I have not written lately, but I have been obssessed with reading. I think because it is an activity I can complete from my bed or the bath tub, while sipping 7-Up. Those have been my two favorite hot spots lately. I have read several pieces that spoke so loudly to my heart, that it seemed the Lord was leaning down into my ear. I want to share several of them with you over the next couple of days.
The first writing I wanted to share comes from Streams in the Desert, which is one of my most favorite books for times you need a little encouragement. This speaks so much to me, because it is reinforcement encouraging us to be us, in Christ. It frees us up to realize that who we were created to be in Him, is exactly who He wanted. We can release ourselves from pressure to be anyone but us. That is, afterall, how and where we will be the most effective.
Learning to be Content-Streams in the Desert
A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning, and founde vertyhing withered and dying. He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found it was sick oflife and etermined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like the pine.
The pine was all out of heart because it could not bear grapes, like the vine. The vine was going to throw its life aways because it could not stand erect and have as fine fruit as the peach tree. The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac; and so on all through the garden.
Coming to a heart's-ease, he found its bright face lifted as cheery as ever. "Well, heart's-ease, I'm glad amidst all this discouragement, to find one brave little flower. You do not seem to be the least disheartened." "No, I am not of much account, but I thought that if you wanted an oak, or a pine, or a peach tree, or a lilac, you would have planted one; but as I knew you wanted a heart's-ease, I am determined to be the best little heart's-ease that I can be."
