thorns

I took this picture the other day - and actually was pretty surprised with how it turned out. This is a tree that is in our pasture - actually we have many of them. I am not sure what it is called, but as you will notice, I focused in on one of it's "features". This tree has huge thorns - big nasty ones, that are all over its branches. I just had a thought - perhaps this is like the "brier" bushes that Brier Rabbit gets into once in a while!! (thank Disney for that thought!) Anyhow - when my little brother was young, he used to ride the horses at Dad's ranch. One night after a bath, my younger brother was complaining to my mom about a big sore on his leg. She looked at it - it was festered, and yes it did appear that something was in his leg. Looking like it would perhaps come out, she applied pressure around it, and lo and behold, before her eyes, out popped a thorn such as this. I am not sure if it was all or part of, but none the less, a thorn that had logged in his thigh, unbeknownst to my brother. (with his personality, it would have been the least of his worries!)

Thorns. I know what it feels to get pricked when cutting roses for a vase. Or when pulling weeds and I touch those thistles and a tiny little speck of one gets into my finger. Paul talks about the "thorn in his flesh". Jesus - wore a crown of thorns, which I think was likely made up of thorns such as this one in the picture. (and Jesus did that because he loved me!!)

This morning, I went for a walk - it is such a beautiful but grey day outside, but hey, November 12th and it is already 8 degrees celcius - I love it. Before i went, I had enjoyed some QT with the Lord. I had been meditating on Isaiah 33, the first few verses. But it was verse 2 that just really hit my heart. So I wrote it on a sticky, so that I could take it with me on my walk. Off I headed - me and the menagerie of animals that love to walk with me. We walked even farther than we did the other day. The crunching of leaves. The sound of birds. Ah.... thank you Lord for this morning.

It has been a hard week again - and as I was talking with the Lord, I confessed how I was feeling - somehow the "spirit of entitlement" just loves to take over, and as Dr. Larry Crabb said, it destroys the spirit of gratitude! So this morning, as the Lord and I had our walk and talk - I gave that to him. I gave him the "thorns in my flesh" that instead of popping out - just continue to fester and hurt. Oh man they hurt!! And, as I walked, I also spoke out loud, over and over again - the words from God's Word which have brought soothing to my soul.

But Lord, be merciful to us for we have waited for you. Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble. Isaiah 33:2 New Living translation

May these words continue to be my and your strength! You O Lord - are good. You O Lord, are strong. You are my strong arm!! I love you.