A True Woman

It has been awhile since I have made a blog entry, and most of that is due to the fact that I do not have a computer desk, and therefore must stand at my counter and type which over time gets hard on the back. This entry is less of my own thoughts and more of an agreement with the thoughts of another. I have had this poem in my possession for quite awhile, but had saved it away, and recently came upon it again with great delight. I pray that whoever reads this poem will be blessed by its honesty and the integrity with which it is written. God has penned the most beautiful words through those who are willing, and because of them we can all learn and take great care and hope from these words because He is alive and well, and He is constantly sending us little and big miracles to prove it. So without further adieu, I present words of truth and wisdom:

A true Woman-By Alexandra Wade

A true woman, is something of a rarity
So much of a rarity, we have degraded her to mere outer beauty.
A true woman is truthful, and honest.
She heals the broken hearted, and shows love to the blind.
She comforts the orphans, and tends to the sick and lacks in nothing but arrogance.
She is the definition of love and needs not outer beauty,
For her inner beauty far surpasses anything of this world.
Giving love to those who need it,
You shall not feel judged in the presence of a true woman,
For every one is equal in her eyes.
Nothing compares to the love of a true woman,
A woman who would look at no other,
A woman who loves with so much compassion and conviction,
It puts you to shame, and yet her soul portrays nothing, except pure forgiveness.
She believes the Lord is the only love she will ever truly need.
She knows that the face of God can be seen in a child,
She knows that the touch of God can be found in the man she loves.
She knows that " to believe is to care, to care is to do."
A true woman knows the eye of God is upon her always,
And her eyes do not stray far from his path.
She will stand for what she believes to be right,
And does not ever stop giving love.
A true woman will lay her life down for any of Gods children.
She has wisdom that has carried her through her life.
A life of heartache, is one in which she has lived.
And sorrow, has shown in her path, and looked as though it lead the way.
However, she did not crumble under turmoil,
Instead she grew, into a woman,
A woman true to her soul.
She has learned to laugh life’s problems away,
And that the only way to get rid of heartache is to cry it out from the depths of your soul.
She has held her head high in victory, and been humbled again with loss.
A true woman sees people for what they are,
She knows that you are only responsible for what you put out,
A true woman knows, you cannot change people,
Only learn to accept them as they are and be a positive influence.
A woman, will stand for justice, and not cower in the night when loneliness comes,
But accept the company of pain and grow stronger from life’s lessons.
She knows that everyone has a heart and soul,
A true woman knows that we all deserve a chance at dignity.
If her enemy is hungry she will feed them,
And forgive them.
A true woman knows also where to draw the line,
She knows when she needs someone to hold her through the cold solitudes of the night.
She is not afraid to ask for forgiveness,
Nor is she afraid to give it.
She sees where people’s weaknesses are, and rebuilds their confidence in themselves.
She speaks only word of kindness, She sees past the scars and the bruises, into the soul that was meant to be seen.
Yes a true woman, a true woman is the most divine creature of God to walk this Earth.
Other then the Christ himself.

Please allow for a moment of reflection, and remember that in weakness there is strength, that we will never be finished this side of Heaven, but we should never stop trying. God is near.

Amen

It is Well...

The lyrics to this beautiful and moving hymn should certainly illicit a certain response. When you consider the history behind the words, and music, it is appropriate to feel humbled, and allow oneself to put personal anxieties and stresses into perspective. For the sake of introducing this discussion, a short history of the hymn, "When Peace Like a River," or perhaps better known as, "It Is Well With My Soul," should be given.

1871, Chicago, Illinois : A great tragedy struck when a fire blew through the city leaving 300 people dead and 100,000 homeless. Dwight Moody, founder of Moody Bible Institute and Horatio Gates Spafford, a lawyer and man who penned the lyrics to this hymn, were among those who lost a great deal in the fire, yet still rallied together to help provide for those who were in need.

If that wasn't enough to endure, after 2 years, Horatio and his family decided to enjoy a vacation to England to attend an evangelical crusade with Moody, and then continue on throughout Europe. Due to a delay, Spafford had to send his family ahead without him, and then meet up with them later.

The ship his wife and 4 daughters boarded, Ville de Havre, never made it to Europe. Just off the Newfoundland coast it collided with another ship, the English vessel, Loch Earn, and plummeted to the bottom of the Atlantic within 20 minutes. Spafford lost all four of his daughters that day, and was informed by the one of only 47 survivors that day, his wife. In his grief, Spafford set sail the next day to meet up with his wife, and upon arrival, met up with Moody. In the days following, Spafford, in his grief and pain, penned the words to one of the most recognizable christian hymns as we know today.

In reflection of this story there is a strength that echoes, surpassing time, and space. How could tragedy befall someone, and then spurn them to inspire and write with such beauty and hope? The answer lies in the words of this hymn. "Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, "It is well, with my soul." The peace of Christ resonates throughout the lyrics of this hymn. It was God-written. Only a man who lived through such tragedy could write such honest lyrics. Only a man who lost everything, and lived to tell, could write such lyrics. Only a man broken, with a heart so ravaged and vulnerable could contain the words God Himself felt when He lost everything for us. You see, Hortaio Gates Spafford experienced a glimpse of what God the Father felt the day He lost His only Son, to save the world from being lost forever from Him. So often the hymns and songs we sing move us by melody, or familiarity. When time is taken to explore and relate those words to the situations and people who penned them, very often we will see the correlation of how God allowed mankind to experience a glimmer of what its like to lose something precious, or to rejoice when a prodigal comes home, or to celebrate the saving of one soul. So, the next time we sing a hymn, or read a devotion, please consider the utmost struggle and strength it took to bravely pen the words we read, speak, or sing. In someones case, it was a personal experience that brought us encouragement, strength, hope and grew our faith a little more. Thank you to Horatio G. Spafford, for being a vessel willing to endure such hardship and heartache, and to take from it a lesson that others could relate to, and help them through their hardships and heartaches. Thank you to a man who wasn't afraid, or too overcome by his own grief, that he would take the time to share his thoughts, and his faith. Thank you to a man who would ultimately, and honestly pen words that would reach out, heal and enrich the lives of those who needed to hear the voice of Christ calling to them. My prayer for you, as you read and reflect on this is to know in your heart, that no matter what your circumstance, its never more than we can bear, because God is on our side, and He is our strength and salvation. Even the most dire of circumstances cannot separate us from our God who loves us, and would sacifice Himself to see us saved. It is not by his own strength that Horatio Spafford overcame this ultimate tragedy, but by God through Him that not only healed his hurting heart, but brought forth something beautiful and relevant out of the pit of despair. Allow yourself to be enriched by the experiences of others, and let that strengthen your walk. Let it resonate and allow it to influence the impacts you leave behind. Perhaps out of your great tragedies in life, you too can allow God to speak to others and bless them, and show them He is alive and well. In any case, remember that, whatever our lot, God has taught us to say, "It is well with my soul."

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends...

So, upon recent pondering, I've realized that although we believe we know what is best for ourselves, it is the Lord, Himself, that truly knows what we need in order to continue on sojourning. It is with great appreciation that I must thank the Lord for always providing, whether for only a season, or longer, good friends. Let me rephrase that; good fellowship. Anyone can have friends, but it is in deep fellowship that we find those people that, in selflessness, etch upon our lives not only one footprint, but many. I am fortunate to say that, in my life, I have had the utmost of richest fellowship. The Lord has provided me people, whom in the moments we had together, (and apart,) have sewn a great patch of beauty and strength into the quilt of my life. I sometimes wonder, upon first meeting, why the Lord might send certain people into my life, but then in retrospect I see how they have challenged me, and made me who I am today. Also, when I reflect upon why they are in my life, I see how the reactions I have to them truly can make me more like Christ, or less, if I choose. If we are wanting patience and the Lord brings an imbecile into our life to teach us patience, its up to us or not whether we choose to exercise what we prayed for in the first place.
I suppose one of the hardest parts of life, I have decided, up until now, is how hard it is letting go of blessed fellowship. When paths cross and then they must divide, it can be one of the hardest things we will experience, but we should take with us the encouragement that it is the Lord that binds us together. Also, its so easy to let life get in the way of maintaining fellowship, and therein lies a travesty. What was once such a strong and dedicated union, has since become only a weak imitation holding on by memories. In some ways we are fortunate to live in such an era of convenience, Internet, phone calls...etc. but there is something tangible, something meaningful about the effort to connect in a personal way. Letter writing, personal visits...etc. Time is not always on our side, however, we can embrace the opportunities that present themselves and not only rely on old memories to sharpen our fellowship, but create new ones.
It is true that there is a false perception of intimacy in society. Intimacy not only relies on the best of times, but the worst as well. In saying this, I mean that, there is beauty in accountability. People no longer want to be kept accountable, however, people who have experienced true fellowship will oblige to say that its because of the brutal honesty and then support thereafter that you truly know who your real friends are. In observation of other cultures, those seen as less fortunate, or not as "ahead-of-the-game" as us modern folk, lies something to be envied, to be taken from the simplicity of life. Modern day culture, technology and fast-paced living full of stress and distraction, lacks a catalyst, an excuse to nurture fellowship. We are so caught up in, "making the deadline," or the mentality that, "whoever has the biggest and best toys, wins!" When we take a moment and see for ourselves that there is a genuine happiness amongst people who have nothing but each other, who spend time in communion with one another and who truly know what it is to depend on one another, to love one another as Christ calls us to love one another, we see, herein lies the paradox that, we must surrender the excess of life in order to experience life. Fellowship cannot truly co-exist with a life distracted. Fellowship calls us to sacrifice something meaningful, something vulnerable, like pride, or selfishness. So, in conclusion, I say to you: Take time to not only remember the footprints that are left upon your heart by fellowship only God Himself could have brought into you life, savor it. Pursue it, and give thanks for having such an opportunity to experience it.

Gale Winds

Perhaps its sheer boredom that causes me to begin a blog, or perhaps I am following the general trend of creating for myself a legacy; rather than just hoarding my thoughts, I am releasing them for all to share and partake in. This will be a random blog, because I am interested in such an eclectic amount of things and ideas, it will include any and all things that cross my mind. My hope is to not only free-think, but share experiences, and educate in the areas I feel I have the ability to.

In reference to the title of this blog: Gale Winds, that is what my life has felt like for a while now. I feel as though there is a wind from every side. They blow without warning, and sometimes with them they bring rain, or snow, warmth, or cold. Usually within these winds there are lessons that I try to take from them. Sometimes though, the winds blow so hard that I cannot retrieve these precious gifts, so instead, of my own volition, I sit and wait until the winds calm. I feel as though we too often blow through life, never retrieveing the beautiful debris that the winds carry. The Lord sends His messages daily, and we sometimes blow right on by, never stopping to think that perhaps we could be blessed by what has blown to us that day. So, I propose to myself and others, that rather than be blown over constantly, hold tight to our Rock Jesus Christ, and not only retrieve, but experience the true blessings and delight that the gale winds of life blow our way.