22 June 2009

Pearls of Thunder


The next time there is a thunder pause and think, something of worth may be about to be dispatch from heavens store house. Often we associate natural disasters with evil. Yes, while earthquake, lightings and thunders destroy lives and belongings. I read in God’s word that there are certain thunderous storms and quake that are sent in answers to our prayers! Could it be therefore that our focus on natural pheromone prevents us from reaching for the pearls within the thunder?

In the mist of pain and sorrow, crying and wailing no one is watching to see what good will come from a disaster, moments or months afterwards. The human mind automatically reverts to sorrow and acknowledges a sense of loss.

As a Christian, God’s word, the bible, tells me that all things works together for Good to them who love God. This scripture has given me hope and encouraged me to hold on while going through tough times. Yes things may sometimes look bad, situations may occur that threatens to knock us off balance, but my bible tells me that it’ll work out for my good in the end. I’ve seen it happened time and time again in my life, where out of the storms and thunders something beautiful is born.


In January, bush fire ravaged the Austrian Queens’s land. It was reported that the fire travelled at 70 miles an hour consuming everything and anything in its path.
After the fire, rangers were sent in to assess the extend of damage done and to gather evidence from the disaster
.

One ranger while going through the rubbles was started by the shape of a bird at the base of a tree The bird has been badly burnt with its wing spread out wide, out of curiosity he shook the remains with his stick and behold underneath the bird were its chicks! Immediately he did that they flew away!

During the fire, the mother recognising that they had little or no chance of her escaping with them, shielded them from the fire by spreading her winds over them. In spite of the intensity of the fire and the ferociousness of the heat she did not move, she gave her life for her own. Wow!


You may be going through tough times right now, the intensive of the recession, job loses, lose of your home, a love one, disaster may have rocked your world. Remember the Lord said, he is your shield, Psalm 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Like that bird, he will spread his wings over you, protecting you from the fire of loss. He will not leave you. He even died for you on the cross! Taking the heat for you to set you free and just like those birds, you too can fly and soar above the situation which threatens to burn you. The heat will come, the fire will rage, but he has promised to be with you in the storms and fires of life. So in the mist of your pain and sorrow,
someone is watching over you and within the thunderous storms, peals of hope and laughter will roll.

Relevant scripture passages:
Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Revelation 4:5.
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Psalm 104:7
At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.

Ps 97.


Pictures by "Photobucket"

7 June 2009

Letting Out

Why do we do it? Why do we say we are fine when we are not? I don't mean to any one who ask but to supposedly good friends.
Why? Why are we afraid to be needy, to show emotions or be dependent, why?
Why do we hold our emotions so closely to our hearts that we even pretend amongst very good friends?

I started asking myself this question lately as I was faced with this phoniness amongst friends, the pretentiousness to be ok when we are not. What's the point in having friends if we can't be ourselves with them, if we are still on guard when we are with them as opposes to throwing caution to the wind.

I don't mean be yourself with anyone who throws a smile your way and spill your guts, no. I mean the 2 or 3 or even 1 person in your life you call a friend or "a good friend", why do we hold back?
Isn't friendship about sharing the good and the bad times, both happy and sad news, ups and downs? I know that some of us have learnt a lesson or two from confiding in friends, and as a result decided to stop sharing to protect ourselves.
Regardless of our reasons, we should be able to identify very good friends from those who hang around us in the hopes of getting some juicy stories to spread around.
Friendship is about trust and if you've been around someone long enough, you should be able to know what they are capable of and whether they can be relied on to keep a secret.

There are various reasons for holding back from crying or just letting out, either we have never been upfront from the beginning and have presented a phoney side to our good friends such that, when faced with a situation that is contrary to the picture we've given, we can't bear to be seen or perceived too weak or needy, it may be that we are simply afraid of being judged even by good friends.

I've learnt that people will open up to you to the degree you open up to them, simply because once we are able to open up to each other about our deepest concerns, thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, we begin to build a trust that makes the friendship closer.

Whatever the reasons we do what we do, out of ignorance, pride, self confidence, self sufficiency or protection……

Remember if you are perceived as friend, act as one, be one,

Let friendship be the ship on which you set sail the emotions of your heart
Let it take you to the edge, experience the intensity it brings
Let it be the music that wakes you up from the dept of despair
let it be the warmth that covers you in cold
Let it relief you from your fears
Let the summers and winters of your life be filled with the beauty of good friends
Discover yourself in friendship for the hope it brings and the joy it releases
hope in despair
peace in turmoil
relief from pain
a shoulder of steel
a silence of thought
an acceptance of imperfection
and a joy in sharing
Let friendship be the light house that shines brightly in the dark tides of your life
for it will lead you to shores of safety when all else fails.

"You use steel to sharpen steel and one friend sharpens another" Prov 27:17 the message bible.

Pictures by "Photobucke"