“I live. I write. I watch old movies. I read. I watch the sunset. I watch the moon rise.”
― W.P. Kinsella, Shoeless Joe
In the heat of a lazy, humid summer day, the above quote strikes a note. Hubby was up early working on the pergola. I got up (somewhat later) walked the dogs, did my God challenge thingy,. and, amid household chores, devotions, writing and doing a zillion and one laundry loads (working in heat and humidity is not conducive to wearing the same clothes for a whole day), we watched a couple of our favorite movies – Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Field of Dreams (which is based on the book Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella ).
We’ve seen each several times. We know the plots. We know the dialogue (mostly). We know where to wait for the laugh to bubble up inside of us. We still get the goosebumps when Ray turns to see his dad for the first time on the baseball field. We feel tears swimming up to back of our eyes when Oscar turns the swing over and discovers the note his dad left for him to find before he died during 9-11.
No surprises – just an enjoyable way to pass some time.
The same can’t be said for reading the WORD. I have read chapters and stories and verses many times over, but when the Holy Spirit is at work, verses jump off the page and knock my logical brain for a loop. Verses that I have read more times than I can count, brushed over with a yawn, skipped with a glance – “suddenly” rock my world sideways with wisdom that I had no idea was waiting for me to find.
“I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’
to a nation that did not call on my name.”~Is 65:1
How can I not respond to a Father’s heartbroken cry, “Here I AM! Here I AM!”?
As if I could hear His voice ringing as I read this verse over and over. I read it in several versions. I copied it for my war room door. The wondering continues even now as my eyes grow heavy and yawns more frequent. Could Our Father be any clearer of how hard He has tried to catch our attention?
This is not an easy chapter to read in its entirety. The middle has the reader squirming in their seat because dealing with a righteous Father as disobedient children who continually rebel and reject.is not really one of those things any one looks forward to encountering. Yet – just as the Father in the story of the Prodigal, this chapter ends it with His eternal promise that is repeated over and over in both the Old and New Testament.
“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth,
and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.
Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation!
And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness.
Her people will be a source of joy.
I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and delight in my people.
And the sound of weeping and crying
will be heard in it no more.”~Is 65:17-19
You may have noticed that the past few days, I have been ending every post on FB with the hastag: “Praying for Charlie Gard”. Charlie is an infant in England who has a serious disease. His parents have raised money to bring him here where several hospitals and doctors have offered to help treat him. Treatments that have helped other children with the same disease. Instead, England is refusing to allow him to leave the hospital and want to let him “die with dignity”. Please pray for Charlie and his parents. Please pray for the wisdom of righteousness to prevail. Please pray. to hear His voice crying out always, “Here I AM!” Here I AM!”
thoughtsong7 