I love this time year. The leaves are starting to change colors. The orange, red and yellow leaves are pleasant to my eyes as the sound of my husband's voice is pleasant to my ear as we ride along in the car.
While driving the other day, my husband asked me if I wanted to visit the Roloff Farm. I got so excited! We had planned on visiting last year, but it's always raining here in the Northwest and we didn't have an opportunity to go. So, if the weather man on the local news is correct, the weather will cooperate with our visit here.
I finally finished my Fall apron. I was quite pleased with it :)
My pumpkin candle is always burning in my home during the Fall months.
Recently I've been reflecting on the encounter I had with Jesus many years ago. I find myself reading the story about the Samaritan Woman over and over again. Maybe it's because I can relate to her in some way. No, I haven't had five husbands and the man that I'm currently with is my legal husband. I'm referring to living a life of sin.
There was a time in my life when I would sugar coat my sinful past. I never lied about the things I did or didn't do. I just didn't reveal the whole truth. That in itself was sin. I may have been able to fool other people, but I couldn't fool the man who met me at my well. That man is Jesus.
There is one thing I wished I had more in common with the woman at the well. When she left the well, she left all the garbage there with the man that knew everything about her. A man who had become her Savior and redeemed her from a life of shame.
I remember vividly my day at the well. Oh, how my heart was filled with joy because I had received his forgiveness. But forgiving myself and those who hurt me.....I took some of the hurt away with me as I left the well. I heard the sweet voice of Jesus beckoning me to leave it there with Him.....Why didn't I?
I did finally. But it was after years of trial and failure of trying to take care of my own wounds. Only to replace the bandages with the same old dirty bandages from the previous wound. The multiple wounds kept getting reinfected. I would pour my peroxide remedy to get out the yucky stuff. Until I realized it was MY remedy.
Jesus had already given me a remedy to cleanse all my wounds. Just like he told the Samaritan that He would give her living water, that same water He was offering to me.
Maybe you're like me and the Samaritan Woman. You have a questionable past that's hindering you from being the wife and mother that you desire to be. I encourage you to go back the the well and leave everything there. After you do that, do what the Samaritan Woman did. Go tell everybody about a man who told you about your past and forgave you from the sin you committed and the sin that was committed against you. John 4:4-22
Can you hear me squealing over here? A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to be a grandmother for the first time. Just wanted my readers to have a glance at Baby Miller aka "My Grandbaby"
"For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am Fearfully
and wonderfully made.." ~Psalm 139:13-14
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward." ~Psalm 127:3
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations." ~Jeremiah 1:5
I cannot count the times I've sat at the table for lunch longing to share a tuna fish sandwich with someone. It wasn't because I was bored or home alone. Quite the opposite. My home is always bustling with noise and boredom doesn't exist due to the many sewing and quilting projects.
The longing I have is more than sharing a sandwich, but it's sharing life. As I look around at the different blogs, I see an influx of young women with a Titus 2 heart and a passion to learn how to be a Proverbs 31 woman. Recently, I've had the honor of connecting with them outside blogland. Some are still in there teens.
While reading the Titus 2 passage of Scripture, I often wonder where is the missing link. Are the younger women looking for us older women and we are no where to be found? Are the older women waiting for an opportunity to pour life's wisdom into younger women but they are so busy running to and fro thus not allowing time to glean? Maybe it's neither, but a fear of being transparent.
When we are transparent, we are made visible by a light shining through us. The result of transparency is exposure. When we are exposed, it simply means that others can see through us.
I know there are things in the lives of women that we just don't want to expose. For me, there were things that I kept hidden for years. I was fearful. Didn't want to be transparent because that meant that other people would know "my business" and those secret things would be exposed.
What I didn't realize, it's those very things I kept hidden were the very things that God used to set other women free.
For years I wouldn't talk about my child birthing experiences. I didn't want other women to know that I felt like a failure. I felt as though I failed as a woman because I didn't birth my children naturally. It wasn't until I had a private conversation with a young woman who confided that she felt as though her body betrayed her too. Exposing how I felt about my experience brought freedom to her. Now when I meet women who birthed by cesarean section, I jokingly ask them if they want to join the "C Club."
Sharing life. Sharing a transparent life. A life unashamed for all to see because the light that's shining through me is the light of Jesus Christ.
