Let It Be With Me.......Just as YOU say

I was reviewing my scripture memory this morning (thank you, Beth, for getting me inspired and rolling with hiding GOD's Word in my heart again!) and one particular verse stood up and smacked me good! I am memorizing it in both the NIV and The Message versions......yes, I know that The Message is not a translation.....what difference does it make? It is an inspiring "reading" version in modern day lingo of the scriptures that is very refreshing. Eugene Peterson made a comment at the end of his Preface that resonnates with me strongly this morning. "GOD, let it be with me just as You say." I can think of no greater daily prayer than this. GOD says to love one another......"LORD, let it be with me just as You say"..... GOD tells us that if we see a brother in need to give him not only our coat but our cloak also...."LORD, let it be with me just as You say"..... Jesus taught us that if we see our brother thirsty, give him a drink of water "LORD, let it be with me just as you say"...... the scriptures tell us to love the Lord our GOD with all our heart, all our mind, all our strength......"LORD, let it be with me just as You say"..... the scriptures tell us to love our neighbor as ourself......"Oh LORD, let it be with me just as You say!" Point taken!

"GOD wants the combination of His steady, constant calling and warm personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever He will do next."
Romans 15:4
The Message

Isn't this precious? Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that, "People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character." My prayer is that my opinion of the world will reflect GOD's opinion of the world.....that every person is precious in His eyes, that He loves them unconditionally, and that He wants us all to participate in His Kingdom. There is beauty all around us and we can choose to dwell on it, or we can allow ourselves to focus on the antithesis of it and see only the negative and ugly in the brokenness. I refuse, yes, refuse to be sucked into the vortex of negative thought and sight. No, not totally "Pollyannaesque" because we have to clearly see to "fix," but a realistic view through the lenses of hope.

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and (the) encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
Romans 15:4 NIV

LORD, let it be with me just as You say.......

Sharoni
...giving voice to those with none....

That Which Gives Us Sight

This morning I watched a little boy receive his sight. From birth he had never seen....he never knew the difference between darkness and light except for the warmth of the sun on his face and the coolness of the night.
God incidents.....
Those moments that happen only so that we may see Him ..... see His Love .... see His Glory.
He designs the "chance encounters," the happenings of each and every day so that we may see Him ... see how He works .... see how He loves .... see how He leads and guides every step we take. During those times I am impatient for answers, the times I stomp my little foot and cry out, "What is going on here, huh? Did you lead us here, for what?" During those times He always calms me with, "Sharoni, what do you need right now that you do not have?" I have yet been able to give an answer other than, nothing, LORD, absolutely nothing. Then He opens my eyes yet again as I look around at the absolute abundance that surounds me and I fall on my knees in gratitude and humility that I have once again missed the entire point of my life here, and give Him thanks and praise for reminding me so gently.

My husband is deaf. His eyesight is critically important to him, and when it is affected in any way, it takes every ounce of strength in him to remain sane - because of the fear. He has often said to me that he would rather be deaf than blind. I find that quite interesting. He tells me it is because he has learned to hear with his eyes. And he hears far more than I probably ever will....he hears what people are really saying....not necessarily what is coming out of their mouths. That is both a gift and at times he feels, a bit of a curse. I cannot imagine what that must be like because I want to believe everybody, all the time. Wisdom teaches us better and we live by those lessons but oh......I wish!

That brings us back to sight ..... this morning Jesus was talking to me about that. Interesting the pathway He led me along .... from the scripture in Hebrews, to the post on a list of a prophetic word from the LORD regarding how the church is to love .... to a link to a conference coming up here in Houston in a week! .... to a link to a video where I cried through the blessing of the gift of sight given by Christ Jesus to this precious little boy. These people have so little in the world ... but they do have each other ... they have their families. And as the world and the evil that is so pervasive encroaches on that which is most precious to them, in a little tent on a hill, GOD works His magic. His Love.

This morning the sun was shining. Not normally a rare thing here in Houston, but this winter has been a little gray.... more so than usual. When I saw it I was thrilled! What a glorious blessing to awaken to full sun ... a storm raged outside last night. The principle that Father reminded me of today is that the sun will always appear after the darkness. It has to ... He has set that in place. We are circular down here on Earth ... everything is set on a cycle with nice flowing lines ... it revolves. DNA is free-floating throughout the air non-stop .... GOD's creative power is available at all times.
What we see with our eyes is not necessarily all that there is to see. I am ready for more illumination, my LORD. That which gives us sight ..... faith ......
Believe.

Sharoni
....giving voice to those with none....