Feathers

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4

I have been hanging out under the wings of the Most High for a while now. It is a good place to be. I get plenty of time to study his feathers.

Feathers.
Flight, Fight. Frame.
Wings. Warrior. Writer.

Feathers.
Comfort. Costume. Cover.
Pillow. Plumage. Protection.

The Lord carries me on the wings of the wind. Our flight over the mountains and through the valleys fills my soul with adventure and confidence.

The Lord fights for me. His plume is my quill, the sword that slays all fear and doubt with songs of deliverance, written on the shield of his faithfulness.

The Lord is the author of my being. He hems me in behind and before, framing my life with the endurance of his word.

The Lord is my rest, drawing me to the downy comfort of his kindness. I lay my head upon the peace of his presence.

The Lord is my beauty. He adorns my life with joy and gladness. My life in him is vibrant and colorful.

The Lord is my hiding place. I am sheltered from all danger, nestled close to his heart, where I can hear the steady beat of his love and strength.

Feathers! El Shaddai has great feathers!

Great Gardener

My mind is like a field
Flowers of thoughts
I want to gather a bouquet
To place here on the table
There do not seem to be
Many thoughts for me
To pick from
The field isn’t blooming
So here’s a bundle of grass
And a fist full of dirt

I wrote that poem about two years ago.

Yesterday I went out into my yard and found a rose and a few dahlias and some cat mint, just a little of leftover summer to brighten my kitchen table on an overcast autumn day.

Progress. I didn’t settle for dried grass and dirt this year. I found flowers, even after a night where cold threatened to steal any remaining beauty.

There will always be beauty. I have gotten better at finding it. I have gotten better at cultivating it when the weather is good. I am not just rambling about the seasons of Ohio. I am articulating the seasons of the soul.

When the mornings greet me with sunshine and hope, I plant – fill my mind with whatever is true, lovely, right, pure, noble, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy (Philippians); I weed – taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5); I water what is growing in my soul with worship and praise and prayer. When the season changes, when it is harder to jump out of bed and greet the day; I see fruit that has grown and needs to be harvested and shared.

I beseech you. Do not settle for dried grass and dirt as I did. If you didn’t plant anything this year, there is grace for you. Here, let me share this fruit with you. Enjoy the nourishment and savor the sweet, then save the seeds and plant something beautiful for yourself and for others.

The best part. You don’t have to figure out how it will grow. It WILL. I know this because I share with you fruit that will last. The seed is the Word of God. The Son is the Light that makes it spring forth. Christ is the Living Water that keeps it fresh and fragrant.

Let your heart be good soil! When you feel the growth springing forth in your soul, take care of it. Protect it. And if you don’t know how, ask the One who does. He is a Great Gardener!

Autumn

Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. (Joel 2:23)

Leona, October 2005

Joel, October 2009

Elianna, October 2009

November 2017

Nathan, November 2019

Julia, November 2019

November 2020

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. (James 5:7)

Bolder

The tears fell so hard and fast
It was like an avalanche
A landslide

Boulders of emotion
Breaking off the ridge of my soul
Tumbling down the mountain of my mind
Blocking the road of my will

Is this erosion
Or the natural shifting of my soulscape?

Where is my sign:

Beware of Falling Tears

(written October 2020)