Wisdom, Holy Spirit, Your Word invites me to consider what I am prepared to do to acquire and realise the release of Your truths and promises in my life. I trust Your instructions will bring to fruition the full outworking of the rewards of my commitment to my desire and longing for Wisdom.
You require my dedication to listening and hearing You in the words before me, learning to treasure every truth, to anchor me in what You reveal to me, examining each word and following closely every nuance of meaning You write on my heart. Teach me to trust in Your promises and store Your truths for living life well so I can claim those promises of a long, satisfying life. Let me be fruitful in my response to Your influence and control and how I impact the lives of those around me. Shape my life with integrity and let Your favour rest on me.
I am trusting You Lord, completely…at least I am learning to. Help me. Help me not to trust only in myself and my own understanding. Lord You know this as a weak point in my walk with You. This has been a lifelong pursuit of Yours, but I am aware of a greater veracity of pursuit in recent times. I am challenged to learn to trust You “with all my heart” and “adore You with undivided devotion.” I can no longer isolate sections or aspects of my life from You. There are no divided loyalties in Your world. You are a jealous God and require all of me…absolute surrender. Teach me that level of trust, what it looks like to be so open and intimate where I can freely bring all my cares and anxieties to You. I trust You with my life in all its mess, the ordinary and the extraordinary, to know You will guide me in every decision and lead me wherever I go. I trust You when You tell me that I will find healing refreshment my body and spirit long for and thank You for its expression in the beauty of Who You are.
Teach me Lord to honour You with all that You provide for me, giving it back to You as an offering. Immerse me in Your “abundant overflow of blessing and uncontainable joy” in every dimension of my life. Let me hold nothing back from You.
Lord give me the grace to accept Your correction, trusting that the discipline of my Loving Father for my good comes from Your passionate love and pleasure of me. It is not judgement but for my growth. Sometimes I need tough love. Father, set in me a burning desire for Your wisdom…to know its value and incomparable worth…a priceless gift. It brings me long life, wealth, promotion, and abundance. I thank You Lord for the wholeness, peace and untold blessings and healing it brings to me.
On what can I base such trust in You? Your Word tells me that “From the mouth of God, since the beginning of time… wisdom laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens.” You have even more so laid out Your plan for me. As I trust in You, keep me in Your ways to discover Your purpose and walk in Wisdom. You are my living understanding and hope. I thank You that I walk in Your security and safety, and by Your word, never stumble “because You are my confidence in crisis and my rest in every situation.”
I trust Wisdom’s counsel in how to conduct myself in all my relationships…casual, business, friends, family and intimate. Keep within me a heart of compassion, generosity, and grace towards everyone I interact with. I pray Your glory and honour will rest on me and I will be known always for my integrity of heart, mind, and soul.
Let me know and experience Wisdom. Open up for me this avenue of Intimacy that allows such precious exchanges…my trust for all that is available to me from My Father who supplies all my needs…an uneven exchange by my standards…but it is what You desire for and from me…for me to trust You and know the incomparable love of God.
“Seek for wisdom like a man would seek for sterling silver”.. verse 4
Reading the introduction to Luke’s gospel in the Passion Translation Luke speaks of Jesus’ disciples being “loving servants of the “Living Expression”. This term is translated directly from the Aramaic text, the Greek word is “logos”, a rich term meaning “Word”. Simmons, the principal translator of The Passion, writes in the footnotes of Luke Chapter One, “Jesus Christ is the eternal Word, the Creative Word, the Word made visible. He is the divine self-expression of all God is, contains and reveals. Wisdom is Jesus personified.
This really hit home to me as I read Proverbs Chapter Two. Solomon opens this Chapter with the question “My child, will you treasure my Wisdom?”, this personified Word. In searching for Wisdom, we are searching for the full expression…the “Living Expression” of God, in Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “God has transmitted His very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by His instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then, you will be perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.”
Lord, as I broach this blog process of Proverbs, I am daunted by the task. I have no formal learning, little experience and no “recognised authority” by human standards. All I have is my hunger for the experience of You and my aim to write in obedience. I ask for my eyes and heart to be opened as I search for understanding of the text before me…but then…it is more than just text, as we have just read. It is the person of God, the Living Expression of Him in the words on the page…. the very essence of Who He is in these words and His unique and purposely-directed word to me in this moment of reading.
The revelation of God Himself will be unique to every reader, to the one who reads and seeks with anticipation and hunger. Proverbs 8:9 says, “All my words are clear and straightforward to everyone who possesses spiritual understanding. If you have an open mind you will receive revelation knowledge.”
It is with this in mind, I write this prayer, in response to the words of Proverbs Chapter 2.
My Lord, you challenge me to value your Word, like treasure that I hide within me. I gather Your words like silver…. hidden treasure to store in my heart…. words of grace love, hope, freedom and correction. I hold precious every word you have to say to me.
I listen for Your voice, Lord. My heart and soul are open, not just to Your words but to their instruction and insight. I ask for Spirit’s Wisdom for those words, to know You more, to understand my value and place in Your heart and will…and to pass what I discover in the revelation of the layers of depth of meaning and intent for me, to others.
I thank You Lord that all wisdom comes from the mouth of God. Your word is the first place I should seek it and thank You for Your promise that You will give it freely when I ask. It is a generous gift from my Loving Father, every word pregnant with meaning and depth of knowledge welling up within me like a fountain. A quiet revelation Lord…a lifting of the veil…a gentle and intimate exposure and experience of your love for me from Your storehouse of wisdom.
Wisdom shields me from harm, protecting and guarding me in all my life choices. As I grow in understanding and relationship with You, Your word empowers me to choose rightly and I can rest in You and enjoy the knowing, coming into greater understanding of Your goodness, grace and love for me. This allows me true pleasure and rest in my soul and instils such confidence in my steps because wisdom guides my path and protects me from making poor choices. Wisdom, grant me Your good counsel so I need never fear being misled or fall victim to the deception of those who do not give credence to You.
Many temptations lay in wait for me, enticing and seemingly harmless. I am warned to yield to Wisdom and not be easily led astray by popular opinion or make compromises. Those who take this path walk in treachery and prostitute themselves.
Wisdom’s call is to purity of mind and spirit, maintaining my commitment, enjoying life to the full and walking into all that You have for me in destiny and inheritance.
I have to admit, apart from the odd verse, I’ve never really read the book of Proverbs. It is only through a 31-day challenge I’m doing this month ,that I have been prompted to to read a chapter a day. The organiser of the challenge has brought great mentors and teachers of Kingdom principles to speak each day on a chapter and it is because of this I began to appreciate the heart of God for me.
Using the chapters as the baseline, I have written some prayers to personalise and bring the words to life for me. I have ideas about how to present the concept of wisdom in this space. What a huge and humbling task to try to represent Gods words through Solomon when every word and syllable is pregnant with meaning and directed right to our hearts.
God wants to be known! He wants us to live blessed in His love, so He gives us knowledge and the ability to fully grasp all He has provided for us to reign…to live victoriously in life through the words of Proverbs. We are offered a life of reigning…unafraid and victorious…just as God wants for each of us. He wants our devotion…our obedient and undivided devotion and the words of Proverbs are our roadmap to achieve this.
The word “Proverb” means wisdom. In the pages of Proverbs, the voice of Jesus is personified as a woman. Her words bring life and understanding, are keys to unlock true knowledge to guide us in every aspect of life…in relationships, business, mentorship, leadership, and in restoration to the very heart of God, wisdom in all life’s situations, peace, and confidence in life.
The insight of “Wisdoms words bring success, filling us with grace-filled thoughts and reins to guide our decisions.” Proverbs 1:9
However, its message is divided, with Wisdom words and all they release to us if followed, countered by the warnings of ignoring or dismissing her words.
So the call of Wisdom is to listen, above the din of life…above the worldly definitions of wisdom. She is calling to bring us into a new reality…a new heart wisdom from God’s delight in us. Ignorance and deafness will lead to disaster…our downfall!
I was reading Mark 11 last night…the story of blind Bartimai, a beggar calling out to Jesus when he heard He was close by. He called persistently, asking for mercy and healing. The disciples said to him ,”Have courage! Get up! Jesus is calling for you.”Bartimai’s response….He threw off his beggars cloak, jumped up and made his way to Jesus.
The point of this story? The book of Proverbs is God’s love letter to you. He is calling.
Two trees…. always choice. The God of love and grace wants relationship born out of trust and love. He wants us to choose Him. He loves us that much…not a tyrannical God…. a lover.
So have courage! Get up and explore Proverbs pages. Bartimai threw off his beggars cloak…the thing that identified him with who he was, in anticipation of what was to come…in faith that Jesus’ call meant change, renewal, freedom, healing, from what once was to all that is possible from the God of love.
This is the very heart and soul of Proverbs.
Proverbs1:33 ends this first chapter with an amazing promise.
“But the one who always listens to Me will live undisturbed in heavenly peace. Free from fear, confident and courageous. That one will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life.”
That’s a promise worth considering and pursuing! Wisdom is calling!
I woke with this vision in the wake of my blog writing about Mary.
A diarama…my crude sketch attempt to capture what I could see in my head.
The background slow motion, moving. Bethlehem at census time. Streets packed with people. Locals manning stalls to provide food for the influx of travellers called to register at the town of their birth . People jostling to be the first to secure accommodation at inns…and many homesteads taking in distant relatives and random visitors. Bethlehem, pulsating with focussed activity. Everyone going about their business, oblivious to the movement of God and all He has planned and deemed to be…and those He has prepared for this moment.
In the foreground of the diarama….
A small stable on the outskirts of town, away and out of sight of the town and all its busyness….Mary and Joseph, kneeling in the straw looking down on the Christ child, lost in the awe and wonder of what they vaguely understood to be a monumental moment in history. The light of glory beams down on this one tiny spot….illuminated…God at work, in seeming obscurity…His plan outworked in time and space…in quietness. In the willingness and the obedience of these two young people, the world will be forever changed.
Could it be that we are those 2 people? That God is asking of me just what He asked of Mary? And can I be brave enough…confident enough in the God who loves me…to say yes to the seemingly impossible? To make myself available to Jesus dwelling within me..to come, “grow” within me gestating a relationship of love and trust, developing an unbreakable bond so precious and intimate?
Am I willing to allow God to birth something within me and trust He will take care of all that I would deem impossible and watch and wait as He manoeuvres heaven and earth in and around me to fulfil His purpose?
Can I, in all honesty speak the words of Mary… “I am your servant. I accept whatever You have for me. Let it come to pass” and be comfortable and confident in God’s promise and claim for myself that…”Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible for God”, enough to step out in courage?
In my thinking over these questions and reflecting on the brief account in Luke of Mary, I would love to have someone speak over me the words Elizabeth spoke to Mary “Great favour rests on you…for you have believed every word spoken to you from the Lord”.
With the onset of another year….That is what I will aspire to… by the grace of God.
I had no idea…. I’m covered in dust from the days travelling and totally spent. Weary from the travelling and the discomfort of riding the donkey, my mind can barely hold a thought.
I’m struggling to hold back the tears as Joseph & I are turned away from every room to stay. The streets of Bethlehem are busy with other travellers looking too for a room. I can’t hold on any longer. The pains are starting, my belly beginning to heave. O my God, if ever I needed you, it’s now.
In desperation, Joseph accepts an offer of shelter in the stables of an inn. At this point, I couldn’t care less…. I just want to lay down! Poor Joseph looks tired. I can see the worry in his eyes. He lifts me gently from the donkey and as my feet meet the ground outside the stable, water trickles down my legs into my sandals. Oh help! Its time. The baby is coming!
I’ve watched my mother midwife other women in my family…. I thought I had seen enough to know what this would be like. I am not ready …I don’t think I can do this but… there’s no turning back. I’m scared. I wish my mother were here!
Joseph quickly pulls some fresh straw from one of the stable stalls, does his best to clear the dirt underfoot of manure and feed and makes as comfortable a bed as he can. Our travel clothes and rug from the donkey he lays on it and eases me down onto the bed……it begins!!
I’m still shaking. I’m exhausted. The earthy smell and sweet smell of fresh straw tickle my nose. Joseph looks as dazed as I feel and I can see in his face, the awe of all he has just witnessed in being a midwife, helping me deliver the baby. I have to pinch myself as I remember the words of the angel. I hold in my arms “the supreme son of the Highest…the King of Israel ‘…that’s what the angel had said to me… Nothing could ever have prepared us for this experience.
Looking down, in awe and disbelief tears of relief and joy blur my vision, roll down my cheeks and splash onto the perfect, still, greasy skin of this wonder of a child in my arms. What a miracle. I had no idea and could never have even guessed how all the angel had told me would happen, would come to pass when I said yes to all he said God had planned for me… I had no idea what to expect or how.
Here in my arms now, is the holy baby boy…the Son of God. My emotions are all over the place. My whole body aches and I am weak. As I lay here still on our travel clothes, I wonder at all the angel didn’t tell me. Really…was this part of God’s plan for bringing His Son to reign over Israel?”
My eyes are fixated on the smooth skin, eyelashes, his strong nose and the little mouth. In disbelief I watch this little one’s chest rise and fall with each tiny breath as he sleeps. I’m not wanting to look away in case I’m dreaming but I gaze around this humble space, thankful at least for the warmth and shelter it provides. I can’t help but wonder if the angel had forgotten some key details. I mean, yes, my pregnancy was one of Gods impossibilities” … but here? A stable?
I laugh quietly. So, this is what favour looks like? The angel called me “favoured”. Could God have meant for you to be born like this? Was this what Yahweh had in mind for His Son? Still, here we are…God’s promise, little Jesus, even if the details seem strange to me.
Tears roll uncontrollably down my face. Joseph has no idea what’s going on in my head. He looks too to be having his own struggles, but he comes to comfort me the best way he knows how. I wonder in this moment that Joseph held to his promise to take me as his wife. Had it not been for his dream from Yahweh …. God has truly protected us both, from shame, from scorn.. hiding me with my cousin Elizabeth in the early months until marriage arrangements were made. This journey to Bethlehem for a census forced us out of all security and plunged us headlong into un uncertain future, away from family, friends, all support…and a midwife!! Favour…..hmmmm…alone, scared, unsure except for a promise….a statement that we’ve both clung to…that “nothing is impossible for God”.
So, little Holy Son of God…. welcome to our world. This is not the way you should have come… .to this! No royal robes. No royal welcome.
He snuffles quietly.
Joseph fusses around trying to clean the manger and fill it with straw so I can lay the baby down and rest. I unwrap him gently, and clean him a little, but my fingers are trembling. I’m frightened I might break him. I count his fingers and toes. Of course, he would be perfect! I tenderly push the swaddling cloth away from the baby’s perfect little face. I had no idea it could feel like this…this overwhelming love that floods over me. So Precious, this little life laying in my arms.
My mind is tired. What can this all mean? What happens now? So hard to imagine now how God will work this out but all He has said so far has come true.
I had no idea it would be like this when I said to the angel, “Let everything you have said about me come true.”
As fatigue overtakes me, I hear my cousin Elizabeth’s voice and what she said to me when I saw her. “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what He said”. Truly….I had no idea!
Research:
1.jewsforjesus.org/learn/the role of women in the Bible July 30, 2020
I had never thought myself much of a dreamer. Growing up, I was not encouraged to read…it just wasn’t a thing in our upbringing and being No5 in the household didn’t give me much authority in determining the rules of play. I was a follower, not versed in the world of imagination.
Home schooling our kids opened a whole new world for me! I used to be in awe of my children, watching them play and listening to their plans, plotting and scheming elaborate games, character development, creating costumes from a box of old wigs, scraps of fabric and discarded clothes. A stick found on a walk became a light sabre, a sword, a gun, a baton, a javelin, a wand….my kitchen cupboards a veritable warehouse of props, some old rope from the garden shed, my peg bag and my bedsheets strung across their bedroom from bedhead to bedhead, the curtains of their stage. As I engaged in the processes of play and had to stretch my mind to develop interesting and engaging ways to deliver a school curriculum with no previous training and little in the way of guidelines, my capacity to imagine…to unleash an element of creativity I did not realise I possessed, was reborn.
Home theatre and dress ups
Storytelling, reading, live theatre and radio shows used to spark the imaginations of children and adults alike. In reading novels, the author would transport reader to other worlds, scenes and scenarios. Watching home movies and looking through photo albums together, captured the imagination, reliving childhood adventures and holidays, often with greatly embellished tales of events and experiences. Things that captured one’s imagination were unique and illuminated the creative thought processes of each individual.
Ben Roorda…The Mad Hatter. Ruby Productions play Alice In Wonderland 2012
Listening to a sermon just yesterday by Michael Todd, called “Unlocking an Anointed Imagination? What are You Imagining?”, it was suggested that many of us lose our ability to imagine. He asks the question: “at what point did your imagination quit? When did adulting choke out your ability to see where imagination could take you?”
I wondered then whether technology and its constancy in our day to day lives with screen time on tablets, Xboxes and TV, we and the generations that follow, have our imaginations stifled as video clips, programmed games and access to social media and online streaming bombard our brains.
Yet, while writing it occurs to me that imagination is written into our DNA. There is a tendency to lay claim to being either right or left brain focused, with right brain activities leaning towards creativity eg painters, actors, filmmakers, artists, writers; and left brain towards reason, intellect eg design, architecture, engineers. Where it was once believed imagination was birthed in the visual cortex of the brain, the part that processes imagery, it has been found to be a neural network involving many parts of the brain. This scientifically discounts the idea of right and left brained tendencies.
So, what we would ordinarily claim to be creative tendencies for one, I would boldly suggest that few are devoid of the ability to imagine and therefore create from that place.
Scientific research into the realm of imagination discovered that while there is a strong scientific basis for imagination, giving us the ability to use this faculty to live beyond the past and the present, it is little understood. Imagination, as explained by Dr Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pearce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, is our window to the future. This is unique to humans and “has positive and negative outcomes”. His interesting take is that people rationalise their future thoughts/ imagination concerning a particular situation or event, based on past experience and present inputs. This impacts that outcome and creates a lack of resilience to bounce back if something does not turn out according to imagined outcome. and causes” difficulty envisioning a successful and joyful result”. In effect, imagination may well frighten the fearful, particularly if they are unable to rationalise it or have taken the risk and dared to dream and been disappointed by failure.
I have heard said that every manmade thing was first birthed in someone’s imagination.
To imagine a bridge spanning a deep gorge, a community of homes lit by electric lightbulbs, a telescope that penetrates deep space that gives us a window into the heavens…all are spurred on by something much deeper. Creative spark, I would propose, is more than an intellectual process. It is propelled by emotion…a desire to succeed, to know, to experience, to open new worlds of knowledge, to inspire and motivate…to feel the heart of God and be in touch with that God-inspired DNA He created within us…that urge to create and imagine possibility. That is risky. Admittedly, some of us may need some encouragement to unearth the gift buried under doctrine that says imagination is “New Age-y” or have found through events and experiences of our pasts that the art has been misplaced or discarded. The good news is it was never lost.
I found myself, believing I am one of the “buried gift” crew, pondering on the Bible verse…
Ephesians 1 :17, that” asks for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so we might know Christ better and then verse 18 says, “open the eyes of my imagination” (or “Heart” in most translations). In my asking God for my eyes to be opened and wondering just what Revelation 3:18 means when it says to purchase salve to put on our eyes so that we can “see” …just what am I supposed to be seeing?
Where do I turn to for inspiration and how do I awaken the art of imagining?
It was spoken of in the sermon I heard that Genesis talks of imagination…from the very beginning.
So, like reading a novel, or seeing the opening of a movie or play, the scene is set…
Genesis 1…All is dark, the earth formless and empty.
The Spirit of God is hovering over the surface of the deep…. And God said…” Let there be Light” and there was light.
In one verse in the opening chapter of the first book of the Bible, we are being invited to view God’s creativity from the place of our imagination. He then follows up, laying it all out before us, one day at a time. He separates the light from darkness. He calls the vault above sky and water below. ….and there was evening and morning…another day. Our imagination is a tool for ‘seeing’ and engaging in this creative process. That there is “space” between each step is an indication of an allowance for time to dream…to imagine all that is possible, and then some…maybe even to what may seem impossible.
I can now imagine God, in the in between, pondering His next extraordinary move in the creative process, discussing together with Jesus and Spirit. Simple by description in the writing but as David writes in the Psalms 92:5,
“Depths of purpose and layers of meaning saturate everything He does”.
Then imagination really takes centre stage in the creation of plants and seed…their colour, variety and purpose, every detail spoken and delivered. Animals… majestic, mammoth, minute and their very existence and design woven in interrelation with plants for their food, for shelter, for pollination….to name just a few. Then there’s the flap-book varieties where God really let His creativity go wild. I can almost hear the round table laughter at the thought of some of His creations! Psalm 104:24 “O Lord, what an amazing variety of all You have created! Wild and wonderful is this world You have made…”
Then comes man…the ultimate…the crowning glory of creation…. made in God’s image and likeness. Just soak that in for a moment. That God, having created planets, galaxies, and all our created world… spoken into existence with no working template… purely from thought and spoken word, determined to create man/woman…in His likeness and image.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion… Genesis1:26. ” …the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7
The root word for imagination is IMAGE. At this point Id like to present the dictionary definition for imagination…” The faculty or action of forming new ideas, concepts or images of external objects not present to the senses”: “the ability of the mind to be creative or resourceful”.
The culmination of that idea is in the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9.
A people of one language proposed together by imagining, to build, using bricks and mortar, a city and tower to reach the heavens. God, seeing what they are in one mind able to imagine, confuses their language so they are unable to communicate, and their objective becomes impossible to achieve. Why? God says, “If they have begun to do this then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them!” Wow! Does that cement the image and likeness of God?
Why then the constraint? Because their plan discounted relationship and dependence on God, with the recognition and acceptance of our place, purpose, and potential working in union with Him. Remember, God, Spirit and Jesus were working together in creation. Man was created for relationship with God.
So, by way of illustration, my suggestion and “Revelation” today, that I share with you…not as any expert, is that the Bible, rather than a book of history or Messianic law, or just a collection of metaphors and stories…is a manual for our imagination!
In its pages, in the telling of all the above and the use of language, is the stuff of inspiration. It becomes the means by which we hear God’s voice. He shares His heart, His desire for us. He uses people, ordinary people like you and me, to establish His plans for mankind. His desire through people, through drama and wars and everyday events of life is to weave the creative gospel of Jesus, Gods imagination and plan for our relationship through our creativity. Our day-to-day problems require an openness to providing God-inspired, Spirit-led creative solutions.
Jesus, in His ministry, as written in the New Testament, chooses parables…. stories of everyday, common events to enliven the imaginations of the people He was speaking to so that they could immerse themselves into the story via their imagination, giving the story meaning and life with real time application. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus says we must become like children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Yes. Leave the adult at the gate. Shake off adulthood with all its responsibility and reason, logic and labouring, & cynicism and come to Him with childlike faith.
A child sees potential in every object and is not constrained by its actual function. Things don’t need to make perfect sense and details do not factor into their schemes. Nor are they obsessed with what everyone else thinks.
I recall as I write, the scene from Hook, with Robin Williams when sitting to eat at the table with the lost boys. The boys are clearly enjoying their feast but Peter Pan (Robin Williams) has grown up and become an adult, so his imagination had been overrun by the responsibilities of adulthood. With encouragement from the boys around him, he begins to let go of the conservatism that hinders his creative thoughts and as he begins to allow himself to imagine again as the child he once was and as the boys do, suddenly the table is covered in food, and he indulges in the feast and festivities.
My encouragement to you then…and to myself….is to read the Bible with renewed thinking, embracing it as a manual of our awakening, igniting, or illuminating the “eyes of our imagination”. The Psalms are always a good place to start. David’s poetry and imagery testament to the young shepherd’s creative imagination of God in all His goodness and glory.
For example, his words in Psalm 139:13, David writes, “You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank you God for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvellously breathtaking…. carefully, skilfully you shaped me from nothing to something…”.
We are limited only by the limits of our imagination, but God’s desire is that we respond to him by asking for His inspiration and anointing (approval). Often, our ideas and solutions come to us through others, random events, inspired conversations, sixth sense moments, and unscheduled opportunities sometimes against every logical and reasonable explanation. We are told in Isaiah 55: 8-9 that “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways”.
Yet in God’s hands, as we give Him that dream in prayer, His blessing will see that come to fruition in ways you could never have seen or imagined. God knows no ceiling!
We do need to be discerning though. Sometimes we discount what we imagine as a possibility…we see others prosper, receive their healing, revel in their blessings, but don’t believe it is for us because intellectually, it doesn’t make sense, or we can’t fathom it by our reasoning…it couldn’t be possible…there must be another explanation …even asking what am I doing wrong when I haven’t progressed yet. We can forget or haven’t been told that God has promises that we can ask and believe for, or , we get caught up in what everyone else is saying or doing.
What we feed our minds and spirits is vital to what we see in our imaginations. If we allow fear, mistrust & doubt to cloud over our dreaming it can cause us to negate all that could be.
The Bible says, in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down imaginations and every high thing that holds itself above the knowledge of God, taking it captive and bringing it under the obedience of Christ”.
Every dream, thought, idea, needs to be brought to God and put in His hands. He will take it and bless what He will use, opening doors of opportunity and advancement…or closing a door on something that would not be a blessing to yourself or to others. His will is paramount, and nothing will proceed without His approval. But on the uptake of the dream will come outcomes, ways and means you could not have calculated or imagined. (Inspiration from Priscilla Shirer sermon)
Ephesians 3 :20 is one of my favourite verses. “And now” …when? Now!! “He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination. He will outdo them all!”
Can I encourage you then, to pull out a pen and paper and list all those long-held, shelved dreams and imaginings…those you have put aside believing they would or could never happen; those others told you were foolish and unachievable; those that sparked a childlike longing in you years ago, and reintroduce them to your heart and mind, maybe rework them a little and take them to God for approval. Give them over and see what happens. You could well be surprised…at the very least…blessed or create a means of blessing others.
Amen!!
Unlocking An Anointed Imagination// What are you Imagining// Crazyer Faith// Michael Todd…. Transformation Church YouTube 08102021
You’re right where you need to be…God is Preparing you for More” …Praise on TBN
4. Youtube 19/10/2021 “The Science Behind Imagination” Dr Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pearce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University (well worth listening!)
Another thing that came to me, particularly in the realm of healing, is to go through the gospels and take the verses telling of Jesus’ healing ministry. In the reading of each healing event, imagine yourself as the person standing before Jesus. Look into His face, see the kindness and compassion for you in His eyes and feel the love He has for you. Receive the healing as He speaks it to you.
The gospels clearly state that everyone who came to Jesus for healing was healed.
https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com “ Jesus Healed Them All” (pdf) 127KB 7 pages
Photo: Ben Roorda Ruby Productions…photographer not known
I have always loved gemstones. I’m a woman…and diamonds are a girl’s best friend, so they say!
I think I developed a greater love and appreciation for crystals and gemstones during our years of home-schooling our kids. We travelled extensively within the eastern and central states of Australia, my husband needing to for work, so we tagged along. It was a great time of bonding and teaching our captive audience on our long-distance drives! The two eldest, at the time were 12 and 10 years old, the other three a bit young to grasp but geology and history were the favourite topics, and all developed a knowledge and interest in both over time. With each trip, our gathering of rocks and minerals grew, the luggage storage in the car strained with extra plastic boxes of our categorised and catalogued collection.
I can recall one trip to Atherton, on the tablelands in Queensland we visited a display of geological wonders at The Crystal Caves…. a shopfront and prized geological collection set in a cave-like setting. When we entered the dark and walked along boardwalks the displays of each precious stone, in its raw state, formed but uncut …or polished crystal, was lit from beneath to highlight the beauty of its colour and extraordinary form. Agate, beryl, opals, rubies, sapphires, Geodes of amethyst just to name a few.
I was so moved by the realization that all this beauty had been hidden beneath the ground, formed under intense pressure, violent earth movement and heat and encased in rock. Deep underground, out of sight, many extensive cave systems worldwide, discovered by adventurers, sometimes accidently, have exposed extraordinary crystal formations. Since that day, I have found myself drawn to gemstone collections and displays with a holy awe and reverence, often taken by surprise by my emotional response to these “Hidden treasures”.
Clearly God has delighted not only in their making but also in our discovery and use of His creation. The Bible is full of references to God’s insistence of the inclusion, craftmanship and decoration of His temple, the Ark of the Covenant, and John’s description of Heaven in Revelation 21.
. This is a wonderful view of God’s richness, beauty and pleasure in us and His promise of steadfast love and protection…
Isaiah 54:11, 12
‘I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires
I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels,
And all your walls of precious stones.”
Each gemstone is unique. Surprisingly, in researching this, it is not perfection of the crystal that makes it unique but its imperfections. ‘Formed under intense pressure and temperatures, gemstones are susceptible to severe faults, regarded as “birthmarks”. “These flaws are the result of environmental, external influences and are categorised based on their “display qualities” after polishing.
Flaws in our world view, are imperfections not normally celebrated for the uniqueness and qualities they bring. In an article from GemSelect* in their August 2018 newsletter, they state “inclusions (imperfections) can be an indicator of authenticity and origin and give texture & colour to a gemstone. It was the authors opinion that diversity and “uniqueness” are part of “a rich tapestry to be celebrated.”
We were all formed in darkness, given and developed traits and characteristics as a result of process, trial, environmental and external forces which make us unique. It is not until we are seen and appreciated for who we are, our “flaws” accepted and yes, celebrated, and valued because they are part of our story.
A recent Facebook post on “neuroatypical” kids, spoke of how these kids are devalued by this categorisation process that determines their “value” to an employer based on what others want to see and experience., where worth is limited by the processes and “deemed attributes” necessary and “display qualities” that are acceptable. They want “Cookie-cutter “people not individuals “crafted” by our Creator. Each of these kids add colour to the tapestry of the lives of their families if, like gemstones, are valued and treasured for their uniqueness, flaws and all. Often, it is the very trait considered to be a mistake/flaw that is the most endearing and special thing about them adding to…. no, enhancing their value.
I found this whole concept of irregular, uniquely shaped and marked stones fascinating, My expectation and understanding of a stones value was based on its Cut quality. According to the experts trained in the craft, It is the “cut quality “of a stone by a craftsman that significantly impacts a stones value. Facetted stones are said to be preferred. Their clarity and transparency that reflect light give the gemstones their brilliance and this is a highly prized trait particularly with diamonds.
Sadly, we have become obsessed with our need, desire…lust…for perfection. This has birthed an industry of lies, of striving for personal gratification…body image, tattoos, injectable Botox, diets, self-glory, self-help, self-obsessed…. a management, manipulation and maintenance of our lives and circumstances.
This social trend can be illustrated in my research on lab-grown gemstones…. perfection for less! But again, they are deemed by gem specialists to be “too perfect”, lacking character and uniqueness.
Several articles on these counterfeit stones lists the following qualities as desirable for their consideration and purchase over and above naturally formed stones:
One’s social standing and identity is preserved as lab grown stones are not to be considered “low society” items but symbols of technological advancement and inclusion in the “Luxury” set. Only a trained eye would be able to tell the difference.
Quality is assured. The belief is that the manufactured stone holds the same spiritual sway, and their metaphysical properties are not diminished.
Their lustre and sheen outshine the natural stone, making them an ideal choice in comparison to natural stone.
You can customise your stone’s colour, properties & lustre and safeguard against any untoward effects found in natural stones.
There is unlimited supply and guaranteed quality of all varieties and sizes of stones.
There is no mining, pollution, and degradation of the environment in their manufacturing processes therefore hailing the process as being environmentally aware and sustainable.
Thank God I can come, warts and all…lopsided, deformed by worldview standards, seen and valued with all my imperfections made as perfection in Christ. “God wants the world to see in me the extent of what His grace can do”. (“Defined” pg 81 Kendrick) …someone whose transformation cannot be explained in any other way except by the life-altering power of and presence of God.”
Applaud our imperfections’. Appreciate those things that make us unique and tell our particular story and accept that others have their own place in God’s scheme of things. Whether our lives and beings are multi-facetted, with many gifts and talents, traits and truths or we have been marked by God with some unique offering for the world in which we live and move, we are here to shine and reflect God’s grace, love, and acceptance.
Colossians 2:3 “For our spiritual wealth is in Him like hidden treasure waiting to be discovered…heaven’s wisdom and endless riches of revelation knowledge.”
So go mining in God’s Word for the truth of who you are…and who HE is. He has a treasure storehouse waiting for you to discover and promises that “if you seek you will find”.
Amethyst geode
References:
1.Isabella Yan. Embracing the Flaws. Jewelry Connoisseur by Rapaport, U.S.A. December 2010. Retrieved 23rd July 2021.
Since being given this title many months ago now, I have fiddled and diddled about, writing a bit here and there, then everywhere I went someone else seemed to be talking on this very topic. I couldn’t improve on it so my blog has remained unfinished to date. Yet, the nagging to complete what I began has not passed….
2 Corinthians 5:7 “…for we live by faith, not by what we see with our eyes.”
I am reminded in this instance that everything God speaks has a purpose. I have been praying for the healing of a cataract forming in my left eye, and given I have little sight in my right…my sight is pretty important to me. So God has used my circumstances in the moment to teach me more about faith and trusting him with my day-to-day life.
As I have sat with this title, I am challenged by it. In an age where “seeing is believing”, God’s Word again turns our human constructs upside down. Faith, by dictionary definition, is “a strong belief based on spiritual conviction rather than proof.” …” complete trust or confidence in someone or something.”
The Bible, however, In Hebrews 11:1 states: “faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.”
I recall being told more than once that faith was for the weak minded…for those who did not possess the fortitude to take responsibility for their lives and consequences of their choices but rather used faith as a crutch…an excuse. I was terribly upset at this perceived attack on my character but have, over time, developed a greater confidence in my belief in God and the truth of His Word over and above the opinions of others.
We all exercise “faith” in various forms and constructs. We ride in elevators, planes, trains, and cars all with an expectation for good and success, despite our personal lack of control over our circumstances in that moment. We have faith that those who have designed, built, tested, and done so with integrity, skill and care therefore we can trust, often without any conscious awareness of our faith, in the product and its ability to fulfil our needs.
In our day-to-day world then, we place our faith in the knowledge, expertise and wisdoms gathered over time by those holding the degrees, the accumulated research and documented evidence.
So where then do we find the documented evidence of the nature of God and His response to us, with its visible, tangible proofs that enable us to anchor our faith in Who He is and what He says as truth?
The Bible is my research paper, full of documented evidence of God’s interaction and care of those He created, of repeat interactions, written and verbal accounts as was the way of the day, passed from generation to generation, of God’s patience and rerouting to achieve what He had ordained was the best results for His chosen people. These are my litmus test of God’s power, heart and determination to love me despite myself. I have 2000 years of historical evidence backed by alternative sources and archaeological findings on which to base my trust. The Gospel accounts are independent accounts of the life of Jesus, God’s Son, written with personal and cultural perspective, by those who lived and breathed life with Him, describing the nature of God through the life and workings of His Son and the bringing together of the prophecy and plans of God to show His desire for us… and that he is faithful, trustworthy and loves us and wants to fulfil our needs.
It is in this context I am being asked to trust in the nature of God, to entrust to Him my needs and desires and as said in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all my cares and anxieties on Him…and leave them with Him, for He always tenderly cares for you.”
This is more than just about my vision. This is about life…all of it!
It has been my observation and experience that those of us who live in awareness and acknowledgement of our faith have at least a rudder for life…and an anchor in tough times.
Jeff and I were discussing over dinner one night, generally about memorising scripture, Bible college, qualifications and education as I was musing over my lifetime in the church yet had little knowledge and understanding of the Bible, of God and His nature.
The disciples were a mix of uneducated fishermen, largely uneducated, unpopular and unqualified by all human religious leadership standards for the task for which they were chosen…to represent The Messiah…. God on earth.
I find myself now, in a volunteer role, placed in conversations and circumstances where I am often overwhelmed by my lack of knowledge and experience, and feel green and inadequate for the job.
I can only imagine…and take some cues from the written accounts in the Gospels…. that the disciples were very much in the same place, although they were in the tangible presence of Jesus. Their call was to say “yes” in trust and follow….and we are no different. So with no “vision” for what’s next, or future plans with no qualifications, certificates, “visible “proofs other than the testimony of others, in the Bible and many more since…and tangible undisputed evidence other than the experience of God’s faithfulness, healing and presence, I am being asked to walk in faith…not by sight holding to the security I know in the God who loves me. It involves trusting God knows me and the best way forward…He becomes my eyes….my vision, then I see with His eyes, perception and ❤.
So, this concept of walking by faith, not by sight is not a random thing…it is a lifestyle….an everyday thing. It is a surrender to God’s will and purpose…He who “having determined (my) destiny ahead of time has called me to Himself” (Romans 8:30), I, not knowing the where’s, why’s and ways He will bring anything about.
Firstly, I need to be willing. David, in Psalm 51:10 prays for a “willing spirit”.
Then, I need to be in readiness…expectancy…for God’s next move…expectancy for blessing, if not for me, for someone He will use me to bless in some random, simple, unexplainable way, that I will probably miss the implication of in its seemingly small act of service, hospitality, word of encouragement, gesture of friendship….and love. God will place people and circumstances in front of me, either for my benefit or for theirs. I pray often that God will open my eyes to see as He sees in every situation so I can respond in a God- heightened sense of awareness and sensitivity to the need in the moment. Help me see all things through the eyes of Christ with heavenly perception then my sight will be perfect and give me a clarity of vision that is directed by the Holy Spirit.
What then do I have that enables me to stand in confidence before God and say…I fix my eyes on You? I do not need to see because He can see all things. I have tended to see the glass half empty…to be short sighted in seeing only what was right before me…and self-focussed. With no long-range vision, I would be narrow in my thinking, critical of myself and others and myopic in my “world view”, which was just what was happening to me in my patch.
I need a long-range eternal perception…a depth of vision that sees beyond the temporal, that sees with the eyes of love and with the knowledge that I am loved, and that God is good. This changes my focus from what ails me to the given promises throughout the Bible…Gods Word…alive and active.
So, my favourite verse has been Romans 8:28
“For I am convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together for our good”.
How then does that play out in a practical sense in my life? How do I translate that in a way that makes sense to you, the reader, and to me?
During my twelve months or so of treatment, sitting in those clinic rooms every 3 weeks in a silent but shared experience of shaken certainty with others in varying degrees and stages of care, I had to turn my attention from myself, determinedly grab with both hands God’s promises of His love and care for me, and creatively invest myself in a passion project of provision for other’s welfare. I made cards and wrote encouraging words of life, health, joy and blessing. Not to sing my own praises…because on more than one occasion I was challenged by my own writings, finding I was actually encouraging myself. It was as much saving myself from a spiral of fear and, initially, forcing myself to look at a different glass…then whether mine was half empty or half full was not an issue.
I have completed a treatment regime a few weeks ago. My test results thus far have alluded to a successful outcome as far as the doctors are able to conclude at this point. My faith in God’s overseeing all that has played out in these past 3 years is to my mind indisputable. Has everything worked as I had hoped, prayed for and expected? No.
At that point I must accept that God has had a plan that included me and was contingent on my faith in His goodness and love towards, and for, me. It required my belief in His Word. Not just a belief but a receiving …a claiming that goodness that the Bible says is mine, is mine for the taking. So even in those times when my circumstances didn’t change and I wasn’t miraculously healed even as I believed was possible, I clung to the words before my eyes and the promise that God’s word is truth and the promises written there were as much mine as yours or your loved ones.
The story in Mark 5:25-34 of the haemorrhaging woman who touched Jesus cloak while he was walking in the crowded streets has been my anchor of faith. Jesus realised someone had drawn power from Him in that moment and when she admitted she had touched him, he responded with “Daughter, because you dared to believe, your faith has healed you. Go with peace in your heart and be free of your suffering.”
For me to live by faith and not by sight or circumstances, such as the statistical findings of similar cases to mine, by the doctor’s insistence on regular scans and tests until they have collected sufficient evidence to satisfy their professional “due diligence”, I have taken that story and made it my own. I began this journey with cancer by asking God if I could trust him and if His word was true. I needed to know. I needed something tangible to cling to when the bottom fell out of my world.
Well, to the distress of some and the confusion of others, I have lived each day since in God’s tangible (and as per the dictionary definition…clear and definite, real) grace. I am well. I am taken aback when people look at me and comment that I look well as if they anticipate something different. I live in grace…. Undeserved favour… every day, and in gratitude and in faith in those words….” because you dared to believe”.
So, I go back to Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for.”
It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen.”
God is good. Walk then by faith, not by sight. He sees so much better than I do.
My oncologist arranged PET and CT scans post-surgery for breast cancer, the request form reading, “suspected metastases”.
This week is fraught with what has the potential to be anxious times.
The week of tests have come with challenging pre-emptive tales from those who mean well by sharing theirs or a friend’s stories with unhappy endings.
I began the week with thermography, ordinarily a helpful and informative process, non-invasive, at least on a physical plane!
Jeff reminded me on the way home after this encounter, that the thermographer’s personal experience with breast cancer and her “cautionary tales” and experiential advice is not my story and I have a relationship with God that has been my guide and peace. Still, it had troubled me throughout the week, causing me to question myself and my faith in God’s promises and my recent history of His grace and provision. It was in this mindset I arrived at the hospital for my scans.
In these times, when I let my guard is down or I’m distracted, it is not uncommon to find my thoughts revert to worry and those bad habits of my past of rehearsing scenarios and conversations, taking me from a passing thought to a full- blown anxiety attack. In these moments I feel I struggle to hear God’s voice when really, it’s that I have given credence and preference to another’s words and forget my faith in a God who is good.
So how do I live in expectancy in this and other uncertain circumstances? It was clear that those around me in their various advisory and experience modes have a different expectancy to mine and they were determined to share their concerns and build in me a preparedness for the worst-case scenario.
On both test days, the circumstances were such that in a moment I found fear overtaking me and my body began to shake uncontrollably.
I hate the PET scan and with these new rulings of having to keep a mask on while in a room alone and in a confined space, strapped down to the table, it took a few minutes to gather myself and remind myself of my dependence on, and my faith in, a God who provides all my needs. A simple prayer of “help” …it was one of those “Let go and Let God “moments, to overcome and control my body’s fear responses. I had read only that morning a piece called “Trust Fall”. It spoke of a “trust exercise” where one must allow themselves to fall backwards in an act of radical faith that their counterpart will catch them in their arms. In that moment I had to act in expectancy…to let go of fear, to fall back into the promises that “He will never leave me nor forsake me”.
Obviously, no information is forthcoming from the radiography staff, so with 2 tests done I had now to wait for the results. Now, I am challenged. Real time faith! So, what is my stance in the face of these results and in the nay-saying I’d been fed during the week …and my faith? It was Friday. My follow up appointment and treatment weren’t until Tuesday.
In these next few days, my focus was on the promises of God and the conviction that He is a good God. Reading His Word I was reminded again and again of His love for me, of my dependence on Him and my belief that I am loved not matter what happens. I spent my weekend making cards, keeping my attention on my mission of encouraging others by speaking love, joy, and life while in the infusion ward every 3 weeks rather than on the treatment itself or the pending results.
I was writing in cards to leave at the ward while waiting for my appointment with the oncologist and I wrote about speaking life, positivity, healing and claiming God’s grace only to realise I was actually affirming myself in this moment.
My expectation is that God is Good. He is not Good “because”…. He is Good. That is Who He is. So then is my faith tied to Good things happening to me? Can I maintain my thankfulness in all situations…even in the face of a negative result?
This was illustrated in my experience this morning. It was raining and we awoke to our usual audience of 4 white cockatoos sitting right outside our window looking in…anticipating being given seed. Wet and bedraggled, over the course of the morning, their expectancy did not waiver.
As I sat on my bedroom floor, as I do every morning, for my devotion, I had one cockatoo sitting on the pergola almost directly above me, and two eyeballing me just outside the door. After some time, I just pulled the curtain enough to obstruct them from my view. They just hopped along the veranda a bit so they could still see me, so I closed the curtain again just a little more…and again they bobbed along until their line of site…. and their intention… were abundantly clear to me. It made me laugh and realise that is exactly how we should behave in these situations of life. The cockatoos were quietly but determinedly expectant of a feed…and so they waited…and waited. They were not deterred in that expectancy. They had had a previous experience of grace at my hand, rewarded for their patience and persistence, and had no reason to believe that this day, this situation would not deliver similar results.
The difference in this scenario is that as wild birds, their expectation is one based on habitual behaviour. They develop no emotional attachment to me as the Provider who fulfills that expectation. They come. They are fed…or not. While I meet their expectation, they will keep coming. When I stop, so will they.
My decision and faith to expect from God cannot be emotional or conditional. A negative test result is not more or less definitive if I believe in a God who is Good and who loves me. I cannot tie Him to, or insist on, an outcome that suits my mindset of or my determination of what that particular outcome may mean…for me or for Him. In Isaiah 55:8 God says…” For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”.
On what then do I base my faith and expectancy that causes me to hold to a position of positivity and a belief in a God who loves me and has a plan. He says in Jeremiah 29:11 He “for I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you” ……. trust.
This was not where I started in my thinking in writing this piece. This has become a revelation to me on the eve of receiving my test results. God is at work in me to bring me to a place of trust in His ability and His love and goodness….to be immersed in and hold to, His promises.
Isaiah 43:1 says,
“Fear not for I have redeemed you and called you by name. You are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
Through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through fire, you will not be burned and the flame will not consume you.
For I am The Lord, your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Saviour,
…. because you are precious in my eyes and honoured, and I love you.”
Then living in expectancy can only go hand in hand with a belief that I am loved. I can live in this space because of Who He is and not because of what He does, where the focus shifts from my situation, my outcome, my response to all of these…. It’s because of what He has already done that gives me the confidence to trust in the face of all the unknowns, the unexpected and the unexplainable.
This is a game changer in my Living in Expectation, because once the focus is off me…my need and wants….my perspective factors in an acceptance that I do not and cannot understand all that is at play here. I trust that God knows and out of His love for me, will provide all my needs. Sometimes that will make no human logical sense in the moment. That has certainly been my experience so far but “… we know that God causes everything to work together for the Good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes for Him.” Romans 8:28
I read a small piece recently that talked about car headlights in night driving. They light a few hundred metres ahead of us…not all the way to our destination. This is what its like for me in my walk with God. I keep moving forward in faith. Occasionally I get a glimpse of a greater purpose but for the most part I am given all I need for the moment. That is the meaning in the “Lord’s Prayer” when we say, “Give us this day our daily bread “, trusting that God knows my needs and will provide.
I do not have an answer for all the questions…. when what I had expected did not eventuate in the time frame I felt necessary or circumstances did not change in my favour. Lord knows, I have been there…not had the answer I have prayed for, believed I’d get and battled with disappointment.
In times of greatest need we are commanded to show love and compassion, empathy and kindness and sensitivity for the situation or others in similar places.
One thing I am learning…and I’ve a way to go still….is the power of words. Our shared experiences give others hope and enliven their expectancy for peace of mind, our words and the words and promises spoken over them, to them and for them are powerful when chosen to elevate, empower and enable them.
All I am able to offer from my own experience and insight, such that it is, is our need to respond to others with compassion…. and given some have experiences similar to our own, that response should bring with it all the wisdom, assurance and understanding we have gained along the way and then all the comfort we can muster. We aim to lift others up and help each other to live with expectation and hope.
2 Cor 1:4 “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us”.
I am learning to unclench the white-knuckled hold on the steering wheel of what I believe I can control…but cannot….and give it to God. Trust that He loves us. That is all. A simple “help” will set the wheels in motion…. Then accept with grace and gratitude our daily breadand continue to live in expectancy.
I have a collection of masks, mostly decorative in nature, bought in Venice on travels as a memento, two theatrical masks to celebrate our children’s giftedness in stage performance, some given as gifts to increase the collection, and one not so beautiful but poignant in these times…a beaked mask, as worn in the times of the plagues as protection from disease by doctors and others in the healing profession.
There are ritual masks, funerary, fertility rites, and festive masks, to name a few.
Regardless of the situation, the mask did just that…masked the identity of the wearer. Whether for disguise for protection of one’s identity from recrimination, punishment or judgement, protection from disease, or symbolic in theatre, status, sanction or control, the aim was to be able to operate “under cover”. In these times, as in times past, there is a place for their mandating in public spaces for the protection of all.
I’ll come right out and say it though! I hate masks! While now free of my former claustrophobia, I still find the mandatory wearing of masks in hospital settings and public settings, very difficult, as I’m sure most do.
There is a deeper side to this topic not steeped in the debate of necessity or efficacy. I think this is beautifully illustrated in my experience in the hospital lift the other week. A small elderly lady and I entered the lift, each going to the infusion ward for our treatment. Masked and socially distanced, she remarked to me how much she missed giving and receiving smiles. Her comment was that it was impossible to see if someone smiled when wearing a mask. I said people smiled as much with their eyes, but I am not sure that is always true. I believe, yes, in the case of a genuine smile, but I think we have become shallow in our acknowledgement of each other. When my eyes are all I have for my nonverbal communication, I need to make it count. A smile is a simple yet powerful act of communication and acknowledgement, but it needs to be expressed in our eyes and body language to matter.
We are being stripped of a large percentage of our social interactions outside of social media. Our faces, designed as a social tool, each tiny muscle and movement read by our counterpart in communication as “friend “or “foe”; our touch reduced to an elbow bump or gloved or sanitised interaction; our group activities stifled by social distancing and banned togetherness. We cannot sing in worship. We cannot dance. We cannot swim or exercise in groups or shared spaces. Our joy is confined, restrained.
It is in this current social framework I am being called on to take what is apparent negativity and restriction and learn new and creative means of caring, communication,
My dearest friend Anna was telling me about an impactful verbal Zulu greeting shared by the people of South Africa, that in essence is “I see you”. “The greeting,” writes Holden,” is an invocation spoken in two parts”.. I searched this when I got home and found a beautiful article on this phenomenon by Robert Holden, (Psychologist) and his use of this greeting process in his therapy sessions. (Holden, 2011)
When 2 people meet, they make deep and deliberate eye contact, which Holden says is “akin to soul contact”. The greeting “invokes the person’s spirit to be present and to fully inhabit the moment…a willingness to engage with integrity.” Holden also writes, the greeting “offers an intention to release any preconceptions and judgements so that “I can see you as God created you.” One says, “I am here to be seen” ( “Sikhona”). The response given is “I see you” “Sawubona” and then the greeting is reversed by each. I am deeply moved by this philosophy , called ubuntu, “a spiritual ethic…to help your brothers and sisters remember their true identity, recognise their true value and participate fully”.
What an awesome philosophy! We have much to learn!
So, eye contact is, in this time and space becoming important…”, a skill that should not be taken for granted or forgotten”, says Garrett Rubis. .. another author who has edited and published a blog by Lorne Rubis (Lorne Rubis, 2016) on this Zulu greeting, the article well worth a read and reflection on the intention behind the words spoken…. and a skill that needs to be introduced and relearnt in the “face” of our masked existence.
We are, in essence, relational beings, designed for community, family, and relationship.
Yet many have, in their woundedness, taken to wearing masks of a different kind, hiding behind facades of behaviour and attitudes not true to ourselves. These “persona’s” we present to the world are to shield us, we think, from further hurt but in the process become prisoners of the very persona we have fabricated for our perceived protection. Mine, for many years, had been the Good Girl. Always on hand, ever available. In the words of (Kidd, 1990). In this process I silenced my own voice and my own unique truth of who we I am in Christ
There is One for whom no mask, material or metaphorical, can conceal me from His sight. He “sees me” …every flaw and fault; every thought and action; every hurt and hindrance; every fear and failure; every joy and hope; every dream and aspiration….and He loves me ”in spite of me”. (Leonard, n.d.)He knows everything there is to know, past, present and future. What He is wanting from me is the exchange response of that Zulu greeting…” I am here to be seen”.
In Colossians 3:8-11, Paul tells us “to take off the old life with its masquerade and disguise. For you have acquired a new creation life which is being continually renewed into the likeness of the One who created you, giving you the full revelation of God. In this new creation life, your nationality makes no difference, or your ethnicity, education or economic status….they matter nothing! For it is Christ that means everything as He lives in every one of us.”
To get to a point where I can accept that God’s love for me can in no way be compared with anything I have ever experienced is a major hurdle in being freed from other’s expectations and striving for acceptance. It is a “too good to be true”, incomprehensible story of grace…but then grace in its purest form is just that…incomprehensible…inexplicable.
How then does this acceptance and act of grace towards me reflect in my day-to-day interactions with those around me? I need to respond to others with love, grace, acceptance, tolerance, patience, particularly in these current stressful and uncertain times.
My face is covered, and the normal means of communication is compromised, which, if I think about it, has relieved me of any real responsibility in an exchange with another. I can smile to improve someone’s day, to acknowledge them and in doing so, acknowledge too our common predicament.
The answer came to me in a Bible reading during my devotions the other morning. Jesus is doing a new thing! Isaiah 43: 18-19 reads:
“Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.
See….I am doing a new thing! Do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
There has been a slogan around for a while…A smile costs you nothing.
I think I am being called to a greater cost. It has to cost me something!
To fully communicate and demonstrate the love of God, as He has done for me, I need to DO something. That is a cost in time, process, purpose…. something deliberate, intentional, meaningful.
People now speak of the “New Normal”.
If I am being instructed to forget how things were and embrace what is the “NEW” then I am being challenged to be creative in my interaction processes and exchanges with others. A brief scroll through social media will demonstrate enormous spirit in embracing change, addressing and acknowledging struggle and injustices…. humanity rising to the challenge.
My test, as a Christian, is to bring God’s kingdom here on earth. I am meant to be the light, the change, the difference…the “way and the streams in our current social distancing wilderness and wasteland”.
How?…Acts of random kindness, a meal for an elderly neighbour unable or fearful to get out; pay for the person behind you me in a queue; send a gift, card or hand written not of encouragement to someone struggling; pop some hand baked goods in the tearoom at work; maybe even go right out and send some word of praise to a community or government leader doing a difficult and unpopular job.
These are instruments of peace, applications of grace, demonstrations of love and kindness…the “body language” of my faith.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer…and in the midst of everything, be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus”.
Holden, R. (2020). Healyourlife.com. Retrieved from Healyourlife.com. Kidd, S. M. (1990). In S. M. Kidd, When The Heart Waits (p. pp6 and 60). New York: HarperOne. Leonard, T. C. (n.d.). Tasha Cobbs Leonard. Retrieved from YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=gE15aoHyll8&feature=share Lorne Rubis, p. b. (2016). The Respect of “‘ Ï see you…I am here’ . Retrieved from https://www.highlights.lornerubis.com/2016/12/i-see-you
