Sanctuary
While browsing in a favorite gift store, I came upon this 'Willow Tree' figurine. I was smitten with it at once, & after admiring it, set it back down & continued my purposed shopping. But as if pulled by a strong magnetic attraction, I kept coming back to her, somehow enchanted. I came back a final time & picked her up, & turned her upside down to see her 'identity'. I gave a slow gasp of awe. So beautiful. So appropriate. So perfect. Tears formed in my eyes. 'Sanctuary'. Her name was 'Sanctuary'. Different thoughts immediately came to my mind. & I will be using her in other posts because she has different stories to tell. But this is today's story.
'Sanctuary' now is ensconced on the dresser by my side of the bed.
I see her when I first wake up every morning, & I can almost hear her whisper, "sanctuary".....so calming, instantly transporting me to that secret place....
"He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge & my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91: 1&2
In His shadow. What can touch or hurt me when I am in His Shadow? He is my refuge, my place of safety & rest.
Fortress. He is my protection & defense.
These days are uncertain, unstable, days of shaking, days that are exposing our true identity, because who we really are at the core will find expression outwardly. & if we don't like what we see, fear, panic, self-preservation instead of mercy & compassion, or other little ugly nuances of self that are claiming the territory of our hearts, then take heart. Take your heart. & give it to Jesus. Jesus. He is Sanctuary. I am not minimizing. I am simplifying.
"Come to me all you who labor & are heavy laden & I will give you rest." Matthew 11: 28
Sanctuary
"These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation..." Yes, trouble. It's a part of the lives of every mortal being, but...
"but be of good cheer, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD."
In today's vernacular, once again, Jesus has 'got this'. God is still, & always will be in complete control. & it doesn't matter if we understand anything at all. It just matters that we trust Him. When we do that, it will always & forever be okay. & the doors of His sanctuary, His heart, are always open, ready to enfold you in His arms. What I see every morning, are the arms of this figurine, holding this child, this me, this you, right up next to the heart.
Sanctuary
Asylum, harbor, haven, oasis, shelter, shield, safe-house, refuge....
I read the story once of an artist who painted the picture of a ship in a fierce storm that was so real that it transported the people who saw it into the picture so that they could almost taste the spray of salt on their tongues & feel the sting of icy water on their faces.
When asked how he could paint a picture so realistically savage & violent, he told them that before he could capture the ferocity of the storm, he had to experience it firsthand. So, he went out in a ship himself, & when a storm arose, he had the captain of the ship bind him to the mast, so he could experience everything the storm had to tell him, to dramatically imprint on all of his senses, the full expression of that storm. & this experience came out of his fingers & onto the canvas to touch the lives of all who walked into that picture. On a far more immeasurable, extravagant scale, this is what Jesus did for us. He tied Himself to the cross. & the
terrible, terrible storm came &.....He emerged our Conquering Hero, & presenting His Canvas to each of us, says,
"I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD."
He has already overcome the storm. So, not only can we overcome these storms of life, but run to the Respite, the Port, He has provided for us in the storm. Himself.
"The Eternal God is our Refuge. & underneath are the everlasting arms....". His arms. So walk, no run! into His everlasting arms. Run into Sanctuary.
Raintree Perk of the Day:
"I'm running, not stopping,
straight into your arms.
You're closer
I hear you,
your voice cuts through the dark... "
(from the song 'Brave Surrender' by Kim Walker Smith)
Surrender equals....Sanctuary
'Sanctuary' now is ensconced on the dresser by my side of the bed.
I see her when I first wake up every morning, & I can almost hear her whisper, "sanctuary".....so calming, instantly transporting me to that secret place....
"He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge & my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91: 1&2
In His shadow. What can touch or hurt me when I am in His Shadow? He is my refuge, my place of safety & rest.
These days are uncertain, unstable, days of shaking, days that are exposing our true identity, because who we really are at the core will find expression outwardly. & if we don't like what we see, fear, panic, self-preservation instead of mercy & compassion, or other little ugly nuances of self that are claiming the territory of our hearts, then take heart. Take your heart. & give it to Jesus. Jesus. He is Sanctuary. I am not minimizing. I am simplifying.
"Come to me all you who labor & are heavy laden & I will give you rest." Matthew 11: 28
Sanctuary
"These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation..." Yes, trouble. It's a part of the lives of every mortal being, but...
"but be of good cheer, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD."
In today's vernacular, once again, Jesus has 'got this'. God is still, & always will be in complete control. & it doesn't matter if we understand anything at all. It just matters that we trust Him. When we do that, it will always & forever be okay. & the doors of His sanctuary, His heart, are always open, ready to enfold you in His arms. What I see every morning, are the arms of this figurine, holding this child, this me, this you, right up next to the heart.
Sanctuary
Asylum, harbor, haven, oasis, shelter, shield, safe-house, refuge....
I read the story once of an artist who painted the picture of a ship in a fierce storm that was so real that it transported the people who saw it into the picture so that they could almost taste the spray of salt on their tongues & feel the sting of icy water on their faces.
When asked how he could paint a picture so realistically savage & violent, he told them that before he could capture the ferocity of the storm, he had to experience it firsthand. So, he went out in a ship himself, & when a storm arose, he had the captain of the ship bind him to the mast, so he could experience everything the storm had to tell him, to dramatically imprint on all of his senses, the full expression of that storm. & this experience came out of his fingers & onto the canvas to touch the lives of all who walked into that picture. On a far more immeasurable, extravagant scale, this is what Jesus did for us. He tied Himself to the cross. & the
terrible, terrible storm came &.....He emerged our Conquering Hero, & presenting His Canvas to each of us, says,
"I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD."
He has already overcome the storm. So, not only can we overcome these storms of life, but run to the Respite, the Port, He has provided for us in the storm. Himself.
"The Eternal God is our Refuge. & underneath are the everlasting arms....". His arms. So walk, no run! into His everlasting arms. Run into Sanctuary.
Raintree Perk of the Day:
"I'm running, not stopping,
straight into your arms.
You're closer
I hear you,
your voice cuts through the dark... "
(from the song 'Brave Surrender' by Kim Walker Smith)
Surrender equals....Sanctuary
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