A swirl here and a whiz there and the dust rises from the ground. Around and around it flies. Every now and then Hands can be seen shaping and molding some sort of being. In no time at all a man steps forth. He is complex in all the wonder of creation. He has a mind to think. He has hands to create. He has a heart to express emotions. He is loaded with talents too numerous to count. He names every living creature around. The outside has been created for the eye to see and the inside has been created for the heart to find. So intricately woven through and through. The man lies down for a deep sleep. The Hand pulls out a rib. Once again, the dust soars! Around and around it flies. The Hand is busy with His masterpiece. All too soon the work is done and a woman is presented. Her hair flows freely. Her eyes sparkle with delight. Lips as smooth as satin. Her moves graceful and free. She can think. She can speak. She has been given a heart of gold. A heart after God Himself. Her touches are tender. The man wakes up and is blown away by the Hand! For you see, He knew exactly how to create the man. He knew what His intentions were for the woman. Both designs similar but vastly different. Both creations were His beauty personified. He saw His work and knew it was good. Over in the corner, a snake saw His work and knew it was good. The plan came into motion to destroy all things good. He saw the woman and the way man looked at her and knew it was time to act.
I glance in the mirror and my face instantly crinkles up in disgust. Those annoying pink splotches are decorating my chin. My hair is an exact replica of a bird's nest full of frazzled twists and frizzy turns. My love handles are becoming a tad too pronounced. The craters on each side of my face indent so far that I could eat cereal out of them! I could stand in front of that mirror and my list would never end. On and on I would go scrutinizing every detail and by the time I went to finally pick up my Bible for quality time with Jesus it would be time to begin the day.
As females, so much time, energy, and money go into our appearance. Since day one, society gives woman a certain way to look, think, act, speak, etc. It is splattered on our televisions, magazines, internet, and anywhere else one may think to look. Don't you wish you could have been Eve in the garden? She was the only woman alive. All eyes were on her and she was completely secure in who she was as a woman and she found security in the meeting of her needs. Her husband had no other woman to compare her to so she had complete commitment and intimacy. She walked with God daily and had no other source to lead her to believe anything other than Truth! What peace and satisfaction until...Satan realized his impending doom and knew this could not go on. Hello pornography, weight programs, endless make-up brands, and mirrors!
We find throughout God's Word that true beauty comes from a pure heart. "Man looks on the outside but God searches the heart." Proverbs 31 portrays a woman beautiful from the inside out. She has a strength about her that can only be attained by a daily relationship with Jesus Christ. She is confident in who she is, what she looks like, and how she behaves because she seeks His face every morning and asks for satisfaction. You want to be beautiful?! Ask Him for it! But remember, when you ask you will not receive unless you are asking with the right motives. Our motive as Christian women should always be to bring glory to the God who created us. He didn't make us beautiful for our own agendas but so we could find a way to use it to bring Him honor and praise.
You don't understand Britt. There is nothing pretty about my outside! I can't stand to look at myself in the mirror. Then darling sister it is time you step away from the world for a moment and embrace your Creator. Go into the garden where you are the only woman around and wait to hear from the only opinion that matters! This is what He told me when I would ask Him why I was ugly. He said, "Brittany look at your feet. What are you standing on?" At the time I was standing on dirt. "Dirt, Lord." "Exactly, that is what you started as. I brought you from the ashes of dust and transformed you into My image! Brittany, is my image ugly? Do I create ugly beings? How can you say to the One who formed you that you are ugly? That is you saying you know the way better than I. I AM THE GOD OF HEAVENS ARMIES and you do not know My plans for My ways are greater than yours and My thoughts are higher than yours. From mere dirt I took you and formed you into a marvelous creation so all the world will know My name. Come away with me Daughter every day and let me remind you of who you are meant to be. I know this world throws lies at you. I am aware that every day you face doubt, fear, and defeat, but GREATER is He that is in you than he that is in the world! Rise Daughter! You are beautiful for you were created by My hands! Look at the dirt! It does nothing! Now look in the mirror and say, "WOW!"
That is just what I did. Sometimes many times a day I have to look for dirt to be reminded where I came from and who this woman is God created. It is a marvelous and freeing reality when you finally realize that you are one in a million! There is no one else on this planet that resembles you and the God of Heaven thinks you are beautiful and He delights in you as if you were His Bride because you are! If you have been given the name of Jesus then you are taken! God surrounds Himself with beauty because He is beauty! Believe it and let it captivate your heart! A woman full of Jesus can't help but be beautiful! :)
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Broken Vessels
The clay rotates as the Potter's hands shape and mold. His face is disheveled in pure concentration. The potter is focused on the task at hand. His life remains uninterrupted by the loving purpose He intends for His creation. Nothing else seems important except for the eternal result that comes from a job well done. Viewers critique the clump and fail to see that there will be a day it will be complete. They can only see what is before them. They are blind to the vision in His mind. Only He can see the original masterpiece. He places it in the fire anxious to hold it once more. The refining is soon over and the jar is removed. The Potter is saddened for now His work is done. His Name is etched through and through, but now He must let it go. There has to be a way He can still exist through this pot? A beautiful jewel He created but something is amiss. The inside is empty! He can place something new! A candle will do! He is light to the dark world. He knows this idea is brilliant. He takes His light but nothing shines through. He is perfect so His creation will be too. He desires for His pot to need Him. For the clay to cry His name. Perfection fails to see in dependence there is power. So a crack here and a crack there He invokes. The process is painful but the reward everlasting. To see His beauty cracked and flawed brings great sorrow. His efforts poured into this single pot so to see it damaged churns His heart. Once more He places His light, but this time the pot shines bright! The Potter is thrilled with His plan! For now He has found a way to show the world who He is. There is something to be said of the Creator's perfection but His glory abounds through imperfection!
Living the life as a preacher's daughter, expectations surrounded me. Not only from my elders and peers, but also from my parents. As a kid, that is normal. People will always have great expectations of you. The real issue comes when you become obsessed with those expectations and seek to always please. For when you fail, you are left feeling defeated. You know you will never measure up but for some reason you seek to please even harder then next time. Pretty soon your well is dry and you are one broken vessel. You desire to be used but despair keeps you from bringing glory to your Maker.
I accepted this form of Christianity. The kind that you are only right with God when you are doing what you and others think you should be doing for the Kingdom. This is based off of a 'work for grace' religion. For so long, I couldn't figure out why I couldn't defeat sin in my life as I tried to work for God's approval. I feared that all the wrong moves I was making resulted in complete seclusion from my Creator. On the outside my pot seemed to have it's original luster but the inside was shattering. My candle was dimming and darkness was becoming my closest friend. Praise God that finally the inside began to show itself on the outside! My cracks were spreading! The ugliness from living life on my own began to seep into everything I did! I just knew this would be the end and hopelessness set in. I fell to my face and the only words that came out of my mouth were, "Jesus, HELP ME!"
I heard Him say, "FINALLY!" He was wondering just how many cracks it would take for me to cry out to the one who created me. This life wasn't meant for me to live through my own ability! No wonder I was doomed in sin! I was carrying a load I was never intended to carry. The pot cannot say to it's Potter, "Why did you make me like this?" I did not know the best way for my life because I didn't create myself. My pot was no longer beautiful and my light was almost completely snuffed out. Cracks had made a lasting impression! He leaned in and re-ignited my fire! Something marvelous happened through those cracks that I thought were my ultimate undoing. I shined! The pain I had faced from my marks brought a light into my life I never thought possible. His light!
God does not desire perfection because He is perfection. He already has perfection. God looks for our weaknesses because through them He can show His greatness and glory! When we are sapped of all that is left of our human selves that is when we are ready for Him to step in and say RISE to our ashes scattered in the dust. I no longer seek to please those around me and I joyfully accept His grace every single morning! Without my Potter my pot would be dull and lifeless. The truth is we are all one shatter away. Trust your Potter and do not fear the cracks of life! Embrace them and watch the light shine!
"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." ~2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)
Living the life as a preacher's daughter, expectations surrounded me. Not only from my elders and peers, but also from my parents. As a kid, that is normal. People will always have great expectations of you. The real issue comes when you become obsessed with those expectations and seek to always please. For when you fail, you are left feeling defeated. You know you will never measure up but for some reason you seek to please even harder then next time. Pretty soon your well is dry and you are one broken vessel. You desire to be used but despair keeps you from bringing glory to your Maker.
I accepted this form of Christianity. The kind that you are only right with God when you are doing what you and others think you should be doing for the Kingdom. This is based off of a 'work for grace' religion. For so long, I couldn't figure out why I couldn't defeat sin in my life as I tried to work for God's approval. I feared that all the wrong moves I was making resulted in complete seclusion from my Creator. On the outside my pot seemed to have it's original luster but the inside was shattering. My candle was dimming and darkness was becoming my closest friend. Praise God that finally the inside began to show itself on the outside! My cracks were spreading! The ugliness from living life on my own began to seep into everything I did! I just knew this would be the end and hopelessness set in. I fell to my face and the only words that came out of my mouth were, "Jesus, HELP ME!"
I heard Him say, "FINALLY!" He was wondering just how many cracks it would take for me to cry out to the one who created me. This life wasn't meant for me to live through my own ability! No wonder I was doomed in sin! I was carrying a load I was never intended to carry. The pot cannot say to it's Potter, "Why did you make me like this?" I did not know the best way for my life because I didn't create myself. My pot was no longer beautiful and my light was almost completely snuffed out. Cracks had made a lasting impression! He leaned in and re-ignited my fire! Something marvelous happened through those cracks that I thought were my ultimate undoing. I shined! The pain I had faced from my marks brought a light into my life I never thought possible. His light!
God does not desire perfection because He is perfection. He already has perfection. God looks for our weaknesses because through them He can show His greatness and glory! When we are sapped of all that is left of our human selves that is when we are ready for Him to step in and say RISE to our ashes scattered in the dust. I no longer seek to please those around me and I joyfully accept His grace every single morning! Without my Potter my pot would be dull and lifeless. The truth is we are all one shatter away. Trust your Potter and do not fear the cracks of life! Embrace them and watch the light shine!
"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." ~2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The Happily Ever After The Stories Seem to Miss!
It's a story as old as time. The fair maiden is trapped in a tower waiting for a prince to rescue her. Dreaming the days away until she spots him in the distance atop his mighty steed. When he closes the final distance her heart knows he has slayed the magnificent dragon. She rejoices because he has shown perseverance all in the name of love. She is secure in the relationship that follows for he has fought almost to the brink of death just to win her heart.
As a romantic at heart, these dramatic love stories captivated my attention growing up. I yearned for a handsome prince to seek me out. I couldn't wait to ride off into the sunset clinging tightly to my one true love. Never mind that I don't like horses and never intend to ride one. :) That didn't matter. I knew some day my love story would say 'and they lived happily ever after.' Well, I'm older now and have grown quite a bit since the age of six. My tower is more like a one room apartment. The space is suffocating and I need a real bathroom with all of it's luxuries! I have twiddled my thumbs for so long that blisters have come and gone. One more moment in what I now call my prison cell and I may not have a single hair on my head left to yank out. You see, I have spent my days yearning for my prince to come only to wake up day after day to disappointment. The stories never mentioned what the princess did in her spare time before the prince. They seem to leave those important details to the viewers' imagination.
Just when I was ready to submit to despair, I saw in the distance not a horse but a cloud and on this cloud stood a man! A man who shone with radiance and glory. One I knew was not of this horrid place but must be a King from a distant land. My heart pumped vigorously with anticipation and surprisingly He floated to my very window! When He spoke my entire body trembled. "Daughter, why are you locked away in this tower? There is a world out there that needs your beauty and tender heart! The damsel in distress does not become you! Take my hand! There's adventure intended for you!" His words brought promise but I was terrified! To forsake my walls could mean my prince I would miss. This man came to me riding a cloud. Surely, I could trust what He had to say. "Sir, who are you and why have you come?" Could I trust Him? His smile brightened at my question. His eyes full of fire and passion illuminated the room. "I have come to ask for your heart. For I am Jesus and I'm the Prince of all times. This waiting for your love is a waste of your life. I provide the love you need. I'm the One who has come to set you free! Let's jump and take life as it comes because with me life is abundant! And guess what My dear Daughter?! You have your own dragon to slay. There is one out there that will be worthy of your affection, but you will never reach him if you stay locked away. So come with Me and let's enter the battle. For your prince is looking for a queen and you only reach this type of perfection through Me."
Together my Prince and I escaped the dungeon! We set out on the rocky road before us. There were thorns, briers, and bushes galore! Each turn a new temptation to just head back to the tower. I forged ahead worried I was all alone but looking up I saw the cloud. I have still not reached the other side where my earthly prince waits for me but when I do he will know he is marrying a queen!
Ladies and gents, I have learned singleness is a vital time to grow in the Lord. The dark ones have lied to me for so long and the world has been my 'friend.' I have bought into the bogusness that relationships will complete you so just wait around until that special guy comes. Jesus Christ has taught me differently. There will be a guy some day that will allow me his name, but in this moment I have dragons of this life to slay. I have an adventure to live! My heart is not ready just yet for that special time when the season changes. I challenge you young ladies to embrace the King of your heart and watch as life unfolds! True life that keeps you too busy to twiddle your thumbs! Fairy tales have placed an emphasis on the damsel in distress but guys are human and sometimes the dragon may seem to delay their progress; however, when Jesus is breaking down the barriers for the both of you the day you meet will be more precious than silver or gold. You can be a warrior princess ladies! The kind of lady that a Godly man will know can stand through any storm and will never abandon or forsake because Christ has taught her heart not to fear. Wake up every morning with the desire to worship your King and prepare yourself for the adventure of a lifetime! :)
<3 Psalm 18 <3
As a romantic at heart, these dramatic love stories captivated my attention growing up. I yearned for a handsome prince to seek me out. I couldn't wait to ride off into the sunset clinging tightly to my one true love. Never mind that I don't like horses and never intend to ride one. :) That didn't matter. I knew some day my love story would say 'and they lived happily ever after.' Well, I'm older now and have grown quite a bit since the age of six. My tower is more like a one room apartment. The space is suffocating and I need a real bathroom with all of it's luxuries! I have twiddled my thumbs for so long that blisters have come and gone. One more moment in what I now call my prison cell and I may not have a single hair on my head left to yank out. You see, I have spent my days yearning for my prince to come only to wake up day after day to disappointment. The stories never mentioned what the princess did in her spare time before the prince. They seem to leave those important details to the viewers' imagination.
Just when I was ready to submit to despair, I saw in the distance not a horse but a cloud and on this cloud stood a man! A man who shone with radiance and glory. One I knew was not of this horrid place but must be a King from a distant land. My heart pumped vigorously with anticipation and surprisingly He floated to my very window! When He spoke my entire body trembled. "Daughter, why are you locked away in this tower? There is a world out there that needs your beauty and tender heart! The damsel in distress does not become you! Take my hand! There's adventure intended for you!" His words brought promise but I was terrified! To forsake my walls could mean my prince I would miss. This man came to me riding a cloud. Surely, I could trust what He had to say. "Sir, who are you and why have you come?" Could I trust Him? His smile brightened at my question. His eyes full of fire and passion illuminated the room. "I have come to ask for your heart. For I am Jesus and I'm the Prince of all times. This waiting for your love is a waste of your life. I provide the love you need. I'm the One who has come to set you free! Let's jump and take life as it comes because with me life is abundant! And guess what My dear Daughter?! You have your own dragon to slay. There is one out there that will be worthy of your affection, but you will never reach him if you stay locked away. So come with Me and let's enter the battle. For your prince is looking for a queen and you only reach this type of perfection through Me."
Together my Prince and I escaped the dungeon! We set out on the rocky road before us. There were thorns, briers, and bushes galore! Each turn a new temptation to just head back to the tower. I forged ahead worried I was all alone but looking up I saw the cloud. I have still not reached the other side where my earthly prince waits for me but when I do he will know he is marrying a queen!
Ladies and gents, I have learned singleness is a vital time to grow in the Lord. The dark ones have lied to me for so long and the world has been my 'friend.' I have bought into the bogusness that relationships will complete you so just wait around until that special guy comes. Jesus Christ has taught me differently. There will be a guy some day that will allow me his name, but in this moment I have dragons of this life to slay. I have an adventure to live! My heart is not ready just yet for that special time when the season changes. I challenge you young ladies to embrace the King of your heart and watch as life unfolds! True life that keeps you too busy to twiddle your thumbs! Fairy tales have placed an emphasis on the damsel in distress but guys are human and sometimes the dragon may seem to delay their progress; however, when Jesus is breaking down the barriers for the both of you the day you meet will be more precious than silver or gold. You can be a warrior princess ladies! The kind of lady that a Godly man will know can stand through any storm and will never abandon or forsake because Christ has taught her heart not to fear. Wake up every morning with the desire to worship your King and prepare yourself for the adventure of a lifetime! :)
<3 Psalm 18 <3
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