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~ Feather-N-Ink ~
Rebecca Britt, Oregon
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Resolve to Remember
In
the rush of - get to work - oops! late for church - run to choir rehearsals -
squeeze in gift shopping on grocery money - fulfill familial obligations (say
that three times fast)- et alllllllll, I waited until beyond the last minute to
cook up something with 'sage' in it ala Solomon. I threw up a few prayers
faster than a small load of laundry gets thrown into the dryer and listened
with half an ear for the still small voice of my Counselor over the Christmas
music. I never fail to be amazed at the marvelous grace of God in the midst of
my shortcomings.
"So,
What Now?"
That's
the theme that caught my eye and glued itself to my brain. Add to that, Holy
Spirit is telling me to write what I know and, suddenly, I find myself thinking
back instead of forward.
I
Chronicles 16:12 instructs us to "Remember His marvelous works which He
has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth..." Psalms
77:11-12 reiterates, "I will remember the works of the Lord,
surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your
work, and talk of Your deeds” (“doings”
in KJV).
God's
loving kindness is rarely acknowledged in the moment but always and ultimately
viewed by hindsight. At least, that's been my experience. Therefore, when I
slow down long enough to meditate on any facet of my past, I see the wings that
Jesus longed to cover over Israel sheltering me.
If
this has prompted you to recall some less than pleasant memories, you might be
thinking, "What? Are you nuts?!" I can only respond with the adage
that 'those who do not learn from their past are doomed to repeat it'.
After
so many repetitions, I began to learn some things. Painful abuses, in forms too
numerous to mention, have taught me that forgiveness is not so much something
one does, but what one walks in like my favorite shirt. Decisions made in anger
or without seeking counsel or neglecting to confer with God have shown me His
chastisement is a kindness that brings about real repentance.
I
pray that all will recognize and remember the wonders He has performed, be they
miracles of healing, fabulous rescues (He kept me from plunging off a five
hundred foot cliff), the salvation of loved ones and strangers’ alike, unexplained
provision, the list is endless. From these I have learned to fully trust in my
Lord and Savior. I have also found that the freedom gained from nailing my ear
to the doorpost (the mark of a bond slave) causes me to exhibit a confidence
that draws people.
Finally;
from raising a family on a small farm, I've learned about fruit. (Galatians
5:22-23) A person's expression, verbiage,
and body language will never fail to tell me if my fruit is palatable.
So,
for the 'New Year', I resolve to remember that, by God's grace, I can learn to
be more sensitive to others; see as Christ sees; tune my ears to His voice and
do what He tells me to do.
Faith
really does encompass the nuts and bolts of life if one chooses to live by it.
Romans 1:17 This brings to mind five sacrifices in which God takes great
pleasure. Look up the scriptures that speak of offering up a living sacrifice,
the sacrifice of praise, joy, thanksgiving, and righteousness. When bulls and
rams were burnt upon the alter, the smoke rose as a sweet savor. Barbeques
smell good! Whenever I feel put upon, stressed, hurt, angry, ad infinitum, I'm
reminded to "Put another steak (that's me dying here) on the
bar-be!!!" This can't happen unless and until I 'Resolve to Remember'.
May
you be blessed and prosper in Christ.
Love
to all--
Rebecca
