Faith

Everything in its Season

Blog_PathwayI’ve never asked the sun to shine, but still it does
I’ve never asked for rainy skies, yet still they come

I’ve never asked the wind to blow
I’ve never asked for winter snow
I’ve never asked for evening stars but still, they are

I’ve never asked for spring’s relief, yet seasons turn
I’ve never asked for summer heat, and still it burns

I’ve never asked for falling leaves
I’ve never asked for forest trees
I’ve never asked for flowers to grow, but Lord—You know

Everything comes in its season
Governed by power unseen
Change comes to our lives for a reason
Revealed only in eternity

Our lives are an intricate tapestry
Woven with perfect design
Every joy, every pain writes our destiny
Born with love from the dawn of time

You know every need, and You meet it
Before we can whisper a prayer
You’re working although we can’t see it
Your purpose will one day be clear

(Originally posted by Jen on the Tears of Joy Blog)

The Law of Spring

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New life will always prevail over death. It’s the law of spring.

Photo Credit: Spring – Free images on Pixabay

These Thorns

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Answered prayers are most often wrought in pain and tears.

Source: The Thorns of Motherhood

Photo Credit: Free stock photo: Thorns, Spur, Close, Thorn – Free Image on …

Every Tear

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Every tear sowed waters the ground for joy to spring forth.

Source: The Painful Side of Mother’s Day

Photo Credit: Vintage Poppy Flower In Rain Free Stock Photo – Public Domain Pictures

Seeds of Hope

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Our God is the lifter of heavy burdens and the comforter of all who mourn. He is able to sustain the weary, uphold the weak, and repair the broken, turning tears of sorrow into seeds of hope.

Source: The Painful Side of Mother’s Day

Photo Credit: Free stock photo: Rain, Garden, Sun, Nature – Free Image on …

The Painful Side of Mother’s Day

Blog_CactusFlowerMother’s Day is not a bouquet of fragrant flowers for everyone. For some, it feels more like a fistful of pain-inducing thorns—an unwelcome reminder of things lost. A day meant for honoring mothers becomes a time of remembering the one who was never there, or the one who left to soon. Or it maybe it awakens the droning ache of unfulfilled longing for motherhood.

For many years, that ache was my Mother’s Day companion. Though I was blessed with a good mom who inspired in me the certainty there was no greater calling than motherhood, I was unable to have children in the biological sense. Adoption was always something my husband and I had desired to pursue, so it was no hard decision to journey in that direction. The process, however, was another story.

While the outcome of adoption is always beautiful and miraculous, the process is the emotional equivalent of the pain and exhaustion involved in pregnancy and labor multiplied exponentially and drawn out for years. Despite all the toil and sacrifice, there were times when I wondered if it was ever going to happen. And more times than that I was tempted to give up.

My daughter turns nine this month. Her favorite past-time is playing with her four year-old brother. I sit here now, laptop on the kitchen counter, surrounded by bags of clothes they’ve outgrown. Exhaustion is setting in after a full morning at the laundromat and an even fuller afternoon of dishes, potty training and more. I spent the evening cuddling my son and reveling in my daughter’s smile, knowing God turned all my tears in to songs of joy. My children were worth the wait.

Through all my waiting, I learned that every tear sowed waters the ground for joy to spring forth. And that is my prayer for those who suffer on the painful side of Mother’s Day. May God give you eyes to see through your sorrow, and ears to hear him speak peace to your storms. May you know that our God is the lifter of heavy burdens and the comforter of all who mourn. He is able to sustain the weary, uphold the weak, and repair the broken, turning tears of sorrow into seeds of hope.

Source: The Painful Side of Mother’s Day

Photo Credit: Crown of Thorns, white spiked cactus with little red flower http://www.flickr.com

When Light Breaks Through

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There was a time when I’d rather pull the covers over my head than face another trial. But I can now say that my faith has been refined in the fire, and I’ve come out stronger. I’ve seen the depths of some pretty dark caverns, but I’ve also seen the point when light breaks through and darkness is overcome. My battle scars are blessings in disguise. Because of them, I can say with confidence, “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still.”

Source: Blessed with Battle Scars

Photo Credit: into the light | Flickr – Photo Sharing