Patty's Peace

Please understand I have spoken and gotten permission to share everything I am about to from this woman, she wanted to share it.

Oh what a holiday! Came and went and as of last Wednesday night, my bible study group finally convened after holiday break.
We were so excited! Just to get back to our routine of seeing each other and partaking in discussion and study of the bible and particularly the Patriarch’s: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Beth Moore).

In group discussion we went over one question particularly telling, a question that involved the moment Rebekah was pregnant with Jacob and Esau and wondered why they were fighting within her. Beth posed the question: if the end result of this is supposed to be (blank), why am I (blank)? And we were to fill in the blanks.
And while some of us shared our answers right away, all of a sudden Patty, one of my sweet bible study sisters decided to share her answer. She smiled as she gave us a disclaimer.
“Ok, I was in a different place when I wrote this,” as if to say, do not hold my honesty against me. I can always go for more honest with God – Amen!
She answered, “It the end result of this is supposed to be a closer relationship with God, why am I so lonely.”
We were all stunned; in a good way. She had in one fell swoop asked a question I think all of us had asked at one time.
Patty went on to share how this had been an interesting time for her and God since about June of that past year. She went into telling us how that for so long in her life she had been a Christian, but because of unresolved issues in her life she just could not seem to connect with the Lord in a deeper way. She loved the LORD but she had seemed to have missed the intimacy with God.

Does that sound familiar to anyone?

And then she went on to tell us that when her marriage of 20+ years ended, she had so many feelings of anger and bitterness towards God that even though she went to church, she went out of duty. Her heart was drowning. Patty went to therapy to work on her abandonment issues and as she was able to grieve the past hurts and begin to trust again, her therapist suggested that God could also be a comfort. Patty couldn’t connect to God, because Patty had been wounded in a way that made her fear being duped again.
“One night in worship,” she spoke sweetly, “they were singing a song about trusting God, and I thought I don’t trust you, God, but you know what, I WANT TO!”

Wow! Can bravery be anymore apparent than when we get honest with God?

We all sat, wide-eyed and blown-away, by this touching and real encounter that she had with God. And what an encounter it was.
She went on to tell us that since she told God she wanted to trust Him, He has been doing nothing short of sweeping her off of her feet. I so desperately love the way God gets women. He created us, and what a love we share. Patty believes that God used therapy to heal her with a person that she could physically see and then moved her into a deeper healing with Him directly. She also believes that each person’s journey is unique and precious. God heals us in His own time and in various ways.
She took that step, at the moment God appointed, to connect in a real life, real love relationship with her Creator. In an email I received from her today she writes:

I am finding that where I used to feel so rebellious about God asking anything of me, because I am falling in love with Him I desire to please Him. It is so different for me.

Who knows what is next for Patty? God does, they are on their own walk now and I couldn’t be happier for a fellow sister. I am pretty sure that from now on, she will be anything but lonely.

I was so blessed by this woman’s bravery as a daring daughter of the King. She responded to the knocking on her heart that the LORD was doing. How much of our lives would be changed if we responded when He knocked?
LORD, even as much as I talk to you, pray to you, praise you and think of you. CONSUME ME MORE!!!! I want nothing more than to be head over heels over you.

Make me hunger and thirst for you and your commandments.
In your son’s name, the love of my life, even more make Him the love of my life,
In Jesus name,
Amen

Alabaster Jar, gift of tears

I heard Jon Courson speak of the tear jars that they have in Israel, where when I woman finds the man she will trust herself with, she gives him, in essence every heartbroken moment she has ever had. The immoral woman of Luke 7: 36-50 is a beautiful and magical picture of the LORD'S love and care for a daring daughter.

She was a woman who had sinned much, but somehow at that moment it didn't matter. Her faith was bigger than her fear as she entered the home of that pharisee. Have you ever felt that those around you would be the mocking, unkind sort? Imagine the terror in this woman, knowing she would be around sneers and looks of disgust. One might want to hide, shudder, lower one's head and walk by the door of Simon's house.

Not this daughter.

She traveled to bring Him the gift of not only her exspensive perfume, but her tears. And as she knelt behind Him, her face close to His feet, she lavished her love for this man. Now, I love my hair, and to visually see this woman take her hair and wipe the dust from His feet with her tears, takes me to another dimension. Everything in her was at stake and everything was available.

Of course Simon, questions in his thoughts, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

A sinner who gave it all to the LORD. Kneeled with remorse and love, weariness and faith. Her tears were filled with who knows how much bitterness or pain or lonliness. Her bones aching with disgust or fear or saddness. We see depression nowadays and what havoc it can have on people both physically and emotionally. It wears away the person.

Jesus tells Simon a somewhat parable of two that owe a debt. I love how the NKJ puts it, "Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. "

"Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.

Where was Simon's remorse; did he annoint Jesus' head, did he wash His feet? This woman did more than just what would have been nice and accustomed.

47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

She gave all she had; all she was, laying it before the kings feet. What a beautiful moment of freedom, to just say here it is, I cannot do this on my own, I give you my tear jar, you are the man of my dreams.

Oh, what a tender encounter I imagine when He looks to her to tell her she is forgiven. I can see the softness in His eyes, the gentle but strong sound of His voice. 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” You risked it all, daughter and you are forgiven.

When Jesus looks at this woman, He says something that I believe is no accident. "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Interesting, faith and peace in the same phrase. For you see I believe when we give everything up; the fake, the proud, the dirt, the sleeze and just say, "Father, this isn't working, I NEED YOU and I WANT YOU; we are in turn going to recieve the peace our frazzled and weakened nerves so badly crave. He is our Prince of Peace, go ahead, spill out your jar. I am.

LORD, in this glowing, beautiful picture you give us, I see myself. I so badly want to be the woman of worth who lays it down at the feet of my One true love. I know my healing comes from you, I know my peace is awaiting. Please take these tears of past pains and rebellion and heal me and love me.

In the wonderful and powerful name of my Savior,

In Jesus name,

Amen

Welcome Daughters...

Ever wonder why Woman was God's finale in creation? We are something special! "Well-behaved women rarely make history," quoted by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is a quote we hear quite a bit. Or Oscar Wilde's quote, "How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.” We may smile, or joke but the truth is there is a magical connection between our creator and His love for us. We have something our father gave us that pleases Him. This blog will point out the women of worth and bravery in the bible and in the world today.

The daring daughters!

I am so excited and feel like there is a fire lit inside of me. This is the place where we will see and feel the strength of women in the past and present, and hopefully with the LORD's leading, affect the women of the future.