Take hope in the knowledge that you are cherished by the One who made you—you are sheltered in the shadow of His wing, close to His heart. It is my prayer that as we get to know one another you, too, will see beyond the veil and will learn to say, “Even so, I walk in the Presence of the Lord”
With joy,
Nan
When Anguish of the Heart Leads Us Straight to Jesus
Kneeling by my bed, I poured out the pain of my heart to the Lord. Tears streamed as anguish gripped my heart — pain so deep that no words could adequately describe.
Groaning too deep for words.
Pure exhaustion washed over me.
A Prayer When Our Path Leads Through Gethsemane
Lord, You alone are worthy of praise for You are good. You are faithful, and True. On You I can depend.
Your goodness is constant. Even when my circumstances lead me through Gethsemane, Your goodness still stands.
I can’t rely on my feelings — and I don’t want to — but doggone it, my emotions run so …
The Morning Star Rises in Our Hearts and Breaks the Dawn
The inky jet of night blanketed the earth in deafening silence. Stillness. Thoroughness. A billion stars scattered tiny points of light high above me. But the complete darkness outside my window remained — heaven’s light was out of view.
Much like my own inward light.
The darkness reflected my thoughts — thoughts of discouragement. Depression. Where was my light of joy and peace?
A Prayer When God is Shrouded by a Cloud and Can’t be Seen
Lord, great is Your faithfulness! You are mighty to save, sovereign over all things. I trust You, really I do, but when You are shrouded by a cloud, and I can’t find You in my difficult place, doubt finds an entrance.
When Your Presence is shrouded by a cloud of adversity, I easily lose my way.
Discovering Ruach, The Powerful Breath of God
I walked along our country road thinking about the breath of God. Ruach. Beside me, fallen leaves rustled and swirled around in a gentle breeze that escorted me on my path. I watched and listened as I kept up my pace, thankful for the cooling of the breeze, pondering the movement of the leaves that seemingly came alive, yet in reality were dead.
The leaves had fallen — a sure sign of an early fall.
Their color was gone now. They were dry and brittle.
And yet they danced in the wind — moved by the powerful breath of God. Ruach.
A Prayer to Remember You Alone Are God and I Am Not
Lord, Your ways are not my ways, Your thoughts not my thoughts. You alone are God and I trust You, I depend on You, and I find my hope in You alone.
Bless You, Lord.
Many are the afflictions of Your children. Many are frightened, overwhelmed. Many are angry, risking bitterness of heart …
Though Haggard, She Still Belted Out Her Song of Praise
Bless her heart. She was a haggard little thing. Feathers were askew, falling out, barely hanging on. Molting? Maybe. I’m not sure. What I am sure of is how she spoke to me this morning.
There’s a birdfeeder right by my window beside the couch where I enjoy my quiet time in the mornings. From this vantage point I can watch the world awaken with its dawning light, its mist lifting over the creek, and listen to the birdsong.
It was birdsong that drew my attention to the tiny haggard wren — she was bursting with song!
A Prayer to Follow His Footsteps When the Steps Are Blurry
Lord, You are the light of the world. In You there is no darkness. Your Word is a lamp to our feet lighting our way. You promise when we follow in Your footsteps we will not walk in darkness.
So why do I get tripped up trying to follow You? More than anything, I desire to obey You in all things, to magnify Your Name. I desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a hurting world.
But some days I’m filled with uncertainty about the steps I’m taking — the direction I’m heading
Precious Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me On
Curled up on the couch, I watched the sun rise over the ridge. Fresh, cool air streamed in through the open window awakening my senses, drawing my attention to the One who loves me.
I cradled my coffee cup and sipped from its warm goodness and became still, quieted in my spirit, lost in my thoughts.
Stirring deep in my spirit came a song, “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn … “