularly feel any shame about not being married. Nor do I feel shame about not having borne children. I more so can tend to feel shame about how I am pigeon holed by others because of this. I can sometimes feel shame about being marginalized and pushed aside as a single woman.

God’s word says I will not be put to shame. This is one part of what my journey in learning joy is about this year. It’s about learning to see Him more fully in this scenario. It's about learning to find joy in Him regardless of how others view me in my singleness.

Verse 5 says:

For your Maker is your husband-- the LORD Almighty is his name—

the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.

 My joy is not in circumstances; my joy is in my Husband.

I still miss my daughters. And my circumstances will continue to change for the rest of  my life. If I base my joy on them I’ll be on a roller coaster ride. But if my joy is in the LORD then I will walk on a more level path. I’m getting better at it. I’m catching myself more quickly when I go to the "ya, buts".

My joy is not in circumstances; my joy is in Him. 

P.S.  I don’t know how God speaks to you, but I have a sneaking suspicion that that clear voice I heard in my mind that night was the Holy Spirit giving me my catch phrase for 2014. 

I Fall Down, I Get Up...

I’ve been letting you in on the good parts of my Daniel Fast journey. Now I also want to confess the struggles.

All day yesterday and first thing this morning I was feeling weak in this fast thing…I felt like tossing it…I cheated on the eating…I was trying not to but I was giving in to the doubting thoughts which had crept into my mind. I didn’t know where those thoughts were coming from.

Driving to McD's to get breakfast early this morning (I told you I cheated…hehe) I was thinking about these thoughts of quitting…knowing I didn’t really want to…and all the while singing :

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong...


As I prayed my confused prayers, as I sang…and yes, as I ate my McD’s breakfast (which didn’t taste nearly as good as I’d imagined) I started to realize a few things.

The Daniel Fast is about petitioning God for specific things. I’ve asked Him for something very specific that’s been an albatross since my youth. It hinders me at times not only in my personal life but in my ministry for Him. I’ve not been able to breakthrough on my own in the 50ish years that it has been there. It’s a biggie.

All of a sudden I realized that my niggling thoughts of quitting, of hopelessness, of not trusting that even God could break through, started when I saw the definition of a word which spoke directly to the petition that is before the LORD at this time. These thoughts were strengthened when, around the same time, I saw a photo on someone’s blog which triggered memories of where I first got stuck with this issue. Two triggers…that stayed in the shadows until I chose to acknowledge them for what they were this morning. I realize now that the timing of these triggers were from the LORD, that they are getting me to go to the root of this issue that I am asking His help for.

This morning, I put it all down in writing in my journal, I confessed my doubts, I acknowledged my fear, and I let Him take my hand in His once again. In the midst of it all, I was able to be gracious with myself in my slip. Instead of getting into ‘all or nothing’ thinking, instead of seeing my fast as a failure now, I saw it for what it was, forgave myself…and I’m back on track.

I don’t know how God will answer my petition. I can relate to Sarah of Old Testament fame. She waited for years for God to answer her plea for a child…she took things into her own hands at one point…and had pretty much given up on ever having one of her own. Lest you think that I’m pining for a child, let me be quick to assure you that my petition isn’t the same as hers. But the concept is the same. I don't know how He will answer...or when...but I am going to choose to trust Him, to trust that even though I’ve not been able to break through in all these years…He can and will…in His time…in His way.

Psalm 27: 14 Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.

He Comes to Me Singing.

Songs. He often speaks to me in songs. Ministers to me in songs. And I love it!!

I first remember getting exactly the right song at the right time with words that ministered to me when I was a teenager. My friend Jeanette and I were out in a field, perhaps picking strawberries as a summer job. She and I were having a serious discussion about something. When I went to the ‘john’ aka ‘outhouse’ the LORD gave me a song that spoke directly to what the issue was. I recall talking to her about this as soon as I got back to my row. I was excited that I had heard from Him in this way.

Sometimes the song is asking a question, like when I went on a silent retreat a number of years ago. He sang Anne Murray’s, “Can I have this dance for the rest of my life, would you be my partner every night?” I won’t go into the details of how that set the tone for my retreat but it did.

This past week I awoke at least three nights with a song in my heart that was speaking precisely to the questions/thoughts in my heart at that moment. One song I really couldn’t remember the words to, just the concept. It was one that I was surprised to have in my head. So I journaled all my thoughts and afterwards I looked up the lyrics. It choked me up a little when I saw that the first two lines were almost verbatim what I had just expressed in my journal. And the refrain reminded my spirit of a change in focus.

There is another song that came one morning which has remained with me on a daily, hourly basis. God is teaching me to ask continually for more grace. So the song I’m singing daily is:

‘He giveth more grace…He giveth and giveth and giveth again…'

Aside from His Word, the Bible, is there a special way in which He speaks to you?

The Face Off: Facebook or His Face.

I’m doing the Daniel Fast again this year.

Some of you may remember that I did it a couple of years ago. I did it for spiritual reasons that time which in itself was a tremendous blessing. But I also benefited in ways that I’d not expected. Namely, my badly sprained ankle was much better after those 21 days of clean eating.

A couple of weeks ago, as I was preparing for the fast I had the fleeting thought that I should perhaps go off Facebook during this time but then completely forgot about it.

Until last night.

Last night I was talking to God, telling Him that I really wanted to hear Him during this time. Immediately, I heard in my mind, ‘Then turn off Facebook.’

Shoot!! Can you say: Ambivalence?

I DO want to hear him.

But as someone who is an extrovert living alone and working 100% from home I’ve often said that my friends and family on Facebook are my ‘water cooler chat’ people. It’s my out let, my connection to the world in between sessions with clients. I haven’t even turned it off yet but I’m already going through withdrawals…seriously. So, while there is nothing wrong with being on Facebook per se this tells me that I’ve made it a little too much of a source of life.

I do want to hear Him. With no “But…” I want Him to be my sole source of life. I am looking forward to how He will change my heart as I am obedient to Him in this time.

“Turn off Facebook and seek My Face.”

“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” Psalm 105:4

(I’m sure that I will be blogging during this time as God opens my heart and eyes to the things that He wants to teach me. But…I will not be sharing those blogs on Facebook during this time.)

Here goes...

Corrective Lenses?

Remember yesterday's blog about self focused North Americans who need to learn to be God focused, other centered people? I always chuckle at how God (some may say happenstance) works. I've been doing the Daniel Fast and the Day 10 devotional ties in so well with what I was sharing yesterday that I want to share a bit of it with you.

Kristen, the author, talks about waking up with a headache and getting the woe-is-me's...tunnel vision. When she opens her Bible to I John 4:11-12 she reads:

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Her headache does not go away immediately. But she begins to think about the fact that God's love is not given purely for our own enjoyment. It is meant to be shared with those around us. Her headache has given her tunnel vision - which in medical terms means a loss of peripheral or side vision. This tunnel vision kept her focused only on her own needs and blocked out the needs of those around her. Looking to God in reading His Word made her realize that it was impossible for her to love others when she couldn't even see them because of her tunnel vision.

This takes me back to one of ">yesterday's quotes: Focus on God trusting Him to meet your needs, then peripheral vision returns enabling you to love others in the midst of whatever you are going through..

To echo Kristen's prayer in the devotional:

"Father, it is easy to get so wrapped up my my own life that I become oblivious to the needs of the people around me. Help me to humble myself so that I can share your life-changing love."

Overflowing...and that's a good thing...

In the past week the LORD has been reminding me through various means that we
as North Americans have become a very self focused culture by and large. I won't go into the details of that at this moment but I do want to share with you a couple of quotes that may inspire and encourage a change in focus.

I saw a Martin Luther King, Jr. quote earlier today which said:

"Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness."

Lysa TerKeurst talks in one of her blogs about being

“God focused” and love directed.

That sounds like the perfect way to be unselfish.

Lest you think that that's advocating a cheesy hold-hands-and-sing-Kumbayah kind of love take a close look at I Corinthians 13 to see what other centered love really looks like.

LOVE is patient, Love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

As you can see, this kind of love is anything but cheesy...and impossible to do without the God Focus. St Bernard of Clairvaux says it well when he says:,

"........we should seek to become reservoirs rather than canals. For a canal just allows the water to flow through it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, then it can communicate without loss to itself. "

LORD, remind us to stay focused on you. Fill us to overflowing as we do so, and let it spill out to those around!

Dating 'Game' Confusion

Are you single? Or in a dating relationship? Do you sometimes get confused by all the contradictory dating advice that‘s out there? In our society it’s almost become a competitive sport or game but with shifting rules and regulations.

Sometimes it resembles the game of ‘Dutch Blitz’ with everyone laying their cards on the table as fast as they can like in ‘Speed Dating.’ In other situations, dating seems so slow and strategic like a game of chess and we’re left wondering who made the last move. Then again, it could be ‘Scrabble’ with each person choosing their words very carefully trying to get the highest points, hoping to win in the end.

So what are the rules? Are daters to follow the advice of the author who says that men and women are from different planets? Or are the instructions in the book that speaks of capturing your man by using time tested rules more accurate? If you are a Christian, do you do your research thinking that perhaps there is a distinct game played in Christian circles? But even here, we find confusion. Do we kiss dating good-bye as Joshua Harris suggests? Or should we listen to Jeremy Clark and give dating a chance? Which rules should we follow to win at this dating game?

IS dating a game with rules to follow? The word game is defined as a diversion, entertainment, recreation; a competition or contest; game (as in hunting) is about getting your prey, hitting the target. We take a gamble in any game, which means taking a chance…risking…venturing out...facing uncertainty. In that sense, it definitely is a game don’t you think? Except that not too many want to be someone’s prey.

Maybe sincere dating has more to do with relationship than the competition it has often become in our environment. Relationship is defined as ‘alliance, association, attachment, bond, connection.” If it is about relationship, then it involves our hearts, our choices. The tables are then turned as it were, in that relationship is about making the other person a winner, building them up. In some ways following the ‘game’ paradigm with it’s concrete rules to follow seems easier. If I lose I can blame it to some degree on the structure of the game so my heart is left intact.

But if it is about relationship, then our hearts have to be involved. This definitely feels like a gamble. As a Christian, these thoughts about the heart put me in mind of another relationship for a moment. God wants us not for what we can do for Him but He wants us for who we are. He wants our hearts. But what exactly does that mean? And why would a holy God desire my very human heart? The awesome thing is that we discover His overwhelming grace as we allow ourselves to be real with Him. He embraces us warts and all just when we think that He will be repelled by us. Slowly we start to realize that it is in exposing all aspects of our hearts to Him that a closer bond is created with Him. And it is in receiving this amazing acceptance from Him that we begin to do all that we can for Him to show Him our love in return. Sounds like a good plan for that dating relationship too doesn’t it? Albeit a more risky on than the earlier game plan.

When I first wrote this article several years ago, I serendipitously discovered a book by Nancy Groom after writing that last paragraph. In Risking Intimacy: Overcoming Fear, Finding Rest, Groom says that while we can find understanding about the differences of men and women from books like Venus and Mars these tools are merely cosmetic. She believes that they do not help us deal with our terror nor our stubborn self centeredness.

What is that terror that she speaks of and how do we protect ourselves from experiencing it rather than risking genuine intimacy? Groom and Larry Crabb both take this issue back to the Garden of Eden. Since the beginning of time, “men would rather wait than move so they don’t have to risk failure, and women would rather move than wait so they don’t have to risk aloneness.” The whole course of the world was changed because Adam, in his silence, failed to bless Eve. She on the other hand used her words wrongly choosing to move ahead rather than waiting for an answer from either God or Adam. Not hard to relate that to the dating scene is it?

So, who wants to play ‘Risk’? Authentic intimacy is risky. Men, you will need to risk inspite of your fear of appearing inadequate. To build that connection, you will need to speak to a woman’s heart even when you don’t have a clue what to say. In his book The Silence of Adam, Larry Crabb says that the only way to be manly is to first be godly. Okay, so men are called to walk into their terror of chaos and trust God by speaking. And we, as women, are called to walk into our own terror of disconnection and trust God more by keeping silent. We need to learn to wait…to not forge ahead…to trust…at the risk of being lonely in the process. It is in these kinds of risks where our hearts feel the most exposed.

Nancy Groom states that human beings often demand a formula which explains why we have ALL those various and sundry dating books on the market. She goes on to say that God does not usually speak to any of us in specifics but He does promise not to leave us or forsake us as we enter the terrifying unpredictable chaos of relationship.

Ultimately then, there are no rules or formulas in Christian dating except to love the LORD our God with all of our heart, soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:6) and to love as Christ, the servant leader, loved the Church (Ephesians 5:28, 29 and I Peter 3:7) . Entering relationships in this way will require utter dependence on the God who alone knows the beginning from the end, and who has told us only that in the end He wins. (Groom p. 149)

Reading the ‘How to” books on dating have left us less ‘real’ than ever, afraid that we might break the cardinal rule. Loving God and trusting Him in the process is our desire. But in our humanness, we may still often be more inclined to play ‘Scrabble’ than ‘Risk’. Whether you are married or single, I hope that you can say with me, as II Corinthians 4: 1,2, says, “Since God has so generously let us in on what He is doing, we’re not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times..no masks…no games…no manipulation….” (The Message)

Lilac bushes and Life...

Do you ever have writing 'dry spells'? Seems that has been the case with me as of late. I've had a number of unplanned, unexpected changes in my life over the past few years and have been finding that the words for the written page are not flowing the way they usually do.

I realized this week that my potted lilac bush is much like me. Once again I marvel at the symbolism and analogy that God's creation presents us with. Let me explain.

I moved out of this province for a few years. During that time a friend of mine 'housed' my lilac in a sheltered area at the front entrance of her house. It bloomed wonderfully for her during that time. When I returned to this area, I moved it immediately to my place. A plant needs time to adjust and ideally should be moved gradually closer to its new location one step at a time over a period of time to minimize stress. Because of the shock of being moved so suddenly it has not bloomed for me the past two years. This year I am seeing lilac buds!! Seems it has recovered from the shock.

Like my lilac bush, and for reasons that I won't go into at this writing, I was moved very suddenly from one country to another, and before I had recovered, moved from one province to another. No planning ahead, no gradual process. So my body, mind and spirit needed time to adjust, to recover, to be restored, before being ready to 'bloom' again.


Like my resilient lilac bush, I am able to spring back from the trauma and stress that the unexpected changes placed on my being. Like my lilac bush I needed that reparation time. But The Master Gardener with His incomparable expertise was in control through it all! He gently tended to my needs in various ways during my rebuilding time!

And it seems that my plant and I are both ready to bloom again this season!

“I hope you will go out and let stories happen to you,
and that you will work them,
water them with your blood and tears
and your laughter till they bloom,
till you yourself burst into bloom.” Unknown

Life Story: A Matter of Perspective...

Life as Story

Are you a reader? Perhaps a writer? Have you ever thought of your own life as an unfolding story? A story that is part of a greater story?

Dan Allender in his book to be told states that

“…everyone’s life is a story. But most people don’t know how to read their life in a way that reveals their story. They miss the deeper meaning of their life and they have little sense of how God has written their story in order to reveal himself and his own story.”

**unless otherwise noted, all quotes are from this book.


The Plot Begins…

“Both your plot and mine are formed in the circle of relationships into which we were born…including the age or unique situations at the time of our birth.”

So true. Much of my life and the directions it has taken are the result of where I was born and the culture that I was born into. You see I was born into a culture that lived a retro lifestyle if you will…in Mexico. The first 7 years of my life I spoke only a German dialect called Plautdietsch and I have happy memories of holidays and Sundays with extended family.


Avoiding my story…

“If you don’t like your story, then you must not like the Author…”

You may not be aware of this but there are numerous denominations and differing cultures within the Mennonite community…

When I started school in Canada, I quickly became aware of the fact that Mennonites from Mexico were considered the ‘black sheep’ of the Mennonite family. My brothers and I began to experience teasing, mocking and put downs about our backgrounds. Sadly, much of this came from other Mennonites. People made generic assumptions about our cultural background and insinuated various things. This continued into high school.

As soon I graduated high school I moved away from home, and unlike visible minorities who go through this sort of thing, I was able to hide from my background. Not only did I hide it for years, even from myself, but deep down I developed a hatred for this Mexican culture…because it was, after all, their fault that I’d experienced so much ostracizing and ridicule wasn’t it?

Jean Vanier says that fear lies "at the root of all forms of exclusion," and we exclude because we are frightened of "those who are different, those who challenge our authority, our certitudes, and our value system"



Becoming a Co-Author/Editor

“We are not wholly our own, nor are we exclusively the result of what happened to us. “

“We become a coauthor when we know our plot and choose to reengage the tragedies of our lives with new patterns, thereby developing new themes which mark who we are as coauthor of our lives and editors of our future! “

When I went to Seminary in the early 90’s, one of the college students was a cousin’s daughter from Mexico…a sharply dressed, beautiful young lady…breaking my stereotype of who these people were. She was my first direct connection with that culture in years and I ended up being her instructor in a college counseling course. Because of her, I began to pray that God would show me these people through His eyes and that He would help me love them with His love. I went down to Mexico for this young lady’s wedding and a vision for the future began to stir in my heart. It took a number of years, but in 2005 I moved there to work in the Mennonite colonies.

Respect begets Respect

“The manner by which we treat people in our personal and occupational lives reflects or denies the truth of our commitment to human dignity and respect for individual worth.”

quote from Dr. Haim Ginott (1956)

The Genre

“How would you tell the story of your life? As a comedy, a tragedy, an irony, or a transcendent drama.” Selwyn Hughes

“Trust that the Casting Director has given you a role that highlights not only your special talents and individuality but, more importantly, the way in which divine grace is at work in your life.” Selwyn Hughes

Depending on what point in my life you met me, you would have seen an attitude that spoke of my life as tragedy, and at the biggest points of denial, a comedy. A transcendent drama began to be realized when I was about 33 and it continues…I’ve come back from Mexico more at peace…feeling more whole. I have a new appreciation for the beginning of my story…the culture that laid the groundwork for the rest of the story. That part of me is no longer hidden and I have a great love and compassion for the people…I feel so privileged to have had a small part in their story…and hope to have again in the future.

Divine grace…I would not know God in the way that I do had I not gone through the things that I did in my life…and I would not have been able to touch the lives of those in Mexico had I not been someone who was trusted because I had ‘history’ with them…Yes, there are many sad stories, some shocking ones, but there are also many redemptive, creative ones.



~The End of the Story~

“The ending of our stories are how we lived them towards an aim, a finish that is worth both living for and dying for.”

“Our stories are meant to be given away to others for their benefit. “

Like any story, we sometimes don’t quite get where the Author is leading us until the very last chapter or page when things suddenly become clear. These past two and a half years my storyline was altered drastically and I still have little idea as to the purpose of these twists nor where the story will take me now.

But, I trust the Author and I know that the ending is a fantastic one! So, I do my part as Co-author in what I choose to do with….and how I react in….these unexpected twists and turns. With anticipation and curiosity as to what the next turn of the page will bring…and, honestly, sometimes holding my breath with a little fear…as one does in a suspenseful story…

An Untamed God...

I remember being in Seminary and having someone say that God cannot be domesticated...that He is not tamable. It is for this reason that we fear Him. We want the predictable. We want the God that we can let out of the cage at our discretion. The God whom we can pet when we want to or give our commands to: "Sit" "Speak" "Gimme..."



But God will not be 'caged'. He roams wild and free in His "upside down" Kingdom. This makes Him unpredictable.We can do everything according to what we think is pleasing to Him...and it very well could be...but still nothing turns out the way that we had presumed or expected it to.

God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. He sees the big picture. What He chooses to do in our lives may not make sense to us but He knows the ins and outs, the reasons...And it is amazing what He can accomplish when we give Him free reign.

We may be a little apprehensive at first at throwing away that cage that we have continually tried to stuff Him into! A cage that was way to small and which never did contain Him.

It's a risk...but the thrill of seeing Him for who He really is far outweighs that fear of the unknown.

Try it! Open that cage door to release Him. And open wide the door of your heart! (Revelation 3:20)

And if you must keep the cage, use it for a creative planter perhaps! ;)