Casting a Giant Shadow

This is my dream of a lovely Spring Tea. Feminine little girlettes, dainty cake,  a basket of spring flowers,  charming place settings, a little china teapot with delicate, miniature roses  painted on the side, filled with Jasmine tea, & a lilac-scented tealight.  Perfection. I love Spring Tea celebrations because they celebrate hope fulfilled. 

April is the transition month, here in South Dakota, the stirrings of beginnings. It is still mostly cold, with lots of wind, spring snows, &, as the month goes on, patches of green grass here & there. The leaf buds have not begun to show their faces, no flower buds peeking out to see if it's safe to emerge. No, they are content to rest a little while longer, but they are beginning to stretch out of their slumber. April is mostly still brown, but the color of hope, just before it bursts into the flower of faith. Time to celebrate with a Spring Tea of your own, even if it's only you. Time to dream dreams of 

"old things are passed away, behold all things are become new."

Weather-wise it hasn't been a particularly hard winter here in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but heart & soul-weather-wise, there have been many challenges in overcoming the world, the flesh & the devil. 

A scripture that comes to mind is from the parable of the sower in Mark 4:19

"...& the cares of this world,....entering in choke the word & it becomes unfruitful." 

This scripture is, as Barney Fife says, a 'trouble check' for me. Where are my thoughts? Am I focusing on Jesus? Am I trusting Him with all my heart? Whew! That can call for some 'King' size discipline!

While listening to a video post by Dutch Sheets, he was talking about a 'Shadow Ministry'. (The post is called 'Give Him 15'. Excellent!!)

I have thought about it many times since, on what kind of shadow am I casting? What is my family seeing, fellow believers, unbelievers, the world? 

The Lord told me years ago that the commandment that was broken most by His people, was the third commandment.

"You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain."

How often is our shadow misrepresenting Jesus,  because that is the meaning of that third commandment. 

"You shall not misrepresent Me."

The Lord's name is Who He Is, His complete identity. & one of the definitions of vain is 'worthless'.

Whoa. Sobering isn't it. Am I misrepresenting Jesus whenever I indulge my flesh by giving into the cares of this world? Yes, because the outcome is no fruit. For the nourishment of my own flesh or anyone else for that matter. Now that's a vain life. 

When the cares of this world come to stake a claim in my heart, one of the things I like to do, is read scripture out loud. Psalm 91, Psalm 18 & Psalm 118 are among my favorites. Also Isaiah 60 & 61. I also like to sing songs that glorify the Lord because then I begin to focus on Him,

'& the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory & grace.'

Speaking of shadows, how about this beautiful & most comforting  scriptures from Psalm 91?

"He who dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of  the Almighty." 

That is such a restful place to be. & safe.

& when I'm walking with Jesus, our shadows can actually overlap, mingle, become one, especially when I snuggle in really close, you can't even tell where one starts & the other leaves off. & if I dwell in that secret place of Jesus & me,  I have that giant 'shadow canopy'. I am representing Jesus in truth & that will draw others to come under the sweet canopy also. Goodbye cares of this world! Just think, when we abide under the shadow of the Almighty, we can cast a giant shadow also. His shadow. 

& now, for my own little tea, Jesus & me. 

Raintree Perk of the Day:

"Those who dwell under His shadow shall return. They shall be revived like grain & grow like a vine." Hosea 14:7

"For You have been my help & in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy!" Psalm 63:7