Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jesus. Show all posts

Friday, 30 October 2015

Modern Day Samaritan Woman

FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY


BACON


When time permits I join a group of writers for Five Minute Friday, hosted by Kate Motaung. Every week we write for five minutes after receiving a one word prompt. No editing or over thinking involved….Just writing for the love of writing. For more information please visit Kate Motaung at Heading Home. 

 The word for this week is:


START:

Does it really matter in the long run who brings the bacon home? In the flurry of life and work and endless chores, I recently had to stop and consider again what truly matters. 
How easily do I become distracted by the busyness of life? 

Like a crow chasing the shiny and losing track in the process. My brain never resting, plotting, planning, running ahead with my to do lists…stomach churning with anxiety as the day is too short and there are so many things to accomplish.

Yet… in the brighter scheme of things…despite the heartbreak and bottomless grief involved in caring and loving someone with Alzheimer’s there is a small flicker of  a “bright side”, something I am frankly stunned to be writing about…because I never realized it until I said it…

When I attempt to view things from my mother’s perspective…and gaze into her beautiful but vacant eyes (I really want to know what she is thinking) I notice that she no longer has the faintest interest in curious people, places, things, money, or even what’s on television.
She operates solely on human contact, silly smiles, and tiny pats on her hands, small gestures made by her caregivers, parts of songs and scriptures and the treats that are pressed into her hands for her to enjoy.

The simple things in life.

The stuff that truly matters.

The chuckles and giggles from yesterday…the cause no longer remembered, only the warmth and joy they brought.

Her fast paced, active, busy body life is now reduced to hour after hour of staring into space…She no longer frets about “who is bringing the bacon home or whether there is bacon?”…She doesn’t even think about the “bacon” at all. 

She truly, in every respect is resting in Our Fathers care… a living example of His providence and provision of us, His Children.

This thought has reminded me once again that ALL provision comes from our Father in Heaven…He knows our needs and He cares for us in every way. He provides the “bacon” for our daily needs and it really doesn’t matter who is bringing the bacon home because it all originates with Him anyway.

Matthew 6:25-34
The Cure for Anxiety
25 “Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?27 And who of you by worrying can add one [a]hour to [the length of] his life?28 And why are you worried about clothes? See how the lilies and wildflowers of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin [wool to make clothing],29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory and splendor dressed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive and green today and tomorrow is [cut and] thrown [as fuel] into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’32 For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,]for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
END

Do you sometimes find yourself fretting about things you cannot change anyhow? Are there challenges in your life that are threatening to overwhelm you? 

Perhaps we should both just spend some time reflecting on the above mentioned versus and find the peace that comes with realization that “He has got the whole World in his Hands”. He will provide the “bacon” in whichever form is required at the right time.

*Hugs* till next time.

Ariéte

Friday, 9 October 2015

Modern Day Samaritan Woman

FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY

TRUST

When time permits I join a group of writers for Five Minute Friday, hosted by Kate Motaung. Every week we write for five minutes after receiving a one word prompt. No editing or over thinking involved….Just writing for the love of writing. For more information please visit Kate Motaung at Heading Home. 


 The word for this week is:


START:

Sometimes life is just like the inside of a bowling alley…

Bowling balls barrelling down on the pins in wave after wave of one calamity after the other … deafening cheers of evil drowning out the heartfelt cries of those who are struck down and fall…

In between, in the background the agonising chug… chug… chug… sound of the bowling ball… being caught up and rolling back up the chute for the next round can be heard.

The demons of calamity and chaos making up teams and lining up in glee, to take their turns at aiming, swinging and throwing their bowling balls directly at the pins, perfectly lined up and ready to be whacked down all over again. Keeping score as they go… ominously being cheered on by some of our very own acquaintances and friends???

(We all know those people who take pleasure in watching others fall, laughing and gleefully clapping when they see the results …never realizing how perilously close they are to being next …)

Have you ever felt like you can barely catch your breath, while grappling with yet another calamity, another difficulty, another malady, another goliath???

I am the bowling pin waiting alongside my family (my fellow bowling pins), until the next strike …

Will we all fall down?

Will some of us fall down?

Who will be struck next?

Struck down by whom?

Struck down by what?

Up ahead in the glow of the neon lights and blaring music, the enemy is already lining up behind the foul line again … for the next round ….and another … and another … wave after wave …

To throw yet another bowling ball (another calamity) our way…

Dodging these calamities are out of the question …

We are pinned down on this earth …

In this life …

In this battle …

There is nowhere to escape to…

Sometimes the bowling balls run straight down the middle of the lane and knock me over…and loving battle weary family and friends rally round to pick me up again …

Other times the bowling balls just touch me ever so lightly and I may wobble a little while finding my balance, but I do not fall over…and I can help my loved ones at least find their feet again…

Sometimes the bowling balls end up running down the gutter and passed me … and with a sigh of relief I realise I have a breather … to catch my breath …

And I know … oh how well do I know that I am not innocent …not an innocent victim … No …Guilty …Guilty …

My sins have contributed to the sorry state of this bowling alley called earth …
My failure to be righteous …

My failure to arise and serve that which is right and good …

My failure to raise my voice against the evil that pervades our society and media …

My failure to save my very own loved ones ….

Despite this

I TRUST

That my God is mighty to save …

Isaiah 63:1 “Who is this who comes from Edom,
With crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom],
This One (the Messiah) who is majestic in His apparel,
Marching in the greatness of His might?
“It is I, [the One] who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming vindication], mighty to save.”
(AMP) Emphasis my own.

I TRUST

That my God reigns and is in control …

Revelation 2:10 “Fear nothing in the things you’re about to suffer—but stay on guard! Fear nothing! The Devil is about to throw you in jail for a time of testing—ten days. It won’t last forever. “Don’t quit, even if it costs you your life. Stay there believing. I have a Life-Crown sized and ready for you. ” (The Message) Emphasis my own.

I TRUST

IN JESUS

Hebrews 12: 1 - 3 “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” (The Message) Emphasis my own.

This post took longer than five minutes, as I found myself caught up in my own analogy…Anyhow despite that I will still link up. Perhaps this post will provide hope for one more soul…being battered by life…

Are you weary of struggle? Don’t give up! Never give up! Hang onto Jesus with both hands and watch the salvation of our God…

*Hugs* till next time.


Ariéte

Friday, 10 July 2015

Modern Day Samaritan Woman

Five Minute Friday

Hope


I have recently joined a group of writers for Five Minute Friday, hosted by Kate Motaung. Every week we write for five minutes after receiving a one word prompt. No editing or over thinking involved….Just writing for the love of writing. 

For more information please visit Kate Motaung at Heading Home. 


Here goes!!!!



Psalm 42:11 “Why are you cast down, O my soul? 
And why are you disquieted within me? 
Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, 
The help of my countenance and my God.”

Hope rushes into  the ruins of our troubles.

Hope wades right into our heavy and hard …

Hope is a person … a saviour …

When all seems at its worst, Hope ignites a tiny spark within my heart… 

That just maybe … it will turn out alright

Just maybe … it will pass

prompting me to try again …

to get up …

 to face the ugly head on…

to press into the hard …

to deal with the impossible and unpleasant …

Hope not only wades right  into my mess to find me …

Hope also picks me up … and carries me out

When I am just …

 too heavy to look up …

too heavy to stand …

too heavy to move ….

Hope is my Jesus…

Knowing that He has all things in His hands …

Aware that He loves me … Despite me …

I dare to hope in Hope!!!

Because I know He always brings me out of the heavy…

He always saves me …

I will sing His praises because He is the One who is worthy of my praise…

He is my saviour and my God…

Do you like me sometimes find yourself deep in the heaviness of heart brought on by circumstances and life?  
Sometimes we walk right into it without thought; but most times circumstances throw us into the middle of the ugly and hard and we struggle to stay afloat …

Remember always: Hope is a Person and His name is Jesus…

He will fetch you right in the middle of your mess…and bring you out of it…

*Hugs* till next time.

Ariéte



Thursday, 9 July 2015

Modern Day Samaritan Woman

Multiple Miniature “Me’s”

Choosing Simplicity but finding Complication instead!!!


How to survive the voices (pressures) that never cease!!!


As a young girl I used to imagine hundreds of different miniature me’s running around in my head and body, fulfilling all the various functions required to keep me going. (Very similar to the current “Minion Mania”, they each had their own voices, functions and appearances, yet they were never the less very much …

Miniature Me’s…(MM’s)

There was the MM that wanted to be smart and work well at school and the MM that wanted to be cool and popular instead.

There was another MM that wanted to grow up fast and one that was quite content to stay a child…doing childish things and having fun.

There was the MM that was crying out to God and then the other that didn’t want to be quite that good (yet)…

There was the MM that wanted to run away when my mother remarried and we discovered that her new husband was a wife and child beater. The other MM who felt trapped in an impossible situation and counted the years until freedom.

And so the pressure of life mounted and waned, as each voice was constantly whispering, whispering in my head, driving my thoughts and actions to perform, escape, run, survive and fight.

I used to long for peace and simplicity…I believed that when I was an adult it would be better. I would automatically know what to do all the time and the voices would go away and life would be simple…uncomplicated.


But, as a young wife and mother, instead of finding the simplicity I craved,
more MM’s entered the space in my head….

Now there was the MM that planned “Healthy Meals” and themed Birthday Parties, co-ordinated perfection and practicality into every item of furniture, cushion and curtain  of every room, while the another MM was quite content to grab a quick sandwich and live in a comfy mismatched, contented home instead.

The MM that planned trips to the library and other beneficial field trips, in order to properly educate my children, and yet another MM that required the perfect picket fence version of home and hearth…

The MM that fretted about illness, calamity and all manner of possible mishap that could befall my children, paranoid about every tree, sharp object or strange person who happened to glance in their direction.

The MM that insisted my children would not relive my childhood, but would instead have a fairy tale childhood. The MM that was always a few steps ahead removing obstacles and threats to ensure that their lives did not mirror mine.

There was the MM that cried out to God, studying the bible
in order to be the perfect wife and mother.

While it appeared as if I had it all together, the voices in my head were relentless, ever pushing me to my version of perfection, while my soul was crying out for less…

The pressure mounted and waned with the years, but never truly left.
Simplicity was always my first choice, but it was elusive…

And so I believed that this constant pressure and drive would remain for only a season…when my kids grew up and left home, the season would change and the voices for go away and I could pursue a life of simplicity…Gone would be the pressure and constant drive to perform.


Now that my children have grown up and left home, and my step children are also almost out of the house I found that instead of less, there are now new MM’s that have taken up residence in my head.

The MM that wants to ace this step-mom thing, while there is another MM telling me to chill. I have already earned my stripes and don’t have to work so hard.

The MM that is the efficient employee, thriving at the challenge to assist in the growth of a company, while another MM would much rather be pottering about the garden, enjoying the sun and nature.

The MM that is the caregiver to my mother, ever on edge, walking on eggs and ready to handle whatever crisis the new day/night will bring and the MM who is simply weary of it all…Just wishing to have a deadline at least…How often will we wake up tonight? How long will the arguments and nonsensical discussions continue? How to handle the false accusations of theft and still remain true and loving? How to protect the other family members from the verbal abuse that is hurled at them when confusion and frustration set in and mom does not know what she is saying and doing?

The MM crying out to God for wisdom and peace, for patience and perseverance, and the MM that is resentful of the interruption to the simplicity I was striving for, after all these years.

I think we all have these miniature me’s running our thoughts and minds to one degree or another. Some people manage to drown them out with television, hobbies or alcohol, others ignore the voices and others simply give in to them succumbing to the pressures of life.

I read in scripture that Jesus came to make us whole and I have chosen to hang onto Jesus no matter what my MM’s are saying to me and no matter what outside pressures I face…He has made me whole….



He has been the foundation to my world ever since I was a child. While all the MM’s ran around my head and often collided with one another, He has always been a prayer away restoring my soul and strengthening me to face the task at hand. 

He can do the same for you…


Do you sometimes feel pressurized and harassed by the world and it’s cares. These are all real and unrelenting yet even as we face them and face the uncertainty of life we can “hang onto Jesus with both hands”…

Only He knows the purpose and the end…so only He can safely guide us through…

*Hugs* till next time.

Ariéte