thankfulness

In A TOILET BOWL

| Shelly

Grace in a Toilet Bowl

Yes, you read that correctly.

I found grace in the most

inconspicuous places

like toilet bowls

and dirt-packed laundry.

Was there ever enough time

or clothespins?

Hardly….

bookkeeping with numbers

that multiplied

and vegetables

and weeds

and meals

as daylight 

diminished.

Then one

evening, unaware

you staged

a Divine Ambush.

So ample life now,

and time.

Surely you heard my praises.

But tell me,

was I the first to thank

the toilet bowl

and pay homage

to the weeds

and laundry

as I clung 

to your fringe?

HOMAGE TO ROBERT LAX

| Shelly

Wake from this sleepless night.

All discourd was not dreamt, was it?

“Tell me, my love?”

You hold near to hear these words.

Rest at the counter with coffee and thanks.

It will come.

Let the night of sleeplessness recede.

Hold still 

long enough 

to bump into 

yourself.

Hold still.  

Spirit insures.

The promise 

is 

here.  

Hard wired we go to this and that grasping the moment. 

Full circle

circles back 

in you

my 

friend.

Let’s not 

be fussy.

Re-Lax

accourding

to R. Lax.

LET YOUR HEART

| Shelly

Let your heart

touch a flower

have it sing with the bees

Spirit moves through

mountains

Spirit rides the seas

Dancing on moonbeams

While lighting love

in our smiles

Taking all our 

nonsense

But trusting in a child

The Christ we hold

is truly, really more

Than we can ever 

put to thought

and

much

much

more

than

lore

WALK ON WALK ON

| Shelly

I sing love songs

to the maker

I hum 

with the bees

praising ever flower

each flower 

pleases me

Walking on a trail

looking high

at trees

sensing just this

moment

eternity

and

me

While your life

is at it

and your feet

know not the way

Gentle your spirit

put on Christ and pray

walk on

walk on

there’s light 

in 

every 

day

Allow Love

| Shelly

allow love

to be.

who?

you.

allow love

to be

who

you become.

allow

love

in

every

instance

for the tenderness in your heart yearns to be

heard

seen

known

recognized

remembered

rejoiced

reconciled

redeemed

renewed

replenished

reinvented

and

radiantly

present.

“HOW?” YOU SAY

| Shelly

Bring life

into life.

“How?”

you say.

Listen

let me tell you.

There’s only

only one way.

Choose each word

rinse it twice

in good.

Smile at the troubles

you never thought

you could.

Put on an armor

of love

from his arsenal and gear.

For never will

you fail

his hand is

always

near.

Walk on

Child.

Walk on

this way.

For each step

you choose

put life 

in your day.

His glory will 

please.

His love

will

praise.

Thanks Given

| Shelly

There are seasonal reasons to be thankful.

I am thankful for the rain that arrived today.

There are national reasons to be thankful.

I’m thankful for the original Americans for their generosity in feeding our ancestors a turkey dinner for which we now celebrate family and thanks.

I am thankful for my kids, my dog Violet, my friends and family.

Primarily I am, as well, thankful because I know who to thank.

That’s a big one for me.

I know who is ultimate, infinite, eternal, loving and close by; it’s Jesus.

There are times it feels like finding a needle in the haystack, seeking God when all about seems like dried hay, while I’m grabbing for straw- that messy, unmanageable and itchy stuff; I still know Jesus is in there waiting for me to glorify him and grace Him with my appreciation and ignore the mess in life.

Today has been a day where I feel I’m covered in a huge pile of loose straw.  I keep finding I’m in a messy haystack but I keep busy seeking Jesus somewhere inside.

When tomorrow comes and we are sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner; let’s ready ourselves to thank the one who brings everything to us.  Be prepared to thank for what is, what is not, what might have been and what will likely never be.  It’s all His and He is using all of this to do His wondrous mysteries for the benefit of us all.

Pretty cool huh?

And a Happy Thanksgiving to All..

Humbleness + Stillness

| Shelly

Some days are for growing.  Some days are for learning.  You can’t always take your pick.

If you are a Christian; you can as well accept the joy in this truth.

Now a story…

She arrives at my door moments after nine political yard signs are dropped off on my porch.  I don’t choose the timing of this.  She couldn’t miss seeing them.

She is my sister through Christ, a beloved friend and a long and dear childhood acquaintance.

I know that her stance on this particular political issue might be different than mine.  She comes in and I can feel an elephant in the room with us.  I suggest we clear the air of this thing before anything else.  As we sit opposite the table (physically and figuratively) I take hold of my stance.  She is much less positioned and even pokes at the side she is leaning toward.  She is brilliant.  I take baby steps to explain my views; yet I feel an urge to be a bit more serious and persistent.

At one point; we feel a presence of grace between us.  I credit this because we both agree to let Jesus be more important than any of this political manmade stuff.  Then she adds…”the horse is already out of the barn.”  I ask the meaning of the phrase.

She leaves a container of homemade Alligator chili.  She is remarkable in this way- full of surprises and unusual gifts.

The afternoon finds me gardening and planting, weeding and watering seeds.  I feel unsettled the entire afternoon, so I thank Jesus.

By the time I arrive home; I know that I had been yearning for an outcome on this political theme.  I was urging for it.

But this morning Jesus was up early teaching me some things.  I sat down and wrote long-arm, a letter to my friend.  It was to share blessings with her and gratitude for her, oh- and thank her for Alligator chili.

By mid-day these words fill a page:

What do you yearn for? For what are you eager?

Humbleness is freedom.  It is free from yearning and free from desire.  It is free from placing hope in future desires.  I give you humbleness that you can be free.

Humbleness is a state of stillness.  It is where thanks can be given, grace received and HIS will accomplished.  It is where HIS spirit is shared.  It is where we give HIM glory.

One gift of stillness is peace. One gift of humbleness is communion.

Today I see the efforts that robbed me of my stillness and peace yesterday.  Today I learn another great thing about God and why he offers us the wisdom to stay humble!

Yearn for HIM only…it’s truly freeing.

Thanks for reading.

-Shelly