Learning to humbly promote your God-given gifts sounds like such an oxymoron; doesn’t it?  However, my initial statement does just that.  Did you notice?  They aren’t my gifts.  I can’t claim them as well-nurtured or committedly-cultivated personality traits.  These gifts are God-given; planted by the author of my days, sown by the efforts of my child-like ways, harvested by a world gone so far astray.  If I yield but one stalk of grain, its glory lies solely in the undeserved faithfulness of my God.

Now I hear the whispered questions, “What grains of glory have you sown?  From what humble seeds has your faithfulness grown?”

The first of the gifts I opened at a young age.  It is the gift of faith.  My Father’s presence was always something tangible to me and it was that which sustained me through the darkest times of my childhood forward.  The second I claimed was of compassion for those in need: in need of a hand, a hug, a smile or an ear.  The third is endurance, strengthened through trial.

The strange thing about these gifts is God’s method of cultivating.  In order that my faith might grow, He walked me faithfully through the darkness.  Now which one of us would blot out the sun in order that our seedlings might grow all the more?

“when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness!” Job 29:3

“even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you,” Psalm 139:12

Compassion is rooted deeply in my soul as a result of empathy obtained in the midst of pain.  How many of us would pluck the leaves off our healthy plants to grow compassion in them for those that have died?

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His pupose,” Romans 8:28. 

Through trial and testing endurance was cultivated, but who among us would deprive our plants of water in order that they might not quench this necessity?

“For the creation was subjected to frustration not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God,” Romans 8:20

Where is the logic in such madness?  “When I lay these questions before God I get…a silent, certainly not uncompassionate, gaze.  As though He shook His head not in refusal but waiving the question.  Like, ‘Peace child; you do not understand.” C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed.   

There are other gifts I see, yet unopened.  It is with eyes of faith that I wait in anticipation for their unveiling but I am in no hurry to take them from His hands.  A blessing taken in greed, is a burden in disguise, indeed. 

Genesis 3:2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die."

Reflecting on these words we come to realize something is not quite right.  Although Eve's intention was surely not to lie, she did so by adding to the perfect truth.  I am sure she did so as a matter of self preservation...haven't we all done it?  We expand the boundaries beyond their original confinement just to be certain we don't overstep them.  However, the boundaries God gave were perfect boundaries, within a perfect garden.  The balance of perfection leaves no room for improvement or alteration.  So, what DID God say?

Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

Here we have it...God said don't eat of it or you will surely die.  He didn't say anything about not touching it.  However, in Eve's desire to consciously or unconsciously improve upon perfect boundaries, a conflict arose.  I obviously wasn't in the garden but I could imagine it went something like this.  Along came the serpent and he cunningly engages Eve in a conversation by exaggerating the truth..."Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"  He knew Eve would correct him, which would then turn her attention to the one thing God had "denied" them.  What little convincing it took for her to reach out and touch the fruit. 

What do you suppose was going through her mind as she reached up?  Was she considering that she shouldn't even "touch" the tree, as she had stated?  Was her hand trembling in fear as it brushed the surface of the fruit?  Was there a sigh of relief  that she had not perished upon contact?  Was there a false sense of comfort that if she hadn't died in touching it, then perhaps she could eat of it? 

The snowball effect...she had sinned in her heart to desire it in the first place, followed by a "sin of no consequence", and then a sin of irreversible defiance.  Isn't that the way it goes?  A mere consideration of the consequences...to the toe in the water...to the sinful submersion.  One single action that would remove Adam and Eve from their garden of protection and perfection to Satan's dominion of darkness.  They were removed from a covering of Light that was permeated by a single darkness, to a covering of darkness that would have to be permeated by a single Light.  In a single instant they were, quite litereally, "in a world of sin".

Isaiah 40:28-31

Hast thou not known?  Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of hte earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?  There is no searching of His understanding.  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly faily: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

This passage clearly defines God's strength as independent from my own.  In those moments when my confidence has wained and my strength has departed, I can be confident in my Lord's ability to not only renew (implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it SEEMS like new), but to restore (implies a RETURN to the ORIGINAL state prior to depletion or loss).  This is to say that God will not simply make me SEEM like new, but He WILL MAKE ME NEW. 

This verse says that He will increase the strength of those that have NONE, not merely those that have little or those who have kept an emergency back-up in reserve.  This promise motivates me to give all I have to the Lord, knowing that in emptying myself, I am only making more room for His perfect strength and restoration. 

Imagine the places you would go in a vehicle with unlimited resources; a car that restores, refeuls, cleanses, and recharges.  As believers, God is our vehicle and He promises renewal, restoration, refreshment, renovation, and rejuvenation...of the PASSENGER...of you.  So  take your eyes off the dashboard and trust your Chauffeur.  You've got the ultimate ride. 

© Victoria Sheahan, 2005

Matthew 7:24-27

Therefore whosoever heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descnded, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.  And every one that heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house up on the sand: And the rain descended upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

In both circumstances the rain fell, the water invaded, the winds demanded our attention, but this house did not fall, this house founded upon a rock.  The Lord is promising His safe-keeping if we only accept His provisions as our own. 

I will joyfully look to the Lord for His provisions because He is waiting for me to accept them as my own.  My God is the Supreme Excavator of the heart. 

There Sears Tower in the city of Chicago  is said to "sway with the wind".  Could you imagine building a 110 story building on a foundation of sand?  This was a major undertaking!  The result was a 440 million pound tower made with enough concrete to build an eight-lane, five-mile-long highway, enough steel to build 50,000 automobiles, and enough telephone wiring to wrap around the world 1.75 times.  It stands at 1,454 feet tall and stands on 114 long round poles of wood, concrete or steel that are sunk 10 feet into the earth so that they stand on solid bedrock.  The definition of bedrock according to construction experts is "the solid rock layer beneath sand or silt".  So the fact is that we have to put some effort forth.  Sure it would be easier to build upon the sand, but the foundation that will stand the test of time and trial lies beneath the sand.  Dig a little...dig a lot...search deep into scripture so that you can stand firm in the foundation of Christ.

© Victoria Sheahan, 2005

Romans 12:1-2

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

This passage makes it clear that it is not only expected, but that it is reasonable to give my life as a sacrifice unto the Lord.  The word reasonable implies that it is not an extreme or excessive request, but rather an expression of sound judgement for me to do so.  It is my intention to do so willingly and joyfully.

Flesh is weak.  I intend to honor God, not only with my time, but with my physical being.  I intend to honor Him as my Savior, but also as my husband.  I will focus on keeping my thoughts pure by founding them in scripture and my flesh pure by striving to reside in God's perfect will.

It's no wonder Paul begins this passage by begging ("I beseech you") us to be conscious of this spiritual service/act (not merely ritual activity but the involvement of heart, mind and will - Zondervan NIV reference)!  Just as being conformed to this world is a process of exposure to its standards, so shall we be transformed through the process (not a single event) of conscious renewal. 

"That ye present your bodies as a living sacrifice" - to sacrifice is to surrender something precious for the sake of something else.  So often, the focus of the word sacrifice falls upon our own surrender of something precious to us.  We struggle because we are so busy hanging onto those things we don't want to let go of.  We forget about the other half of sacrifice - "FOR THE SAKE OF SOMETHING ELSE."  We should not make this into a selfish process.  The very fact that we are giving up something for the sake of something else defines sacrifice as a process in which self righteouseness and selfishness can play no part.  Yes, we are giving our LIFE, but we are giving it so that OUR REASON FOR LIVING may be glorified.  Which is more important?  Our life, or our reason for living?  What importance would our life have had we no reason for living it?  Our gratitude would never suffice the gift we have been given through Jesus Christ.  May we never hesitate to joyfully give what little God expects. 

Romans 12:2 is one of my favorite verses in that it calls us to a higher standard by raising us out of the muck of this world.  My how standards have changed over the years!  When I read, "And be not conformed to this world" I instinctively think...we are not only conformed (acting in accordance with prevailing standards) but we are deformed (to mar the character of) by this world.  What God made in the image of Himself has been corrupted.  It isn't enough to say that we have been changed.  We've been volunteering for plastic surgery of the soul!  Since when is being made in the image of God not good enough?

© Victoria Sheahan, 2005

Psalm 119:9-11

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.  With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments.  They word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

Do I seek my Father with my whole heart - not lacking in any one part of me that doesn't desire, or even moreso,  demand it of myself?  This is a verse I wish to engrave upon my life with my actions. 

I will call upon the Lord to go before me and to prepare my way; this request acting as a reminder of my promise to Him to seek Him in all I do with my whole heart.  I cannot possibly ask for God's guidance and assurance without receiving personal conviction to give Him my whole heart in return. 

The human appetite is a strange thing.  It seems to me the longer I go without eating the less hungry I become.  Don't get me wrong - initially I want those things I have become accustomed to, but as time goes by I find that my hunger recedes.  And when given the opportunity to eat again I am initially unable to digest as much as I used to.  It is the same way when we feed upon the Word.  The longer we neglect our appetite for the Word the more our hunger and capactiy for it diminishes.  Granted, the taste is much more intense when we do eat again because we have been deprived, but we are unable to initially digest the same amount because we simply cannot contain it.   We are suffering from anorexia while God is offering us a feast.   Are you suffering from spiritual starvation? I urge you to taste and see God's goodness!

"With all my heart"...the defnition of the word heart according to Strong's concordance encompasses the following, "soul, mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory, inclination, resolution, determination, conscience, moral character, appetite, emotions, and passions".  Imagine for a moment, devoting every thought, every reflection of the mind, every memory of the heart, every waking moment, every twinge of hunger, every emotion, every passion to God. 

"Do not let me wander from your commandments."  Do not give me a single opportunity to stray.  If ever there were a request to which I could predict God's answer, it would be those words.  I hear His emphatically loving, "No."  Essentially we are saying, "Do not fail to prevent me of my own free will."  The intention is good, but the request against the very nature of our God.  It can be interpretted as asking God to remove all accountability because, after all, we asked Him to prevent the testing of our faith by removing free will.  Where is the testimony in a faith never tested?

© Victoria Sheahan, 2005

This passage reminded me that the reason I can find joy in all circumstances is not because the circumstances are joyful, but because my joy stems from the mere existence of my God.  This has inspired me to "get back to the basics".  My analytical mind so often wants to reveal the grandeur of God and often neglects the simple, childlike faith we are called to.  My joy is in this simple fact:          GOD IS. 

In meditating on these verses I was very intrigued when reading the King James version of Habakkuk 3:18 because it reads:

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

The word "yet" shows clear intention that "in spite of his current circumstance" he will rejoice, or exult, or triumph in the Lord.  But then it goes on to say he will "joy" in the Lord.  Now, we do not use the word "joy" as a verb today so I was very intrigued to find out the meaning of this word.  To "joy" in the Lord is to rejoice OR to tremble (from fear - I would see this fear as a display of reverence).  In verse 16 Habakkuk was distressed and it says "I trembled in MYSELF, that I might rest in the day of trouble".  This shows a clearly disquieted spirit and one that is relying on self.  The references for the word tremble in verse 16: to quake, be disquieted, be excited, be perturbed, to cause to quake, disquiet, enrage, disturb, to excite ONESELF - these are not words of joy.  However, by verse 18 Habakkuk says he will "joy in the LORD".  It is such a perfect parrallel that he would move from trembling in himself and in search of rest to trembling in the Lord in an act of rejoicing.  The same verb - trembling - has been transformed solely by the Lord's sovereignty...what was once sickening through self reliance became rejoicing in God's presence.  Habakkuk's circumstance hadn't changed, but his heart had. 

*The above meaning were taken from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance.  This is an invaluable reference tool to use in order to discover the true Greek and Hebrew meanings of Biblical text.  An online version of the concordance, along with many other reference and Bible study tools may be accessed at: http://bible.crosswalk.com/Concordances/

© Victoria Sheahan, 2005

Today was spent helping our cousins move into their new home in Maricopa.  This is a new community that has just started building up in the last couple years.  As mentioned, we live in the boonies of the East Valley of Arizona; however, Maricopa just happens to be located on the exact opposite end of the East Valley boonies!  It is nearly an hour, to the minute, to reach their home.

So many people we know are moving right now.  The real estate market in Arizona is booming and the price of housing is rising more quickly than the equity in the homes can be gained - which would seem nearly impossible as the equity gained in a new home is an average of 40 to 50k in the first six months!

As we were painting the walls of their new home, we were talking about the stenciling they were also planning to do.  I so love stenciling.  I think it is something about the delicate lines that take to life on what was once an inexpressive canvas.

A home increasing in value so rapidly over such a short period of time seems impossible to some...The whole thought process caused me to reflect on our salvation.  Focus on Christ and how He takes a life that is worthless and makes it something beyond measure, something so far out of our price range we never dared to dream of the possibilities.  And all in an instant...not six months...one single instant... when our faith reaches up and grabs hold of a Savior whose been longing for this moment to breath life into a being whose days on Earth were numbered, but whose days in Eternity have only just begun.  He took His paintbrush, created an original work of art, called us a masterpiece and wrote His name on our heart. 

...A priceless masterpiece with stencils of salvation on your heart, authored by the Lord Most High. 

2 Corinthians 3:3

"You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."

Ecclesiastes 3:11

"He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."