Piece by Piece

We moved into our new house almost a year ago and I’m still not finished with all the decorating. After eleven months, our bedroom consists of four very stark-white, empty walls. The horizontal blinds hang in curtain-less windows. The wall behind our living room couch is as bare as winter, just like all the other undecorated spaces throughout the house.

I wish I was one who had an interior design plan all laid out and perfectly executed within a month of moving in. However, this isn’t what happened. Instead, I took my time and worked on one room, then another. The areas which are complete turned out beautifully, but even so, each step took time. Painting. Wallpapering. Installing molding. Waiting months for furniture to be ordered and delivered. Piece by piece, it’s slowly coming together.

I wonder if this is also true for our spiritual formation? We don’t suddenly become spiritually mature after making a decision to follow Jesus. There are so many things He wants to teach us: how to pray, how to read the Bible, how to be a giver of compassion and grace. How to walk in humility, meekness, and forgiveness. We can’t possibly know how to do this all at once. It’s a life-long journey where we are gradually transformed into His likeness. Piece by piece.

Spiritual formation is a pilgrimage that leads us deeper into the heart of God. With open hands and open hearts, we intentionally partner with God, allowing Him to do the work we alone cannot do: transformation the innermost places of our hearts and minds. What we can and must do is actively participle in spiritual disciplines that present the best opportunities for God to change us from the inside out. By spending time in prayer, Bible study, and worship, all within the context of community, we eventually become transformed. Piece by piece.

This is a course of life that mustn’t be rushed. It can’t be rushed. It takes time for us to study and know the character of God. As we travel deeper and deeper into God’s heart and experience His kindness and compassion, we learn we can trust Him no matter what; even when our circumstances might be telling us a different story.

Once we learn He is trustworthy, we can acknowledge the areas of our hearts that need to be offered up for healing and restoration. The areas deep in our souls that keep us from living in true freedom are often hard to identify until they suddenly and un-expectedly come bubbling up to the top of our consciousness. When they do, it takes vulnerability to place them at the foot of the cross, handing them over to Jesus, piece by piece.

Through spiritual disciplines, we hear Him speaking to us. His voice is rarely loud and audible to the naked ear. It’s a quiet stirring of the Holy Spirit that quickens our breathing. It’s a word of scripture that pops off the page and right into our life. It’s the “aha” moment when the lightbulb turns on and suddenly, we are overtaken by a fresh understanding; something we’ve never even noticed before, about ourselves and others. Our thoughts, beliefs and values become more aligned with God’s character. Piece by piece, we are transformed.

I’d like to invite you to join me as I embark on a new adventure. I’m reading “Sensible Shoes” by Sharon Garlough Brown. Don’t be fooled by the fact that this book is a fictional tale which chronicles four women as they journey towards spiritual formation. In each of these characters, we find a little bit of ourselves. When we relate to their fears and flaws; doubts and insecurities, we feel as though we’re walking this pilgrimage along with them, learning how to find God in the midst of our lives, as they find Him in the midst of theirs. Let’s read their story and take a similar journey along with them, shall we? Not all at once. Just piece by piece!

What about you?

1. If you decide to read this book, please leave a comment in the comment section. I’d love to hear more about your experience as you embark on your own spiritual formation journey.

2. If you’re already participating in spiritual disciplines, I’d love to hear how they bring you closer to God.

3. If there’s a particular time when you had an ‘aha’ moment, please share it.

4. Participating in spiritual disciplines takes time and intentionality. Looking at your schedule, when can you make time to consistently meet with God? Write it into your schedule and just do it!

The Seedling’s Promise

The first blush of morning slowly awakens me. It woos me into its presence and I cannot resist the invitation. I make my way into the kitchen where a hot water machine sits on the counter. Cup in hand, I push the buttons and perfectly heated water flows into my cup. With hands stiffened from years of pushing a manual wheelchair, I grasp the cup and head to my sanctuary overlooking a cluster of pine trees. In the stillness of the morning, a bench piled high with books welcomes me. I transfer onto the blue and white stripped seat and settle in. Breathing deep, the fragrant aroma of chai spice tea begins to clear the early morning fog.

I come into this space with an open heart, lingering in the silence and solitude, listening to the quiet and leaning into its whispers. A dove coos “Good morning,” as a soothing tropical summer breeze brushes my bare arms. The golden glow of the rising sun inches upward, silhouetting the trees before taking its place high in the heavens and with it, a warm rush of gratitude for life and nature and all things good swells within me.

This morning, the view of the beautiful back yard captures my attention. My gaze is drawn to a vibrant cluster of flowering vincas growing in the middle of a dusty bed of pine straw. Its blossoms are sun-kissed and swaying, cheerful with their green leaves and bright pink centers surrounded by delicate white petals. For a moment, their beauty leaves me breathless.

Not long ago, only a single stem rose out of the ground; a seedling. This one solitary flower came from a seed that remained buried for years after the original flowers were plucked out of the ground to make room for a new outside deck. Nourished by the earth, this remnant did its quiet work for many seasons in the darkness before making its way upward past the soils surface. Then, awakened from its slumber by the bright summer light, it produced leaves and an abundance of flowers. As I marvel at their radiant flourishing, I see a reflection of my life.

On a crisp, sunny Saturday afternoon, I too, was plucked out of the ground through no choice of my own. Eyes open, I saw the trees circle as I somersaulted through the air after being catapulted out of a saddle. Before my heart could take its next beat, I became a paraplegic. Just like that. Not only did my accident take away my ability to walk; my dream died that day, and I tried to die along with it. From the time I was a child, all I ever wanted was to be a nurse. I was in my second year of nursing school on the day I took that fateful ride.

A continuous loop of unanswered questions swirled around in my head. What will my future hold? Will I go back to college? Will I ever be able to work? Will I get married and have children? Will my life ever have meaning and purpose? Hopelessness pulled me down, deep into the darkness. I prayed I wouldn’t wake up from the initial surgery to fuse my spine back together.

My parents were devastated by what happened to their healthy, eighteen-year old daughter. Watching them mourn broke my heart. Nothing happens to us without affecting those who love us. In my presence, they were positive and strong. But when they left my hospital room, I knew they went into the hallway and cried. There we were. All three of us. Struggling to survive after being uprooted from the only soil we ever knew. This wasn’t what I wanted for myself and it certainly wasn’t what I wanted for my parents. I knew they would do everything they could to help me rebuild my life. Consequently, their grief empowered me to make the choice to live.

As my body lay bruised and broken, a remnant of my former self remained: a seedling. My spirit and soul were still alive and intact. A bit battered, but intact. In the deafening silence, I heard a whisper, “You can do this.” Instead of dwelling in the dismal abyss of self-pity, my spirit focused forward. One choice at a time, I let go of my past life and was determined to create a new one. Afraid, lonely and isolated, I had no idea what awaited me. But I knew if I was going to find it, I had to embrace the inevitable changes that lie ahead.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:18,19

Waves of change engulfed me. From daily living activities to navigating architectural barriers, every new push on the rims of my wheelchair became an opportunity for growth and self-discovery as I focused my energy on cultivating a new future.

As the young vinca was nourished by the fertile soil surrounding it, I was nourished by the love and support of people who surrounded me. For seven months, my mom came to the rehabilitation center everyday to wash my hair as I lay flat on my back, unable to sit up. When I finally went home, my dad bought a car with hand controls and insisted I not only learn how to drive, but also, that I learn how to get myself and my wheelchair in and out of the car.

My new sense of freedom was exhilarating! Seedlings of promise began to reveal themselves. The Lover of my soul reached down and lifted me up, up out of the darkness and into His light. Here, I received the courage and strength I needed to live independently as a person with a disability. Hidden talents I never knew existed worked their way upward, changing my life in ways I never could have imagined. I began to flourish through a wide array of transforming experiences and rich relationships that, to this day, bring me so much joy and contentment.

After an hour of silent pondering, others in the house start to stir, signaling my time alone is drawing to a close. Thankful for this sweet time of reflection, I take my last sip of tea with an even fuller heart and wonder what seedlings of promise I’ve yet to discover.

Blog Post Title Two

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.