Original post written 3/4/2016, so some things have changed, but not God's Grace! It is always there, ready for us to experience and and be blessed.
Have a blessed and beautiful day today...
"Create in me a clean heart,
O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
and sinners shall be converted to you."
Psalm 51:10-13 NKJV
We are in the middle of the Lenten Season...and although I didn't make any particular commitments to "give up" anything for Lent, it has been on my mind anyway~ not so much the "giving up", but the commitment to make this time count for some positive growth in my spiritual life.
Looking at the picture above of the geranium plant growing in the teapot is an example of the renewal and restoration process that God wants to work in our hearts. You see, that teapot was once my everyday teapot for making my morning cup of hot tea as well as steeping the tea for our family's pitcher of iced tea each day. One day I noticed a hairline crack had developed where the handle attaches to the pot, and it became necessary to retire this teapot from its regular use, lest the handle should break off and spill the boiling hot contents on an unsuspecting person. Removing this teapot from service made me feel a little sad because it still looked so pretty and it seemed such a shame to just throw it away.
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| (This was when I originally put the broken cutting in water. It did okay for a little while, but soon became weak and pale and no longer produced flowers.) |
Then I remembered that I had been rooting a broken off piece of my geranium plant in a jar of water on the kitchen windowsill for several months...but it was starting to look a little pale and weak trying to survive in just water. Perhaps it would grow better in some potting soil in...yes! The cracked teapot!
After replanting the rooted cutting in the nourishing potting soil and setting it in a sunnier window, the plant began to put out more foliage and eventually a new flower shot up as seen in the first picture above.
What a lovely example of the grace of God as seen in Psalm 51:10-13. That cracked teapot and broken geranium is a lot like our souls when we have sin in our lives. We became broken and fractured by the wind and storms and cares of this life, and rather than casting us away, Jesus came along and picked us up, put us in the soil of His Holy Spirit and watered us with His love so that we could be renewed and restored to new life.
Kind of like having a brand new "clean heart"and restored joy!
What are some examples of God's renewal and restoration that you have seen in your life?
Beautiful flower---Beautiful thought! God is Good!
ReplyDeleteThank you Doris. Isn't it beautiful what God can do with our broken things?
DeletePam, You've painted a beautiful word picture. God is still in the process of renewing me each day; for that, I'm thankful. There have been seasons of hard in my life that left me broken, pale, wilting--clearly in need of nurture and care. God is so good to me and has brought me far in the last twelve years. However, I'm well aware of how far I have to go. For me it's about bringing thoughts captive, as well as allowing God full access to my heart for the cleansing and healing process to happen.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
May God continue to give you the grace you need for the journey. We are all in need of renewal and restoration from time to time. God is faithful...He will not throw us away. He is in the business of restoration of His priceless treasures...His beloved children. You are in good hands! Thank you for sharing these thoughts with me. You are not alone!
DeleteBeautiful thoughts. He does use the cracks in our lives to make something beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever read Patsy Clairmont's book "God Uses Cracked Pots"? It is a wonderful way to look at a broken life made beautiful. so thankful that God doesn't give up on us!!
DeleteFantastic analogy, Pamela, and lovely photos! Yes, God can take our cracked frames and fragile roots, and plant us in the strong and nourishing presence of His grace.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Amen, and we are so blessed for His acts of grace and restoration. So thankful He doesn't just throw us out and give up on us. We are all examples of His restoration and redemption. Thank you for visiting today. I hope your day has been blessed.
DeleteI love geraniums and so your pictures of that really drew me in. My daughter is keeping my potted geranium at her house right now, until we get settled again and I can retrieve it.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord has renewed and restored me many times over the years, but perhaps the most dramatic was when He brought me out of a season (a full year to the day) of depression when I was a much younger adult. In my case, the depression was due to unforgiveness. I needed to forgive someone who had offended me and saw no need to make it right. This put me into a depression that affected my attitude, my facial expressions, and even my dental health. My dentist told me he could fix the problems with my gums but that I was entirely too young to have that condition and that I probably needed to change some stress in my life. Eventually a visiting minister spent a few nights in our home while conducting a revival at our church. My problem spilled out late one night and he was able to help me see my need to forgive this person, even though they felt completely justified, and then move on with my life. We prayed together and the burden was lifted.
The next Sunday people at church even commented to me that my face looked lighter, happier. The change, the renewal in my spirit, that the Lord brought about in my total being was dramatic and real. It was a wonderful thing, teaching me valuable lessons that have helped me through many hardships ever since.
I love this story, Barbara, and what a tremendous example of how lack of forgiveness in our hearts can actually change our face and overall body language. So glad your dentist was able to point this out to you, and that you finally found the courage to talk to a minister about this. What a blessing...and now you radiate Christ's love and joy with your beautiful smile and peaceful expressions. Praise God for His continued amazing grace!
DeleteI have been restored too many times to count..and most are best left in the past because most are just too hard to revisit.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that you blog about things that touch us and inspire us. Blessings and I hope you have a great week-xo Diana
Thank you, Diana, for your thoughtful comments today. I do understand about leaving the past in the past, and moving forward with what is before us because of God's amazing grace. I'm so glad you've come by to visit with us today. I appreciate your posts so much...you always make me smile...as well as the fact that God is using your blogs to bring us to the prayer room for many who are in need of those prayers. That is a very needed ministry...and people are attracted to your place because they feel safe and loved and can relax and have a good time there... Thank you for being YOU>
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