He Uses Birds....

    On my front porch we have filled the hummingbird feeder with sugar water due to a visiting female hummingbird. Since adding the water, we have 2 more coming to feed; one is a baby (teeny-tiny) and another female, yet a different color than the first.

Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world, with the bee hummingbird being about 5.5 cm long. As I have seen in the past few days the hummingbird is also very protective of their territory and will chase other birds....much larger than them. 

This reminds me of the verses:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, wether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ~~ Philippians 4:12-13

These small birds have strength in Him. I should always trust His strength too.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or read or store away in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ~~ Matthew 6:25-27

He takes care of the birds, why should I worry if He will take care of me?

God uses His creatures to teach us and remind us. Thank you Lord for reminding me. Amen.

His Grace.

"Lord I crawled across the barrenness to you with my empty cup uncertain in asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had know you better I'd have come running with a bucket." ~~Nancy Spiegelberg

For many years the prayers I prayed were Prayers of Petition/Supplication/Requests, I was always asking God for something.

• Lord, please rescue me from this...
• Lord, if you do this...I will...
• Lord, I need....
• Lord, I want...
• Lord, please send me....
• Lord, why won't you.....

Today in my walk with Jesus, my prayers tend to be more Prayers of Thanksgiving/Praise and Worship.

• Lord, thank you for healing me.
• Lord, thank you for saving me.
• Lord, thank you for giving me mercy.
• Lord, I honor you, praise you, glorify you.
• Lord, you are my rock and my shield.

Yet, I still undermine God with all of my prayers. I am NOT worthy of His love, mercy and grace. I am undeserving in my own skin and only through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior am I worthy. Regardless of what my prayers are, they are NEVER enough. 

• I CANNOT ask for the abundance He wants me to have, because I cannot fathom it.
• I CANNOT ask for the blessings He wants me to have, because I cannot understand it.
• I CANNOT thank Him enough, because I cannot see it.
• I CANNOT worship Him enough, because I am only human.
• I CANNOT honor Him the way He should be honored, yet He still gives me grace.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John 1:1, 14 emphasis added)

Today, I ask for a small drop of refreshment and I need to be carrying a bucket for what He provides. Words cannot express the humility and gratitude I have, only because of His grace.

My walks.....

I walked a mile with Pleasure
She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow
And ne'er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me. ~~Robert Browning Hamilton

Truth: I started writing about something else and was led to change it and just share about me. I will walk through the above poem with you....

I walked a mile with Pleasure:

I ignored God, I sought pleasure....regardless of the circumstances, consequences or harm I caused to others.

She chattered all the way:

The obsessive thoughts were allowed to take control.....they were not ignored, the thoughts turned into actions and in most cases the actions were very harmful to myself and others.

But left me none the wiser:

When in my own will...I do NOT learn, I do it all for another glory and it is not the glory of God.

For all she had to say:

She still continues to plague me at times, yes those times are fewer and farther between. The Holy Spirit is now my guardian against her talk.

I walked a mile with Sorrow:

The pain and the sorrow I have experienced is indescribable at times. Sometimes it feels like a movie in my head as opposed to memories I have.

And ne'er a word said she:

There was nothing for her to say....the pain said it all.

But oh, the things I learned from her:

From Sorrow I learned. I learned what NOT to do. I learned pleasure is not always a good thing. I learned pleasure can and most often does result in pain, sometimes horrific. I learned MY way does not work and I learned I want to glorify Him in EVERYTHING.

When Sorrow walked with me:

I sought Our Lord more and I learned this:

Psalm 23 (KJV)

   The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

All of us have experienced pain. All of us have experienced joy. The levels for each are all different. That does not mean one is greater, better, worse, sadder, more profound, more painful or more joyful than anyone else's. Each of us has a testimony we have been GIVEN. I say GIVEN, because many times it was not CHOSEN. Yes, there are things in life we choose which in turn create circumstances, outcomes, benefits, consequences, etc...yet life is a gift and our experiences are GIVEN to further a purpose greater than we can fathom. It is OUR responsibility to walk with Sorrow occasionally, just so God can mold us into a better jar of clay. 

When I let go of Pleasure (the "me" in everything) and embrace the Sorrow...He heals me and refines me to better suit His purpose.

Amen.