Tuned to Transformation
What do make overs and oak trees have in common? Why, transformation of course."The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instad of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."-Isaiah 61:1-3Today I want to share a post from Laura Ziesel at The Redemptive Pursuit. The Redemptive Pursuit is a weekly devotional for women (that I sometimes contribute to !!). I love them because their devos are relevant, thought-provoking, and they don't fill up my Inbox like crazy. If you're a woman and into reading devotionals, I'd highly recommend signing up for their weekly bit of wisdom.
"The last sentence of Isaiah 61:1-3 says, "They will be called oaks of righteousness." Who is this "they" that Isaiah speaks of? The same people who were previously the afflicted, brokenhearted, captives, prisoners, and mourners."This week, Laura writes,The bruised and broken do not stay that way forever; they are transformed into mighty oaks, planted and purposed to bring Him glory."Yes, Jesus died to free us from things--sin, fears, disease, shame. But God's plan doesn't stop there. He doesn't free us and then leave us alone. He frees us for things--joy, good works, justice, righteousness. He has great plans for us, plans that are usually hidden from our view."Today, I echo Laura's prayer to place as much focus on my spiritual transformation as my physical appearance.My voice rises with hers,"Continue to free me from the chains that I still wear. And transform me by the power of Your Spirit, so that I might be a mighty oak of righteousness, planted to bear good fruit for your glory."Amen.To read her whole post, click here.
She Spoke Love
It's Five Minute Friday again! And today's topic is a bit off the beaten trail. Today's challenge is What mama did. Be prepared for a tear jerker because today I was asked to tell all about what my mama did that made her mine, in just five minutes. Here it goes.GO.Five minutes of what my mama did. I could write five years and not even begin to tell the story. But then again five minutes takes the pressure off. All I can give is a glimpse.In a glimpse: My mom cried. And prayed. And listened.She let me cry. In fact, she's almost the only one who sees me cry.She fought lies. She affirmed truth.With her I could dredge up my darkest, ugliest doubt or fear and voice it. I could spit it out, bitter, acidic. "They hate me. No one likes me." Or let it slip through heaving sobs. "I'll never want to write again." Later I would use it mockingly, knowing it would hurt her to know I thought so little of myself. "I'm fat. I'm useless. I'm dumb."But no matter my intent, her response was the same. She spoke truth. She never joked. She never threw it in my face. She affirmed me. She affirmed the spark of God in me.You're beautiful. You're smart. You're loved. Just. As. You. Are.My mom listened. My mom saw through the pain. My mom spoke through the pain. She spoke words of love and hope and truth. She voiced the Love I would later find in my own spiritual journey. Hers is the voice I want to copy when loving my friends, when encouraging coworkers, when writing the love story of this blog.My mom spoke love. My mom speaks love. My mom showed me Love.Thank you, Mom, for what you did and what you continue to do. I love you.***
This post is part of Lisa Jo Baker’s Five Minute Fridays. Every Friday, we turn off our inner critics and perfectionists and just write for five minutes straight. Zero editing. Just a stream of conscious free for all. And then we all link up and encourage each other. To learn more about Five Minute Friday and how you can participate click here.
