Monday, April 24, 2017

Promises and Potential

I really wanted to come up with a doozie of a humorous post for you today.  Seems I've written so much about sorrow and sadness lately; although, that's our life right now.

While sitting quietly this morning and asking God to give me a funny story to share, I was reminded that sorrow is the contrast for humor and you can't genuinely have one without the other.  So, no funny for today.

But I did (once again) stumble across a powerful reminder of why I write.

It's a promise I highlighted for myself three years ago.  Do you underline favorite scriptures in your Bible?  I certainly do.  I'm not sure a Bible is well read until it has highlight markings, a few tear stains and copious amounts of chicken-scratch handwriting.

Marked up Bibles become treasure pieces for those who read them in later years.  As a young minister, Frank asked my dad to save one of his preaching Bibles for him and it started a tradition of sorts.  Dad has now preached from three Bibles for at least ten years each; one to be given to each family of his three children.  A Treasure!

I love reading back through the Bible my mom carried in her purse for the years I was a teen-ager and beyond.  She included sermon notes and key dates in various margins as well as underlining important scriptures of personal promise.  It's faith building for me to read things she was praying about diligently and to be able to look back on the answers that eventually came.

Journals are great.  They help me sort through muddled thoughts and I've had many of them - both journals and muddled thoughts.  But my marked up Bibles are the things I hope my children will cherish most.

So, the scripture I read again today is found in Psalms 92.  At the top of the page I had written, "This passage is why I can START writing @ age 55."  And here's the promise:  "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree....They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright, he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.'"

Beside the scripture, I have the date this promise first jumped out at me - 2014.  Below it I wrote, "My Message."

While we were in NC, one of Mom Hawley's lifetime friends came by the house for a visit.  While there, she told how much she enjoys reading Embrace the Grace.  Then her sister said, "Becky got me reading your blog.  I really like it."

I was so touched that Becky not only takes time to read but that she shares it with her sister and others, she said. Every writer longs to impact their readers.  And my greatest desire is to use some personal story or illustration to remind whoever may read:

  • God is upright
  • He sees us each one
  • He promises to be our Rock
  • He is not wicked - He is LOVE
  • His promises are true
  • He wants us to fulfill the potential within us
If I can use this blog to stay fresh and green; bearing fruit into old age then I will have fulfilled the potential He placed in me.  End of sermon, I promise!

What is one of your favorite scripture promises?  Do you write in your Bibles?  Do you have one passed on to you that has special memories?  I'd love to hear from you today.  Blessings!  





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