Belong {Five Minute Friday}

From the big city to to country living. I didn't belong and they put spotted owls in my locker- making sure I knew it.

From heathen background to country church. I belonged to no one but my foolish ways and sinful flesh. They welcomed me and made me theirs. Then His.

From homeland to foreign land. My skin was white and theirs was not. We stuck out and we struck out learning the language and taking chances. But He sent us there and we were about His business; Beautiful Business.

We returned to our home, but something was just not right. Something was different. We were different. And again, we just didn't belong.

Home schooled kids feel left out and alone. They don't belong because this- this is not the way of things. This is the way of shelter children and the 'un 'un-socialized.' But He surrounded us with others who didn't belong, and finally we found our nitch.

Babies that didn't belong at home because drugs and addiction kept mom from showing love. They came to our home. They slept in our rooms, ate from our table, sat in our laps, laughed at our jokes, lived in our lives, fellowshipped in our church, learned about our God. But they didn't belong because their hearts yearned for home.

And none of us really belong because this a temporary place. We long to fit in and we long to be longed for. And on that day, we will belong, dear one.

WE. WILL. BELONG.

(Writing today with the community at Lisa-Jo's where we love to just write without worrying if it's just right or not. Set the timer for five minutes and write on this prompt- Belong. Then come share with us.)

Follow me on Facebook
Craving a good Bible Study? Go here, and here! Promise you won't be disappointed :)

Beauty-full Business

I expect the beauty to be in the finished product. After you've scraped the popcorn from above, and torn down walls from places uninvited. After the new paint is rolled on, and the shiny counter tops glisten brand new.

I expect the beauty to be seen in the healthy, happy life of marriage and family. When all is well and all are laughing. These things- they are good.

But I saw the beauty in the midst of the ugly. I saw one after another come into that hospital. Into the cold, stale, stench of sickness. They came, they prayed, they anointed, they blessed. This is the work of a beautiful God in an ugly world. And He's at work all around. All the time.

I see the beauty of tearing down walls and scraping old mud. Breaking through layers and layers of colors and years. There's a story behind each one. Many stories. Each one beautiful, because even in the trials and storms, difficulties, and take-my-breath-away failures, He is beautifying His people.

Whether it's plowing into drywall, or plowing into my comfortable little life with plans supposing to go just so, beauty is within and beneath the plastic paint and layers of cover-ups. And sometimes He allows us to be broken up a little or a lot. Either way, there's beauty in there. And this is His business. This is Beauty-full business.

(Writing today with the community at Lisa-Jo's where we love to just write without worrying if it's just right or not. Set the timer for five minutes and write on this prompt- Beautiful. Then come share with us.)

Follow me on Facebook
Craving a good Bible Study? Go here, and here! Promise you won't be disappointed :)