perspective

Grief .. Part 563

/ The WheatandTares

The journey of grief seems so long, so treacherous, and so methodical.

If you dwell too much on the journey, you’ll wander along the creek side, lost.

Never stopping for a drink.

The water continues to flow along the path, and it is for your refreshing, your renewal.

For the journey is hard, and it’s not meant for eternity.

Stay alert and remain vigilant in the middle of the walk.

Stay revived and maintain the elements to survive.

Grief is like a thief if you’ll allow him to be.

He will steal days, years, even hours and minutes

He will steal joy and peace, prosperity and comfort.

Don’t let him stay too long, or he will even steal your sanity.

You can’t shut him out; for then, he will only come back with gained force.

But don’t open the gate wide to welcome; for he will consume all territory that is lonely.

Fortify the good within and remain watchful.

Maintain the gates with prayer, steadfastness and faith.

Let him walk through, but swing open the back door with a celebration and fanfare.

For he will always peek through the windows and the trellises, but he cannot set up to abide.

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 30:5

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?” When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore, I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar.
Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life. I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 42

Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”

1 Samuel 16:1

Let Your Heart Grieve A While Longer

/ The WheatandTares

Sometimes, things just don’t turn out as they should.

Sometimes, dreams are stolen, hearts are broken, and everyone is left desolate.

Sometimes, life just sucks, and there’s not a lot of change you can bring.

Don’t shut off the pain.

Don’t hurry up the emotion.

And certainly, don’t act as if it never happened.

Just grieve a while longer.

Just let the tears roll down into a river.

Walk out to the shoreline and breathe a little deeper.

Step out on that mountain and sigh a little louder.

There are no rules that should confine.

There are no restrictions that should bind.

There are no expectations that should be resigned.

Just let the grief roll on until it’s run its course.

Just let the pain push through until its done.

Let your heart grieve a little while longer until it heals.

Let your soul exhale a little wider until it can stand.

And when the healing comes and the strength returns, stand tall and begin to run again.

And it will come.

Someday soon.

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Psalm 34:18

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.

Jeremiah 17:14

For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; No one seeks her.” ’

Jeremiah 30:17

A Box Full of Boxes

/ The WheatandTares

Memories are like boxes sometimes.

You can close the lid and toss them into the bin, believing they’re done.

But as you pick up that larger box to throw them all away,

Those little suckers will come tumbling out like a waterfall.

When you bend over to pick up one, three more flip to the floor.

When you place those back on top, a whole passel come plummeting out,

As if they’ve got to make a nose-dive to the base level.

Almost like dominoes, they come cascading down the path.

Will they relent? Will they end?

They come back with every holiday and trend.

They push their way into every crevice, every crack,

Reaching for a new freedom, seeking shelter from what has been.

Will they be cast down? Will they bend?

I place them in the dark, into the new room

Waiting to surprise a new, non-alerted bloke

Waiting in earnest anticipation to capture another one’s journey bouncing down memory lane.

For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create…

Isaiah 65:17-18

Keep Growing

/ The WheatandTares
Said to possibly be the oldest oak in Florida (Tampa area).

When you stop growing, you start dying

No matter your age, no matter your limitations

No matter your intelligence or your pedigree

Life and death is a choice we have

Growth or stagnation is our decision

What will you decide today?

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rootedand built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7

Where Does Your Heart Heal?

/ The WheatandTares

Where do you go when you’re hurting?

What do you say? What do you do?

Are you the person who rants and rages over everyone and everything?

Even the child who simply wanted a hug?

Are you the person who sulks and simmers deep in the cave of your own selfish desires?

Pulling away even from those extending love?

What do you do when you’re bleeding from your wound?

Do you let it bleed, spilling over to every street corner, ever merchant, every friend?

Do you bind it up tight, removing the life, restricting it to imminent death?

What do you do when all is lost, all is shattered, all is betrayed?

Your responses in these moments of certain reality will determine your future and your impact.

Reply well, and you’ll become a king.

Return wrong, and even the gutter snipes may not want you.

As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you murderer, you scoundrel! The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has given the kingdom into the hands of your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a murderer!” Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.”But the king said, “What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why do you do this?’” David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, my own flesh and blood, is trying to kill me. How much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look upon my misery and restore to me his covenant blessing instead of his curse today.”

2 Samuel 16:5-12

Knee Deep Waters

/ The WheatandTares

There’s a song by Kathy Mattae, “Standing Knee Deep In A River.” She talks about friendships that we take for granted, and we let them slip on by.

As I grow older, I realize this is a hard truth that many of us either recognize early enough to rescue the few that may remain, or we acknowledge way too late that they’re already gone.

Friendships that are found to be easy and never have “a bump in the road,” a confrontation, or a season where questions arise if it’s really worth it to keep going, are truthfully, not those knee deep waters.

Knee deep water is when you can still jump around and splash, but one slip, and you’ll be under water fast.

Knee deep water is when you can still feel secure in your footing, but let the current get a little faster, and that footing will be tested and reevaluated.

Knee deep water is when you can choose to go a little deeper, explore a little more, or you can choose to step back in the shallow, safer waters and not take the risk.

Knee deep waters is when real friendships learn to survive.

Friendships that are made to last will be found more valuable and cherished when those waters rise.

What kind of friendships are you keeping today?

It might be one that will be a lifeline to your survival tomorrow…

A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

Know Who Your Friends Are

/ The WheatandTares

Too many people in this world bite, ridicule and wound those closest to them who care the most.

Too many people in this world viciously attack the ones who love them the most because they’re willing to speak truth.

Too many people don’t know who their friends are and walk away from the best.

Too many people embrace the toxic, the loud, and the angry, believing because “they’re family,” that’s what they’re suppose to do.

Too many people hold onto a bloodline that kicks them around and demands they be a doormat when they should say goodbye and not look back.

Too many people keep close those whom should be released and let go of those whom should be captivated.

Look around. Evaluate. Be honest.

Don’t stay out of obligation, fear or routine.

Don’t walk away out of rage, envy or apathy.

Open your eyes to see clearly and hear with precision.

Make wise choices, and make calculated decisions.

You can do this.

And the next generation is depending on you to do it right.

They are watching and waiting.

Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.

1 Samuel 18:1-4

What’s Your Filter?

/ The WheatandTares

Everybody’s got a filter.

You hear through that filter.

You see through that filter.

Your perspective is guided, cleared and clouded by that filter.

You can choose to allow your filter to be filled with your pain or your victory.

You can choose to create your filter to be filled with good things or evil.

Th choice is yours.

Choose today for 2023.

Choose well.

Extra Note: I love coffee, but it’s not a great filter filler for my life. 😉😂

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15

What Will You Do With It?

/ The WheatandTares

This year you have been given is important.

The minutes are like a precious gem.

It’s rare and of much value, never to be seen again.

What will you do with it?

What will you make amends?

The clock will keep on ticking.

Time will never end.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

New Year’s is Coming!

/ The WheatandTares

Can you believe 2023 is almost upon us?

The new year is nipping at our heels.

Looking back, I search for the value of what I have done.

Is it worthy? Is it useful? Is it enough?

Every season at this time, I question my intentions.

I begin analyzing and questioning.

Were my plans well executed or were they wasted?

Were the goals fulfilled and throughly accomplished?

The questions begin to flow like a river until I almost feel overwhelmed with the gravity of the search.

But then, I remember. Then, I recollect.

It’s not a competition. It’s not a race to defeat.

Tomorrow is a new day, and today is still here for the catch.

Make the best of this moment, and make a point to create the rest even better.

It’s not about perfection. It’s not about the ideal.

It’s about integrity, sincerity and virtue.

It’s about determination, perseverance and fortitude.

Let’s make the most of right now and work towards a great time to come.

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.

Proverbs 19:21