Who can say

which came first

rock or tree

or how, or when, or why

so being

rock and tree

neither moved

both changed

both defined

by the other

but the tree lived

striving

roots reaching slowly

as tendrils do

easing forward

around the rock

which remained

it thrived

at waters edge

where rock was cleansed, soothed

and smoothed over time

by Living water

not every rock

intended to be a destroyer

remains a destroyer

some remain

a catalyst

for greater growth

bringing awareness of
weakness and

the greater need

for grace and strength

Salvation

lest the tree

rely upon its own roots

Patricia Spreng

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12: 8-9

     Paddling in my kayak, along the shore line of a small inland lake in West Michigan, I was gripped by the sight of this rock embedded in the root system of a tree. I'm sure the neighbors wondered what I was looking at for so long.  Especially when I came back later with a camera. 

     In Luci Shaw's book, Breath for the Bones: Art, Imagination, and Spirit: Reflections on Creativity and Faith, (click on link below) she describes

 "the Spirit is an artist who knows the value of the creative act from divine experience; he’s the one who will baptize my spirit and my imagination and shape the images that he sends into words that bear his own fingerprints."

    "Baptize my spirit and my imagination"... yes.

    In my little kayak, it took no time for me to know and see God there with me, showing me this picture of my life.  I have spent much time hiding, trying to get rid of,  pointing to and blaming the rocks in my life.  But, it was clear to me in this moment that the God-allowed rocks in my root system are there for a purpose...His purpose.  His grace is sufficient.

  
    Luci Shaw quotes poet William Stafford:

So, the world happens twice—

once what we see it as,

second, it legends itself

Deep, the way it is.

   So, Lord, hear my prayer... touch me with Your fingerprints and baptize me again and again... always into Your deep waters.

Shaw, Luci (2009-09-01). Breath for the Bones (Kindle Locations 748-749). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Shaw, Luci (2009-09-01). Breath for the Bones (Kindle Locations 1175-1177). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Sharing today at The High Calling where we are exploring God-given creativity in Luci Shaw's book, Breath for the Bones: Art, Imagination and Spirit: A Reflection on Creativity and Faith , hosted by Laura J. Boggess
Also sharing today at Seedlings In Stone: On, In, and Around Mondays with L.L. Barkat

My Sunday Best

my Sunday Best

dressing me

barefoot

at water’s lapping edge

twirling my hair

with heaven’s breeze

gently swaying memories

as waves of comfort

tickle the shore of my soul

wrapping me in the sweet smell

of pines that grandpa planted long ago

standing tall to shade me

here where Rest is free

napping at the water’s edge

Patricia Spreng

Come to me, anyone who is tired or worried, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Sharing today at d’Verse where you will find the wonderful words of poets.

When a woman cuts her hair

two things may have happened

initiating outward change
that began internally
long ago

She may have turned 51

She may have had a glass of wine or two

While surrounded by girlfriends
who reinforced the battle cry of change

giving her courage

not unlike the liquid form of courage

found in a bottle of peroxide and golden brown # 23

Engaged in the mirror of life changing seasons

over which she has no control

finding herself with front lines

at the battle of the bulge

and not winning

though objects in the mirror may appear slightly larger than they are

Some seasons are cut too short

letting go and moving on

as though a new normal is normal

but it isn’t

not unlike sitting in a stylists chair

watching her long locks

fall

        to

               the

                        ground

                                    when

                                              a woman

                                                           cuts

                                                                   her hair

Patricia Spreng

Monarch Metaphor

The parable that Luci Shaw created in her book Breath for the Bones: Art, Imagination, and Spirit: Reflections on Creativity and Faith, deeply resonated within my spirit.   In it, she tells of the felling of a dead tree in the winter after the death of her beloved husband. The loss of the tree, the space it inhabited, it’s strength, branches, roots and the scar it left in the ground, all became a metaphor for the loss of her husband’s presence, strength, memories and her remaining wound.  This God-given picture, a vision of sorts, was something tangible for her to hold on to.  Shaw writes, “It was then I realized why the felling of the tree occupied my thoughts so consistently and with such a sense of significance. It was because I was the frozen sod with the deep wound, and Harold was my tree who was simply . . . gone.”  I understood.

My heart ached as I read this and tears flowed easily… again.  It hasn’t been that long since the deaths of my mom, my father, my brother and my sister-in-law, all within the last three years.  There were so many times I cried out to God questioning the need for such suffering of beloved, elderly parents; or the unfairness of cruel, debilitating, terminal illnesses of my wonderful siblings.  I would pour out my heart to Him in whispers of desperation asking “really?”  Sadness overwhelmed me, my faith pummeled by waves of grief.   It was somewhere in that fog that I found a captivating prayer written by an ancient writer, Mechthild of Magdeburg, a medieval mystic nun from the 12^th century. 

“Lord, I will tear the heart of my soul in two

and You must lay therein. 

You must lay yourself

in the wounds of my soul.”

Never before had I heard of His comfort in this way.  Sometimes in grief the loneliness of that experience is overpowering.  So the thought of the presence of God not only by my side, but actually laying into my broken heart, consoled me like nothing else.  I hung on to that picture. He was my peace.  I don’t pretend to understand the pain of losing a beloved spouse.  But I have been deeply threatened by it.  During that grieving period, my husband underwent a successful brain surgery to remove a benign tumor.  As his sister simultaneously battled an aggressive brain cancer, fear would tiptoe into my resting moments and taunt my faith quietly until I could hear its boisterous, mocking laugh and I would have to get up and move my mind elsewhere, always repeating the name “Jesus.”  Sometimes that’s all I could pray.

I feel deeply thankful to Luci Shaw for sharing her personal experience.  But, more so, I am thankful that in her wisdom, she has taken what she has learned over the years to validate, confirm, and encourage the soul of the artist who is willing to see God’s metaphors.  This is precisely how God works all things together for good.  It brings to my mind one of my life verses (Luke 22:31-32).  Where Satan has demanded permission to sift us like wheat through the storms of this life, Jesus himself prays for us so that our faith will not fail.  And when we have turned out of our seasons of difficulty, we will share with our brothers and sisters to strengthen them.  Luci Shaw is strengthening me. Without shame she acknowledges the powerful gift of metaphors, the ability to see them and create with them. 

For years now, I have photographed, written, and spoken of the monarch butterfly.  (Click on the ‘Monarch’ tab up at the top of this page.)  I have seen God through the life cycle and metamorphosis of this amazing creature.  He shows us a beautiful metaphor of the stages of our spiritual



transformation.   Sometimes, as I’m speaking about monarchs, I get a few funny, or quizzical looks.  People may think I look too deeply, care too much, or maybe I’m just too buggy or boring!  But, I feel no shame in saying that I see God in monarchs and I never cease to be amazed at His faithfulness that he shows me through them.

Thank you to Luci Shaw for her powerful words of affirmation:   ‘This is like that.  In fact, in metaphor, “this” is “that.”’  Luci, I needed those words.  Thank you.

I close with the most exciting moment… just as I was finishing this post today at 4:45pm; I caught sight of something familiar outside my window.  I grabbed my camera and looked at my milkweed patch.  The same milkweed patch that was accidentally sprayed with weed killer right before my son’s graduation open house in June.  During this long awaited monarch season, I have not been able to find caterpillars or chrysalis on my milkweed.  The eggs I found in early June met with demise, as the pesticides took effect.  Sadly, I have seen no monarch butterflies.  Until, I was writing this post…

 ...there He is again!

Patricia Spreng

Today, over at The High Calling, I am joining new friends for the first time as we read, enjoy and strengthen each other in this book club hosted by Laura Boggess  .  Thanks Laura!

Shaw, Luci (2009-09-01). Breath for the Bones (Kindle Locations 810-811). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Shaw, Luci (2009-09-01). Breath for the Bones (Kindle Locations 676-678). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

Knot my dog…

Ha!  some vict’ry in your tug of war

whose side is winning now?

cramping claws and clenching jaw

don’t even ask me how

working out this knot

seems to be so tight

stopping all the flow of life

I've tried with all my might

you’re pulling on the wrong end

please don’t try so hard

you’re making too much noise

go play out in the yard

this knot it ain’t no use

just throw it all away

go and buy a new one

I'll chew some other day

Patricia Spreng

Having fun over at dVerse a place where you will find the wonderful words of poets who are being prompted today by “shoes.”  Go visit there and see if it fits =).