God Paints

I received this incredible photo by email this morning. I'm not sure who took it. I wish it had been me. I would love to have experienced this first hand. God loves color. Just look around you. It's everywhere!! At my house, when I look around, that's all I see. I used to live in black and white with some beige and blue thrown in for good measure. But in the last 6 years I have come alive! I counted the other day and we have 20 different colors on the walls of our home. I know, it sounds tacky, but it really does work. It's warm and inviting and quite interesting. I've painted it all myself with help from my friend and mentor, Lynette, who has been with me through every heartrending moment of coming alive. It really has been a rebirthing. The pain and agony of delivery has been intense and there were many times I retreated and thought it would be best to stay hidden. But today I know the truth and I HAVE BEEN SET FREE!! I read these verses yesterday in John and Stasi Eldridge's new book, "Captivating". They're from Zechariah 9:16-17. Here it is from The Message.

"Their God will save the day. He'll rescue them. They'll become like sheep, gentle and soft. Or like gemstones in a crown, catching all the colors of the sun. Then how they'll shine! shimmer! glow! the young men robust, the young women lovely!"

Ok, I may be stretching it with the young women part for me. I just turned 49 last week. But, finally, I can consider myself lovely. This is huge. My GOD has saved me! He has rescued me!! The sheep part works well for me because I have a real thing about sheep. I get them. Yes, I know they're dirty, dumb and slow among other things. But really, I can relate to that. I mean it's taken me 6 years to come alive! and it took me 43 years to get to the point where I was aware of my dirt and lack of emotional intelligence. That is slow. Plus, I admit, I'm a follower. I have been thrown into a leadership role over the last few months in the form of lay directing a Girl's Chrysalis, which is a spiritual retreat for high school and college aged young women. It has been a major challenge for me. I would much rather have a single job and have someone tell me how to do it and then get it done. Planning, getting together a team and especially calling people and asking them to do something for me and then replanning when things don't go the way I originally planned; these things exhaust me and are highly uncomfortable. But that's exactly where I've been. I confess to being frustrated and not trusting God to know what He's doing. It's been humbling to say the least. The retreat is next weekend, August 4-7. I'm expecting big things - huge things - miraculous things to happen in the lives of these young women. I'm expecting them to be rescued! Saved! Their shepherd is going to go out and find them in the ravine, pull them up and out of the slimy pit they've stumbled into and place them firmly on a rock. He's going to show them how much He loves them and tell them how delightful they are and how they are so very beautiful. And on the last day they are going to Shine! Shimmer! and Glow! They will know they are loved and they are lovely. I cannot wait. Please pray for us - pray for them. I'm sure the evil one does not want these young women to experience this freedom. But I know God does. And God is so much bigger than anything or anyone else. I know He plans on winning this battle. In fact, He already has!! Praise HIM!