Jesus’ Love Blooms Forever

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It’s so sad to see summer slowly creeping away. The flowers aren’t as vibrant. The birds are fewer at the bird feeder. I hear less songs. Even when the birds do sing, they sound less enthused.

I wonder… Is that why I feel dull and gloomy? Is that why I can’t seem to string two thoughts together to make sense? Is that why I feel so empty of something worthwhile to write?

Or maybe it’s the enemies – insecurity and inferiority – that are disrupting my thoughts and choking the words that want to come up.

It can be a continuing struggle sometimes. I compare myself with others and start thinking I’m not good enough or not doing enough to make a difference. Since I do better with my health in a quiet routine at home, I’m often at home. I hear of others doing volunteer work and so much service for others, and I feel inadequate.

Then I have to stop myself. Again. If I base my adequacy on what I do and how much I do, I have the wrong foundation. I don’t have to do more or do some great thing to make myself more special or enough in Jesus’ eyes. I am special just to be loved by Him. To be His child. My foundation will always crumble into a heap if it is not Jesus and His love for me.

And that love endures forever. It never gets dull but stays as vibrant as ever. It never dies. Seasons in our lives or our emotions may change, but Jesus’ love never will.

“His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136 – 26 times

Even though the flowers fade away, the birds take flight, and butterflies migrate south, that doesn’t mean God leaves. He is still here and always will be. No matter what.

I love spring and summer since the new life in creation displays God and His faithfulness and tender loving care. But every season shows evidence of His grace and power if only I open my eyes to it. The sun still faithfully comes up each day. The fall brings its glorious display of color. The winter snow falls so white and clean as it sings of God’s pure grace in washing away the blackness of our hearts and making them whiter than the snow. No matter what season it is, God is still here.

We don’t even have to look outside to see His creation. We are His creation, made by Him and for Him. Our every breath comes from Him. Every good thing that comes to us is given by Him. Our every hope hangs on Him. We cannot do one thing without Him.sunrise 2 - Glen

(My son took this sunrise photo.)

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I need to enjoy every moment the flowers yet bloom and every bird that still comes instead of focusing on when they’re all gone again. And even when the blooms die out, I need to remember that Jesus’ love still blooms and will forever. No matter what season it is or what circumstances surround me. I just need to sit at His feet and open my heart. To believe what He says – that I am enough, valued, and significant in Him. To believe how much He loves me. To listen to His whispers of love and grace. To trust His guidance to lead me wherever He wants me to go.

Are you wilting in dejection? Jesus is still here for you. No matter what season of life you are going through, He is here. Rest in His love. His grace. His goodness. He can raise your wilting head. His love still blooms for you. Rest assured that His love will never wilt or die but will carry you through this life’s journey, no matter what happens. And through Him, you can bloom to spread His beauty to the lives of those around you.

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8

“One Thing Remains”
by Jesus Culture

Thank You, Jesus,
for your unfailing love!

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Linking up with: 

Holley – Coffee For Your Heart 

Jennifer – Tell His Story 

Kelly – Cheerleaders of Faith

God Cares For All His Creation, Including You

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Gloom seeped into my mind and my heart. As thick and sticky as quicksand pulling me down into a bottomless black hole. No, God, no! Help! What’s happening? Please don’t let me head down the road of depression again. I feel so stuck. Please help!

Sometimes my illness takes my voice away, and this time it hasn’t returned after nearly six weeks. I felt so discouraged on Monday morning, but I knew this gloom was from deeper within me. Sometimes past memories are triggered from when abusers took my voice away, and I knew this must be one of those times. I have been doing fairly well with processing these triggered emotions, but it wasn’t working that morning. The gloom threatened to swallow me up. I tried to think of God’s promises, but they bounced like ping-pong balls right out of my head and far out of reach of my heart.

Stolen
Christy Willard has graciously allowed me to share this.

I decided to go online to one of (In)courage’s abuse support groups I joined, and the picture someone shared from their art journal touched the hurting heart of the little girl inside of me. I cried and realized I not only need to acknowledge what was stolen from my little girl, but I also need to grieve with her for her losses as I bring her with me to rest in Jesus and His love. In His healing and restoration.

It usually helps me to process triggered emotions when I can identify from where the gloom originates. I reminded myself that Jesus has recovered all our losses on the cross. He has given me a voice that no one – past, present, or future – can ever take away from me. A voice in my soul that sometimes comes out in my writing.

But a deep sadness still weighed me down most of the day and smothered my heart like a wet, heavy blanket as I woke up the next morning. I felt so empty. I knew I needed soul rest.

I recently read a fitting acronym of REST. I have added “and abusers” to it.

Restoration of
Everything
Satan and abusers
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One of the ways God gives me REST is to go on a nature walk. It often refreshes my drooping spirit and grounds me again as to who is in control of everything. As I walked along a bike trail next to the river, God whispered, “Open your ears and listen, My child. Open your eyes and see, My child. I take care of My creation and that includes you.”

Soothing sounds reminded me God is still alive. Birds calling, frogs croaking, water gurgling and sometimes rushing, leaves singing a melody of peace as the unseen wind rustled through.

I opened my eyes and soaked in the variety of shades of green and brown throughout the trees and grasses, splashes of other colors mixed in by other plants or flowers. God’s paintbrush. Then I stopped and held my breath. A deer was only a few feet from me in the trees, a rare sight on my walks. Majestically displaying God’s tender loving care.

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And God opened my eyes to more of His creatures. A frog, a dragonfly, ducks and other birds. Even an ant crossing my path.

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With each creature, God said “I am in the ___. I am here, My precious child. Always with you. No matter how rough the journey gets, I will never, ever abandon you.”

God is still with us even when Satan takes advantage of our vulnerabilities. His shouts of lies into our thoughts try to drown out the whispers of God’s love and peace. He robs us of hope, and he tells us all that was stolen from us will never be restored. We are hopelessly dirty, damaged, and desolate for the rest of our lives.

But Truth will always prevail in the end. Jesus triumphed over Satan. God is Almighty and will never let him totally defeat us. No one, not even Satan, can snatch us out of God’s powerful grip of grace.

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
Romans 16:20 NLT


“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.
No one can snatch them away from Me,
for My Father has given them to Me,
and He is more powerful than anyone else.
No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.”
John 10:28-29 NLT

God is with us always, even when we can’t feel Him. The evidences of His tender loving care are everywhere. He will never leave us or forsake us. Sometimes our hearts may feel so broken and unmendable, but He has promised to heal. And He will in His own time and way. He has promised to restore whatever is stolen from us, and He will layer by layer, digging ever deeper and exposing all our locked away hurts to His healing love. The same God who resurrected dry bones and breathed His Spirit of life into them can completely restore what was stolen from us. And He will, because He cares so deeply.

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Joining Up With:

21 Days of Rest: Finding Spiritual Whitespace

Whitespace Writing Prompt:
Enjoy spending time in quietness.
Share what you did and what you discovered.
Share a whitespace moment.

Anguished Tunes Turn to Hope-Filled Melodies

hopesun Do you have days when your heart weighs you down in sadness, and you try and try to cling to the promises, but gloom just keeps threatening to swallow you whole? You try to concentrate on all your blessings, but a disappointment or an unmet longing steals your joy? You are not alone. Even the Psalmists sometimes started out with loss of hope, crying out to the Lord from a sinking pit of desperate need. And many prophets dealt with gloom and doom like Micah in chapter 7. Their writings overflow with tunes of anguished tears, but then a melody of hope rings through. They will still hope. They will still wait. They will still believe in a Savior who redeems, revives, and restores.

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for my Savior; my God will hear me.” (Micah 7:7)

Crying From the Depths

Gloom Dark despair
Seeping into our hearts
Snuffing out Any light Of hope.

No reviving to life
No rescue in sight
No receiving of light.

Lies thrashing us
Like thorny whips
Slashing away hope,
Nobody cares about you
Even if they act like it,
God doesn’t really care
Even if He says He does,
You are not worth it
Even if God says you are.

Where are You, God?
Do You not care? Do You not see?
Do You not know?

O God, please
Rescue me from this pit
Of inky gloom
Of drooping despair
Of extinguished joy.

I want to cry
I want to scream
I want to die.

YET I will hang on
YET I will watch for You
YET I will wait for You.

I will open my heart
And remember
Past mercies, so evident
Present gifts, so loving
Future glory, so sure.

A Child's Trust

God Whispers

Cling to Me, My Child
Don’t let Satan
And his lies
Snuff out
The light of hope
Within you.

Hang on to My hand
I will never reject you
I will never betray you
I will never leave you.

Open your heart
Believe and receive
The blood I shed
Also for you.
Let it wash you
And make you whole.

And remember
I am not dead,
I am alive.
Chains of death cannot keep me,
Graves of darkness cannot hold me,
Mountains of doubts cannot stop Me.

Yesterday and today
Forever you are
My chosen, so priceless
My beloved, so treasured
My redeemed, paid in full.

Sometimes I keep silent
To give you growth
To strengthen your trust
To deepen your love.

Hold on
Even in the dark,
I am still here
Right beside you,
Reach out your hand,
Slip it into Mine
And never let go.

If strength fails
And you can’t hold on,
Do not fear.
I have you
In My Grip
So passionate
So powerful
So protective.
You can never
Sink away
From My sight
From My grace
From My love.

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Joining Up With

A Soft Gentle Voice
Faith Barista’s Writing Prompt: Share a Whitespace Moment

Whitespace Community Linkup @ faithbarista.com