It’s been a while since my last post. I got delayed by a road trip we took over the Easter weekend. My husband and I spent some precious days with our daughter and her teenaged son who live in another city! What Fun–but it got me off track on my writing and painting schedule.  But to make up for it,  for the next few days, I’ll  be posting something every day.

Now don’t get used to seeing a post every day! 

I am not a prolific writer (at least not yet!).  And I want you to know–I  do suffer short bouts of writer’s block–and even have occasional attacks of ‘writer’s doubt‘–or what might be more accurately assessed as ‘writer’s fear‘! Posting some things causes me to worry and fret.  Thoughts run through my head like, “who in the world would want to read this?” or “did ANYBODY read this?”  Well, I’m sure that more bloggers than we guess have similar doubts and fears run through their heads. I am just another in the line-up. I must say,  I am getting braver with each posting–especially when I read your encouraging comments. So keep them coming. They are the fuel that stokes my fire.  (smile)

Here’s what is coming in the next few days!

Today you will see the first installment of a fictional piece I wrote a while back: The Day I Saw God. 

It is written in 4 scenes ( 1 scene per post ).

This piece was written at a time in my life when I deeply longed to know just HOW our prayers affected God–and just what happens in the heavenly realms when believers pray. My disclaimer is this: I have not had a near-death experience–only a very active imagination. AND the fictional piece is just that–fiction–but I believer it can comfort us knowing God does see and hear all that pertains to us.

I also have been writing some lines of poetry again. I’ll post my new poem.  It is a brief summation of some of my reflections on the Resurrection.

When hard things have come into my life–I run to God for answers. My journals are full of His answers–and also equally full of the unanswered requests! I believe that God is not sleeping when He sees my requests, nor is He passively ignoring them–like a parent who tunes out the persistent droning of a needy child.

But I have always  longed to know just WHAT happens (up there!) when I pray.

I know God is at work in my life–and at the same moment–He’s also at work in the lives of every one of His creations. He cares about us and longs for us to know Him.

“. . .The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. . . .From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth–He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.. . .The eyes of the LORD are on those who fear  Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love , to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. ” (Psalm 33: 11-15, 18,19).

His response to my prayers is according to His ongoing eternal plan-–and those plans are firm.  He answers my prayers according to that plan, and is not limited to responding to one particular incident.  In other words–every circumstance–every answer fits into a bigger picture. Consider a giant 5000 piece multidimensional  puzzle. If you love puzzles at all, you’ll be able to visualize this metaphor.

God knows what the whole picture will look like before it’s even started ( see Psalm. 139:16) . Our lives ARE the puzzle. We  only understand  our lives in terms of what has already been put together–yet we know there are still unplaced pieces scattered all around us. Some pieces even appear to be lost, or we just can’t figure out where they are in the heap of assembled pieces!  Others don’t seem to make any sense at all when being held up to the what is already completed. “Where does this piece fit?” we ask . We focus (obsess?)  on those missing pieces–wishing with all our hearts that we could  find them. We pray for God to ‘find‘ them and reveal them to us; we beg Him to make them all fit . Have you ever found the right piece but it was upside down?   Or have you ever insisted that God fill in those missing pieces–now!?  He is patient with us and assures us that He will help us complete the puzzle–in His time.

What pieces are missing from your life puzzle? Are you holding them in your hand but don’t know where they fit?

This metaphor so reminds me of the story in the Bible, of the Israelite people who were taken into captivity by Babylon–their hated enemy. God’s prophet, Jeremiah, told them that they would be in captivity for 70 years! That is a long time! They were depressed and grieved, and rightly so, for it was because of their own idolatry and disobedience to God that this judgement was brought upon them. Seventy years is a LONG time–some would never see their homeland again. What was God doing?

They were delivered into this new land of exile and left to  make of it what they could. Their ‘puzzle picture’ was definitely puzzling! It was not complete in any way–and they had many questions about the messy circumstances they found themselves in. I’m sure they did their share of begging, demanding and hoping. And their God did not abandon them or leave them without encouragement.  He even sent them a letter (through the prophet, Jeremiah) assuring them of his ‘plans’ for them. God did complete their puzzle–over time–and perfectly.  (See Jeremiah 29:1-20 for the contents of this letter.)

Know this: His answer to one prayer often sets the stage for His answers to others, sometimes  even ones I haven’t prayed yet–for He is the all-knowing and all wise One. He alone knows  what the answer to one prayer will  lead to.  He knows how to perfectly weave all our circumstances, trials, losses and pain together into His perfect will for our lives.  He sees my time line (and yours)  clearly from start to end! Over the course of time, He puts the missing pieces together,  and sometimes we can see clearly His wisdom in answering that request as He did. Sometimes He gives us a glimpse of all that goes on in the heavenly realms on our behalf–as we pray. At other times,  we must trust Him, by faith and wait–for His timing is perfect.

“The LORD works out everything for His own ends.” (Proverbs 16:4)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Stay tuned! The Day I saw God will be in the next post.

Let me know what you think of it!

Yours truly,

Linda