Being Gilbert-less

Recently a friend of mine was talking about her best friend's upcoming wedding.  She was reminiscing about younger days and how they used to pretend they were Anne and Diana.  And in passing mentioned that maybe she should have been Diana as she was still Gilbert-less.  I stopped there and said to myself 'Yes, but Gilbert is worth waiting for;' and left it at that. 



The next morning I found myself thinking about it again.  But this time, the singleness in me weighing heavy.  I thought if he is like Gilbert, he is DEFINITELY worth waiting for.  But I immediately stopped myself.  My DYM is worth waiting for even if he is nothing like Gilbert.  Why?  Well because he is my DYM.  The one that God made just for me.  My perfect other half.  So, here I am, Anne, not Gilbert-less but DYM-less (Dear-Young-Man-less not dimless.)

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Umbrellas

For some reason, I just don't use umbrellas.

I don't really know why. It's not that I have a fetish for eyeliner and blush running down my wet cheeks. Or that I enjoy my hair resembling my dog John's on bath day.

I just don't use them. If I'm completely honest (which is kind of a necessary thing), I'll admit that maybe I don't use them because I can't be bothered. I mean please, by the time I get that thing open and up, I'm already wet anyway, and could be halfway to my destination. So I prefer to do it myself. I prefer to jump out and dodge the raindrops on my own.

The funny thing is, it never fully works. I have yet to discover the secret to dodging raindrops. Either way you move, you still get wet. From all sides. But does that make me use an umbrella?

It should. It generally doesn't.

Sometimes in my walk with the Lord, I find this in myself too.

I don't always pray for God's strength and grace for my day. I'll have my Bible reading and prayer--but so often I neglect to ask for His help to depend wholly on Him for the next 24 hours. Because for some foolish reason, I think I can dodge "raindrops"--those tiny bits of everyday difficulty I face. The little moments of choices, when someone cuts you off on the road, or your job gets a bit stressful, or your day doesn't quite turn out like you planned, or whatever other little happenstance rides into your path. Maybe it's just doing what you have to do, when you really have no strength to do it. Or even when everything is going great, realizing that it's only because of Him and not you.

Jesus said in John 15:5 ".....apart from Me, you can do nothing." (ESV)

I've found that when I "open my umbrella"--i.e. pray specifically for God's strength and grace to make it through the day, that He would be glorified no matter what I face--the drops of tiny trials and frustrations suddenly aren't so big. It doesn't mean they always go away. Actually, they seldom do. But it does mean, I'm carried through by His presence. My day may not be easier--but I'm much more peaceful. It's not just the big things I need to depend on Him for--it's everything I do.

Perhaps one day I'll not only remember to open my spiritual umbrella in the "rain"--but my red and blue one as well. Now that would be something!

~Miss Deb

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A Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

~St. Francis of Assisi

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Wedding "Do's" List

Do have hydrangea in your bridal bouquet.  They are gorgeous, summer-y, fresh and do NOT look like alien brains.

 

 Do have these cookies.  I'll come to your wedding.  

Do have flowers on your cake, too, just 'cause they're flowers and they should be everywhere you can possibly put them.

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Matchmaker, Matchmaker!

If some of you recall my post on trying new things, you'll know that I participated in a choir concert last week. Over fifteen people sang, many of whom sang both solos and duets. All in all, everyone had a marvelous time singing a wide array of music, from hymns to folk songs to Broadway show tunes.

The last performance of the evening was a sort of duet. An older gentleman, whom I recognized from community choir, sang "How Great Thou Art," while his son, who looked to be in his thirties, signed the lyrics. Just before the older gentleman burst into song, however, he introduced his son to the audience. "He's a registered sign language interpreter for schools in our area," he said, motioning to the man standing next to him. "And ladies!" He paused slightly and scanned the audience pointedly. "He's single!"

Oh, matchmaking parents!

And matchmaking grandparents.

After the concert was over, I made my way through the crowd to greet my mother, sisters and grandparents. After an intial, "You did good, kiddo!", my memere looked up at me impishly and said in a stage whisper, "There's a nice single guy over there!"

*facepalm*

Not only did she point him out to me, but also to my young sister. And to my friend who is also single.

And I could feel her eyes on my back when the most-definitely-single young man came over to congratulate me and my friend on our performance of the duet.

Oh dear.

It's started again. The matchmaking.

Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

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Quote of the Day

God is still working--let's never forget that. What we can see of our circumstances is not all that is there. Whether we are single or married, God is working to glorify Himself through those circumstances, and only He knows the best way to accomplish His plans. At any given time, we can't see the grand panorama of His grace. But, secure in the reality of it, we can rest in the promise that still echoes across time: "'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.' ...I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it." (Isaiah 46:10-11)
- Carolyn McCulley, excerpt from Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye?

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A Child of the King

I recently came across this vision.

One day I was crying out to God and telling Him, “I don’t have a good testimony, I’ve grown up in the church and … you know I’ve grown up around the things of the Lord. I don’t have a great testimony like some of these people have.” And God answered my prayer and He said, “Let Me tell you what has actually happened in your life.” Immediately I saw myself as a small child and I was dressed in rags. I was a slave amongst hundreds of millions of people. There were chains about our ankles and we were slowly walking on our way to death. We were so sad, so oppressed, and so lifeless. As we were stumbling along on our way to certain death, we passed by this beautiful palace. The doors swung open and this beautiful King came through the midst of the crowd. He came right up to me, he pointed at me and He said, “You! I choose you. I want to be your Father; would you like to be My child? I want to adopt you, and take you into My kingdom and raise you as My child. Do you want that?” I instantly replied, “Yes!”
Immediately I was taken into the courts of the Lord. I was rushed off by these maids. These maids took me, they scrubbed me down, they groomed me, and they dressed me in the most beautiful robes. When they stood me before the King, I will never forget what happened next. The King got down on His knee, He looked me right in the eye and said, “You have to get one thing straight. From this day forward I am your Father and you are My child. You are never, ever to think or act or behave or dress like a slave again. You are royalty.” Something inside of me happened and I knew who I was! I knew it would so desperately break His heart for me to act like a slave when He was my Father who loved me and wanted me to be His child. Oftentimes we are in His courts and we still think like slaves.” And that was the end of the vision.

And then this hymn. It was written in 1877 by Harriet E. Buell


My Father is rich in houses and lands,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, He has riches untold.
I'm a child of the King,
A child of the King:
With Jesus my Savior,
I'm a child of the King.
My Father's own Son, the Savior of men,
Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them:
But now He is pleading our pardon on high.
That we may be His, when He comes by and by.
I once was an outcast, stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, an alien by birth.
But I've been adopted, my name's written down,
An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.
A tent or a cottage, why should I care?
They're building a palace for me over there;
Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing;
All glory to God. I'm a child of the King.

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