The Pebble and the Majestic Water Fall part 3

Finally, one day the pebble saw it.  It was a most glorious sight.  It was a grand and glorious palace.  A palace fit for one of great majesty and power.  A dwelling place for a Great King!  There was only one problem.  The palace wasn't complete.

The pebble wondered about this.  How could a palace so grand as this be started and not completed?  The pebble decided to ask the Great Water Fall about this.

"Oh Great Water Fall, who is this beautiful Palace for?"

"It is my Palace."

This disheartened the pebble very much, since the palace was not complete.

"Do not be downcast my little  pebble.  You will help me complete my palace.  Remember I promised you that you would do something beautiful for me.?"

Of course, the pebble thought that was an impossible task, but this was the Great Water Fall speaking. It was this same Water Fall that had taken a rough, ugly, seemingly useless pebble and made it into a sight to behold.  Actually, the pebble didn't really know how beautiful it had become.

While the pebble was giving itsself a headache trying to figure out how it could help complete the castle, one of the Great Water Fall's servants picked it up.

"This is just what we need over  here."  And with one quick and fluid movement, the  pebble was  placed along side of other brilliantly shimmering  jewels in the palace itself.

"Oh, no!"  The pebble thought.  "I cannot be here.  I am too ugly.  This palace is for the Majestic Water Fall.  He should only have the best."

His servant replied, "That is why you've been chosen.  You are among the  pure, radiant stones that have been made beautiful by the Great Water Fall Himself.   He prepared you to be a living stone in His dwelling place.  And because the Great Water Fall has crafted you Himself, you are a sight to behold, like these other living stones."

The pebble was confused and speechless--again.  But then the pebble remembered the Great Water Fall's promise.

"I will make you a beautiful gift--a worthy offering that I may enjoy forever."

So the little pebble pondered this.  It thought about all that it had endured, even remembering the day it discovered that it was beautiful.  It looked all around itself at the other stones--jewels actually.  Each one was glistening in the sun.  Each one was a small part of the Great Water Fall's Marvelous palace.  As the pebble, absorbed all of these sights, it began to wonder.  Could I too be like these other jewels?  Just as this thought had entered its mind, one of the Water Falls's servants approached it with a mirror. And it saw itself.  Actually it did not recognize itself for it had never seen anything so uniquely brilliant.  It was as if it saw a glimpse of the Great Water Fall itself.  The pebble gasped.

This was far better than it could have ever imagined.  Oh, what joy filled the little pebble!  Oh, how proud it was to have a gift to give the Great Water Fall.  Oh, how elated it was to do something beautiful for the One it loved!

It was about that time that something extra wonderful happened.  The pebble began to hear every melodious harmony of what sounded like thousands of birds.  It could see little water creatures gleefully dancing through the water towards the Palace.  It could hear the echo throughout the Palace, "The King is arriving!  The King is coming!"

The winds began to swirl all around the palace, with joyous laughter, "He's here! He's here!  Behold the King!"

Then all at once, the water surged into that palace like a Great Tidal wave,  terribly frightening but simultaneously more beautiful and glorious than anything the pebble had beheld.  It was the Majestic Water Fall, but somehow the Water Fall was different.  I mean... the pebble recognized the Water Fall, but it was as if it was seeing the Water Fall clearly for the first time.  The little pebble, now a radiant jewel, never knew that it had only seen a faint reflection of the Majestic Water Fall before.  Now it saw the Water Fall face to face in the FULLNESS  of its glory!

This is where words fall miserably short, for there are no words to describe what the  pebble saw.  It was as if all that was good, glorious, brilliant, radiant, pure and marvelous had come to rest in one place, only with an intensity that was actually unbearable, yet at the same time completely satisfying.  The pebble felt complete, whole, and in a perfect sate of contentment.  It was as if it had waited for this moment its entire life.  In fact, it had waited for this moment its entire life, yet it did not know it was waiting for this moment..

One more part left:  The conclusion of the story coming soon!

The Little Pebble and the Majestic Water Fall Part 2

Suddenly, a mighty wave lunged from the river, towards the little pebble.  The first instinct of the pebble was to cringe with fear at this great wave, but then it remembered that the Water Fall loved it.  So it took a deep breath and let the wave take it into the river.  The pebble found the wave was surprisingly gentle.

That little pebble was filled with so many emotions.  Fear, exhilaration, surprise... These experiences were all so new and unknown to the pebble that it really had no idea what to expect next.  It didn't know what to do, and every time fear seized it and threatened to take it under, the little waves would tickle its cracks and crevices whispering, "Cooperate with me.  Do not fight me.  I will make you into something beautiful."  And so the pebble would finally relax, letting the currents take it to all sorts of strange places.  As it did, it enjoyed a myriad of delights.

Now I must not mislead you into thinking that all of the pebbles experiences were delightful.  Oh no!  There were many difficulties along the way.  A few times the pebble was way-laid by little islands in the river, leaving it feeling impatient and disappointed at its lack of progress.  Other times forceful rapids threw the pebble here and there, bruising and beating the little pebble senseless.  It was during those times that the pebble thought it would never survive this adventure in the river.  There was even a time when an evil bird tried to snatch that pebble right out of the river, but the Great Water Fall rescued it with its mighty waves, sending the bird away disgusted for not being able to pick up such a seemingly easy little prize. 

I guess now seems like a good time to tell you that this pebble was changing.  All of the plights that the pebble endured during the  journey were changing the pebble.  It's rugged edges were becoming smooth.  It's dirt, of course, was washed away and it was being reshaped.  It even gleamed in the sun, which was why the bird tried to snatch it from the river.

The pebble also experienced lazy, restful days when the water danced around it playfully.  The pebble loved days like this.  It enjoyed the view around it and even took time to look at the water creatures, marveling in their beauty.  It was on one of these days that the pebble discovered its change.  As the little riplets of water danced around it, they began to sing.

"Look into the water little pebble.  See your reflection."

That seemed like a puzzling request, yet the pebble did as it was told.  Lo and behold!  What a surprising view met it! It did not recognize itsself.  It was beautiful!  The Great Water Fall had done what it had promised.  It had made it into something beautiful.  Yes, now it was becoming a worthy offering for the Water Fall.

There was still much more the pebble had to endure, for the Great WaterFall had not finished with the pebble, but now that the pebble had seen the Water Fall's work, it gladly submitted itsself to the Water Fall's power.  (Most of the time)  The Water Fall could be trusted.  It loved the little pebble more than even the pebble realized.

Stay tuned for more.  Please read the story to your kids, or grand kids.  I'd love to get feedback.  Does the story make sense?  Is anything confusing?   What do you or your children enjoy about the story? 

The Little Pebble and the Majestic Waterfall part 1

This is the first of several posts of a story I've written, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tentatively called The Little Pebble and the Majestic Waterfall.  This may end up being my next book.  Stay tuned.

There was once a little pebble, simple and ordinary and rough around the edges.  It was a tiny pebble and actually quite ugly.  This pebble lived beside a Great Majestic Waterfall.  Oh what a beautiful, and magnificient waterfall it was.  That waterfall thundered day and night singing its glorious song.  Oh, how the pebble marveled in hearing that sublime melody.  Oh how that pebble loved that glorious Water Fall.  So one day that little pebble decided it wanted to do something beautiful for the waterfall to show its love and devotion.  But what could it do?It could not sing and if it could, its tiny voice would never be heard over the thunderous voice of the Mighty WaterFall.  This little pebble thought and thought and thought until it hurt all over.  It couldn't come up with even  idea on how it could  show its love and devotion to the waterfall.  So it began to weep pitifully.  Suddenly through its sobbing cries it heard the Mighty Waterfall ask a question as it sang.

"Why are you crying?"

The pebble stopped immediately.  Was the WaterFall talking to it--the little pebble?  Couldn't be.  So the pebble didn't reply.  Again the Water Fall replied,

"Why are you crying?"

The pebble froze.  Its heart began to race.  It looked left, and then right.  The waterfall had spoken to--it.  "What do I do now?" the pebble thought.  A wise and noble bird sitting in a nearby tree responded, "Answer Him.  Answer to Great Water Fall, little pebble."

So it did.

"Oh, Great Water Fall, I am crying because I have nothing to give you.  I want to show  you my love and devotion, but what can I give one so great as you?"  The Great Water Fall laughed  thunderously with such joy and glee that it actually frightened and shamed the little pebble.   "I knew it," thought the pebble to itsself.  I was foolish to think I could ever give the Great Water Fall anything worthy of Him.

"Nonsense!" the Water Fall bellowed.  The pebble was startled.  "I have been deeply desiring a gift from you little pebble.  You have something beautiful to give."

"Me?"  said the Pebble completely puzzled.  "What do I have?"

"I want you little pebble.  You are my prized possession."

The pebble was speechless.  After thinking to ittself, for what seemed like hours (but it was actually only a few minutes), the little pebble replied.  "So.... you want me?" the pebbled asked timidly.

"Yes."

"You want me?" the pebble asked again, this time feeling a bit more confident.

"Absolutely!"

"You want me!"  the pebble shouted with joy and gladness of heart.  He had something to give the Great Water Fall.  Oh how the little pebble beamed with happiness.  The Great Water Fall had seen it and even desired it.

Then unexpectedly the Great Water Fall quieted down to a faint whisper.  "Little Pebble, would you give yourself to me, for you are a gift I greatly desire?"  I love you, little pebble and I want to do great and wonderful things with you--things which you could never imagine."

In that moment of quietness, the pebble deeply connected with the Water Fall in a new way.  It had experienced the love of the Water Fall.  It had not known that it could be loved.  It was only a pebble.  It have never known love.  It had seen what it thought was love, but it had never experienced it--until now.  Well, I really cannot fully explain how the pebble felt at that moment, but I will try.   That pebble felt, whole, brand new and more alive.  Yes, that pebble felt--ALIVE!

"Oh, yes, Great Water Fall!  I want to give myself to you!"

"Jump in the river" whispered the Water Fall.

Well, you've never seen a pebble more determined to get to the river.  That pebble had really never moved very much.  I mean...it moved a bit here and there, but it was usually because the wind had blown it or some creature had dislodged it from its position.  That poor pebble tried with all of its might to move itself to the river, which was only  a few feet away.  It struggled and strained, and managed to barely move.  It persisted, trying and trying and trying until it was utterly exhausted.   The little pebble began to slip into utter despair.  It felt completely helpless and hopeless.

"Little pebble," said the Water Fall tenderly, "will you give yourself completely to  me..."

The pebbled interrupted, "I've already tried, and I can't!"  Oh what sorrow the pebble felt.   To be so close to experiencing life's greatest joy, only to have it snatched from its grasp was more than the pebble could bear.

"Little pebble, I wasn't finished.  If you will cease striving, I will help you.  I, myself, will bring you to the water, and I will do something beautiful for you.  I will make you a beautiful gift--a worthy offering that I may enjoy forever."

"Ok,"  the pebble replied unassuredly.  " I don't understand what you ask of me, but I will give myself to you.  It is obvious that I cannot do this without help."

Suddenly, the Water Fall rumbled, laughing a deep hearty laugh with such joy that it tickled the pebble.

"Be still and watch what I will do!"

Moving the Mountain of Fear--an excerpt from "Fear Lives Here No More!"

Faith the size of a tiny mustard seed moves mountains.   (Matthew 7:20 paraphrased)  I’ve studied, prayed and pondered over this scripture.  How can I move the seemingly unmovable?  How do I know I have enough faith? I’ve often heard people tell others that they didn’t have enough faith.  I’ve even read instances where Jesus rebukes his followers by saying, “O you of little faith.”

            It helps to know what faith is.  Hebrews 11:1 says faith is being sure of what we hope for and having a certainty of what we don’t see.  2 Corinthians 5:7(paraphrased)  says we should live by faith and not by what we see.  Hebrews 11:6 (paraphrased) says that we must have faith in order to please God.  James 2:26 (paraphrased) says faith without actions is useless.  So what is faith?  Faith is living my life in light of what God says about me, the world and what He says about Himself.  It’s living my life based on His promises.  It doesn’t matter how I feel or what I see.  I will operate my life based on the truth.  My actions must line up with what I believe.  If not, what’s the use in believing it?  God wants followers who are ALL in or not at all.  No more, “yes I believe your promises”, but living my life as though I don’t believe his promises.

            Interestingly, all of us have faith in something.  Is your check directly deposited into your checking account?  Every month, you confidently expect that you will have your money deposited electronically—though you don’t see it.  You don’t stay up worrying about it.  You don’t try to understand how that happens.  You don’t question whether or not your employer will forget, or decide not to pay you.  You live with the confidence that your money will be in your account at the expected time.  That is faith.  Have you ever been to the doctor?  Your doctor gives you a prescription, along with other instructions that he/she says will get you well.  Most of us don’t doubt it.  We take the advice without question.  We trust that whatever he/she scribbled on that paper is good for us.  We trust that the pharmacist is giving us the prescription that the doctor ordered, and we trust the pharmaceutical company that made the prescription.  We live most of our lives trusting people and things, having no concrete proof that anyone will deliver what they promise.   

            So Jesus was saying that the size of our faith is irrelevant.  What really matters is who we put our faith in.  Anything or anyone we put our faith in will disappoint us eventually—except God.  He’s the one who moves mountains. 

When Jesus performed a miracle, there was usually some action required of the person which demonstrated his/her beliefs.  Sometimes the action was simple, like when the servants filled the jugs full of water in order for the water to be turned to wine.  (John 2:5-11) Sometimes the action was difficult, like when he told the blind man to go wash in the pool of Siloam. (John 9:1-38) Sometimes the action required the person to take a risk, like when he told the lepers to go show themselves to the priest.  (Luke 17:12-19) Sometimes the act seemed impossible, like when he told the cripple man to pick up his mat and walk.  (John 5:2-14) Sometimes the act required persistence, like the woman with the blood disorder.  She pressed through the crowd so that she could touch the hem of his clothing. (Mark 5:24-34) Sometimes friends and family needed to get involved in order to intercede on behalf of the person, like the paralyzed man whose friends cut a hole in the roof in order to get him to Jesus.  Jesus said the man was healed because of his friends’ faith.  (Mark 2:1-12) Sometimes it was as simple as persistently calling on the name of Jesus, like the blind men who called out to Jesus in spite of the crowd’s rebukes. (Matthew 20:30-34) 

In every situation, each person’s belief was displayed by their actions.  That’s faith.

And I don’t mean rule-keeping.  None of the rule-keeping religious leaders experienced any miracles.

            So my challenge to you is this:  Do you want this mountain of fear removed?  Are you willing to do whatever the Holy Spirit tells you to do?  I cannot tell you exactly what to do in order to be free, but I can tell you how to get to the One who can tell you.

My Declaration

I'm in the middle of a fundraising campaign in order to acquire the funds to have my book published.  See:

http://www.kickstarter.com/e/Z5YEF/projects/350625527/fear-lives-here-no-more-a-book

The last few days my fundraiser has been at a standstill.  I've received less of a response than I was hoping.  As I've been praying about the Lord's hand of provision for this project, the Lord has given me some words of instruction.  I want to share them with you, in hopes that it would be encouraging for you as well.

The thing  you desire will happen only as much as you trust me enough to obey my commands.  You will only receive what you trust me to give you.  You will receive the fulfillment of your desires only as much as you surrender your need for understanding and control.  Every small act of surrender puts you in a position to receive tremendous blessings--beyond your imagination.    When you trust me, you wait when I say wait.  You go when I say go. You ask when I say ask.  You give when I say give.  You leave the results to me, and have an expectation that I will do what I said I would do.

So I choose to trust God no matter what.  I will not give up .  I will continue to press on.  I won't let others lack of understanding, or lack of vision, discourage me.  I must press on.  I'll bring every doubt and fear to you.  I'll bring to you my confusion, and I'll ask for your instructions and allow you to cast the vision again.  I won't take matters into my own hands, trying to make it happen.  I will obey you.  I surrender my need to understand how, or when.  Kickstarter was definitely an act of obedience, but if this isn't your method of providing, I still choose to trust you.    How you provide is your business.  I must persist in completing the work that you've set before me.    Help me to do these things, by your Spirit.  Amen.

Creative Journey Into the Light- excerpt from my book "Fear Doesn't Live Here Anymore"

       Since I was about 12 years old, I’ve been involved with and loved art.  I took classes, exhibited at school and competed in art contests.  As I grew older, I started pursuing other interests and my art became a hobby that I pursued only occasionally.  I always kept notebooks for sketching.  After having kids, I sketched even less, since I disliked having kids looking over my shoulder while I was trying to sketch.  Anyway, the Lord began speaking to my heart in 2006 about pursuing my art again as a part of the art ministry at my church.  I never even considered being a part of the team because I didn’t think I was good enough.  Many of the people on the team went to art school, and some are professional artists.  I thought, “I can’t do that!” In spite of my fears,  I made the decision to obey.  I began showing people my sketches.  That was scary!  Then I began working on a piece for the next exhibit.  When I attended the first meeting where we showed our ideas, I was terrified.  I haven’t been that terrified in quite a while.  I was so afraid that I could barely speak.  I showed my piece and got a good response!  Whew!

Since then, it’s been an uphill battle with my heart.  I’ve had to deal with pieces being rejected, or not liked.  There have even been pieces that I didn’t particularly like.  I’ve battled myself.  I would hold my breath every exhibit when I revealed my piece or pieces.  I guess I still do, to a lesser extent.  “Will anyone like it?”  “Does it meet the standard?”  Ultimately, I have found my peace in knowing that I sought the Lord as I've created each piece, and knowing that I’ve given my best.   I must trust that God will speak to whomever he has ordained each piece to speak to.  I must trust that He will redeem my “mess ups”.  My job is to seek his face, listen carefully and obey him fully.  It’s that simple and it’s freeing!

      This fear of not being good enough permeates so much of my life.  I’ve always been a perfectionist.  In school, if I made a 99, I was trying to figure out why I didn’t make the 100.  I didn’t then, and I still don’t like making mistakes.  When I was younger, I would be willing to take risks to do something I wanted to do, thinking that I would succeed and not make mistakes.  Over the course of time, because of many failures, I became afraid of failure.  I now understand that failure is a part of life.  I’ve learned more from my failures than I ever have from my victories.  I am able to empathize with others when they fail.  The Lord has also taught me that He is achieving something far greater than we can see when we step out in faith to obey him.  Even greater than that, God redeems our failures.  He turns our ashes into beauty.  Isn’t that what the cross is all about?  If I never fail, how will I know of his redemptive power in my life?

             The Lord is continuing to renew my mind daily with his truth.  I am learning to accept my inadequacies, and failures.  Actually, I'm learning to embrace my insufficiencies .  Though it is painful to have my weaknesses and failures exposed, I know that it is good for me to live in truth.  And truth sets us free.  I am freed to become all that my Creator designed me to be.  I am free to fulfill my purpose in life.  He made me with certain strengths and certain weaknesses.  They were put there on purpose.  Why?  So that I may completely rely on Him.  So that I might know, that I am truly weak.  That is reality.  That is truth.  I am insufficient, but He is ALL-sufficient.  Also, so that I may be united with others in His body.  He calls us to help each other in areas of weakness.   God wants no self-sufficient "lone rangers".  

I'm learning to  make myself available to be used by our great and glorious God.  He specializes in using the unqualified and weak to accomplish great things.  And His plans can't be stopped!

So I ponder the question: Why am I so afraid of others seeing my failures, my weaknesses, sins, mistakes, etc?  I care more about what people think about me, than I care about obeying God.  I want the approval of people rather than, God.  It all comes back to ME.  Let me tell you, the Father is exposing these things by His Spirit.  They aren't easy lessons to learn, but they are worth it.  And every time I think I'm over other people's opinions, the Spirit exposes another area!   I want a heart that is completely devoted to Him.  I no longer want to live my life as a prisoner of other people's opinions.  I no longer want to make decisions because I want the reward of the applause of people.  I want the greater reward.  

1.  Are you resisting obeying God in some area of your life because you’re afraid you will fail?  Are you willing to take the risk?  Isn’t God BIG enough to accomplish GREAT things through you inspite of your weaknesses, sins, and other insufficiencies?
2. Can you think of an area of your life where God revealed his glory through your failures?  What good came of this failure?
3. Are there weaknesses or failures that you've refused to admit?  Perhaps you've made excuses.  Maybe you simply think you need to try harder, or at least try a different method.  Admit, accept and embrace your failures.  Cling to the sufficient grace of our Lord.
4. Who are you trying to please?  A spouse?  Your parents?  Friends?  Colleagues?  Are you using their approval or disapproval to gauge whether or not you're ok?  Ponder this thought:  You are more than Ok, because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Now go deeper:  God knows you completely, through and through and He loves and accepts you as you are.  Meditate and pray over these truths.

Meditate on the following scriptures:

2 Peter 1:3

Hebrews 10:11-14

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

John 15:5-8