Rilke Was Onto Something

Ben Palpant in his book Letters From the Mountain quotes Rainer Maria Rilke from the book Letters to a Young Poet saying,

Things aren’t all so tangible and sayable as people would usually have us believe; most experiences are unsayable, they happen in a space that no word has ever entered, and more unsayable than all other things are works of art, those mysterious existences, whose life endures beside our own small, transitory life.

In a recent group Bible study at church the term ineffable came up. God is often considered ineffable. The word means too great or intense to be expressed in words, unutterable. Too sacred to be uttered. Indescribable; indefinable.

My life challenge has been for me to try to put into words my relationship with the Almighty. My goal is to speak about and express the unsayable, the things not readily spoken or expressed in regards to my faith. Oh Lord, I can only do this with Your help!

I agree with Rilke that “most experiences are unsayable.” So how does this happen to be my calling? My first response is, “Truly, I do not know!” Maybe something was handed down in the genes from Grandpa Snapp the Preacher or Grandma Snapp the teacher at God’s Bible School? I just know that from an early age I wanted to write about God. I have papers from 1966 and a few years prior to that when I started to want words around my experiences.

“Most experiences are unsayable,” wrote Rilke. My friend, Dana, is about to print my book of poems with over 100 selections. Perhaps someone will discover this God I adore through reading these poems? I pray the efforts to express my love and relationship with God will pull others into the space where words rarely enter. The space of mysterious existence. Christ in me, Christ in us, the hope of Glory.

25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:25-27 NIV

Drumming© Molly Lin Dutina

He began before 6:45 AM
Drumming and drumming
In the distance there was an answering drumming
But the first drumming was insistent
“Not you,” it seemed to say
“How about you?” it called
“How about you?”

The call went out for five minutes
Ten minutes
Nonstop drumming
Not tapping
Think kettle drum
Occasional distant answer

I decided to try to capture
What I was hearing into words
Relentless love call
Or territorial boundary fencing?

Open the iPad
Set up the document
Typing I began to form the words
Around what I was hearing
And it stopped

Just like that a full stop
Not petering out
Not fading
Not a few measures of rest
Full
End
Stop

Human will never understand
That avian love call
Drummed fence of feathered ones or
Sonnet of spring

I never saw the maestro
But the love drum beats on
In my heart of hearts

Come to me my Lord
Spirit of God set fire within me
Beat out Your ballad of love
Your boundary of protection
Declaration of Your indwelling

Conquering Christ take me captive
I am Your bride
abide in me

March 25 Amy

Amy Carmichael quote again.

Proverbs 10:29: The way of the Lord is strength to the upright.

If by the grace of God my heart is set on uprightness, then I may count on the fulfillment of this word. It holds, however one turns it. Is my way beset by temptation? God is faithful, who will not suffer me to be tempted above that I am able to bear, that way of the Lord, therefore, is strength, not weakness or defeat. Do things happen that are shattering to the human in me? “He shall be the stability of thy times.”

The Lord is exalted; he dwells on high;
    he filled Zion with justice and righteousness;
he will be the stability of your times,
    abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
    the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure Isa 33:5-6

This verse was given to me a few days ago, and I pass it on with joy. There is then no need for us to be shaken and unstable. Is my way clouded? “The Lord shall be a light unto me,” so that I can go on in strength.
Never once in Scripture do we find weakness expected in the Christian. There is provision for strength: “the way of the Lord is strength.” He who is our Way is Strength, the joy of the Lord is our strength. May God give it to us to hate the “I can’t help it” of the weakling. May He make us strong.

1 Cor. 10:13, Isa. 33:6 Darby, Mic. 7:8, Nehemiah 8:10

I read this while praying for my friends Betty and Kathy. One needs strength and joy as she deals with unrelenting, recurring pain. The other has a serious illness and also a husband who needs much care. Amy wrote, “the way of the Lord is strength.” Oh, Lord, we each need Your strength in so very many ways. Give us that strength always, we pray.

If I am falling into lack of strength I often have to reset my attitude, re-frame my experience in line with God’s way. The way of the Lord is strength. Help me find the best attitude and vision for my walk through You, Christ Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit, I need You now.

Quicken

Recently an entry by Amy Carmichael in her book, Edges of His Ways, brought my attention to this word. It is not used much in today’s English. I was feeling worn out and weary by all the medical hoopla. I certainly need the Lord to quicken me as only God can.

The word quicken is used in the King James Version of the Bible, and it means “revive or make alive.” If something is living, it is “quick”; to “quicken” something is to bring it to life or restore it to a former flourishing condition. I seriously needed restoration and the promise in Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”

For many years I read 5 Psalms each morning. Because it is so bloomin’ long, I broke up Psalm 119 into 22 selections for days 1-22 of each month. Some Bibles show Hebrew letters at the beginning of each stanza. Those correspond to the Hebrew alphabet, (which I do not read).

It can be depicted this way.

Back to the main topic here! Quicken lead me to do a study of the passages in Psalm 119. Psalm 119 has so many references for this word.

Revive me, give me life, be gracious, enliven me. I imagine most of us if not all of us could use more of this from God. Perhaps the best way to present this to you is simply to list the passages with the references? That way you can read it for yourselves and apply them prayerfully to your life.

Psalm 119:25  KJV reads My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word. NIV reads My soul clings to the dust, revive me according to your word.

Psalm 119:107 KJV I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word. NRSVUE I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word.

Clinging to dust. Severely afflicted. Yep, just done worn out. God can handle this even when we cannot in our own strength.

Psalm 119: 40 KJV Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. NRSVUE See, I have longed for your precepts;  in your righteousness be gracious to me.

As we long for His precepts {divine principles, guidelines, statutes, and instructions that God has set forth for righteous living} … as we long for these guidelines and instructions from God, God is gracious to us through righteousness. We long, God fulfills. Do you truly long for these?

This might sound all too simple, but this is the Word of God. There are promises here. We will be restored as we cling to the Word and walk in the ways God shows us to walk.

Psalm 119:50 KJV This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. NRSVUE This is my comfort in my distress, that your promise gives me life.

If you have not chosen an activity for this Lenten season to draw you closer to the Father, perhaps studying these verses might do the trick?

Psalm 119:88 KJV Quicken me after thy loving kindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth NRSVUE  In your steadfast love spare my life, so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth.

Psalm 119:93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. NRSVUE I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.

Psalm 119:37 KJV Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. NRSVUE Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; be gracious to me {give me life} according to your word.

Psalm 119: 149 KJV Hear my voice according unto thy loving kindness: O Lord, quicken me according to thy judgment. NRSVUE In your steadfast love hear my voice;  O Lord, in your justice preserve my life.

Psalm: 159 KJV Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord, according to thy loving kindness. NRSVUE Consider how I love your precepts: be gracious to me {give me life} according to your steadfast love.

Psalm 119:156 KJV Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me according to thy judgments.NRSVUE Great is your mercy, O Lord; be gracious to me {give me life} according to your justice.

That might seem like a lot of digest. I hope you did not just blow through the verses. I think if you will ponder them you will find them a source for better understanding what the Psalmist knew about God and how you can draw closer for a better understanding for yourself.

Still at a Center Point

Before dawn today there was a four bird chorus raising praise to the Lord for His goodness and holiness. The northern Cardinal, Carolina wren, American robin and tufted Titmouse were raising a continuous singing of triumph and might. I know, because I asked the Merlin Bird app from Cornell University to identify them for me.

How have you lifted your voice today? What time did you begin? Did you lie in bed bemoaning the day or the rough night of pain?

Perhaps we would benefit more by taking a fresh look at the goodness of God to bring us through the night and unrolling before us another day of living and loving?

Amy Carmichael wrote in Edges of His Ways:

Psalm 19:10, R.V. margin: The droppings of the honeycomb.
This morning I found this marginal reading which was just the word I wanted at the moment. There are times when we cannot read much or even think much. But if we are quiet we shall hear little sweet words dropping into our hearts, “sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb.” I need not write them; they will be different perhaps to each one of us, but they will be comforting and strengthening too; and we shall go on our way for another day, fed and refreshed.

If we are willing to get still at the center point of our souls I believe we will hear “little sweet words dropping into our hearts.” Perhaps not every single time we get still, but the incidences will increase as we employ the practice.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalms 46:10

T. S. Elliott said:

“At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.”

I pray you will get still enough to hear those little sweet words dropping into your heart.

In this present moment, have stillness. Breathe.

Lenten Season

The season in the church calendar called Lent is here! It does not have to be all prune-faced dislike. In an effort to draw closer to God, we can forsake (give up) something for this 40 days. I prefer to embrace something I have neglected. Confession of my sin can be one thing I tend to neglect.

Why should we have a time of self examination in the Christian church? This is one way to safeguard against delusion. A serious safeguard against just going through the motions of religion, “playing church.” Are we transparent in wanting to change our ways from self and flesh to God and the plan Christ laid out for His indwelling us? The powers of self examination and confession, forgiveness and redemption should not be underestimated.

The Book of Common Prayer has us confess “we have sinned against God in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.” We then go on to acknowledge that “we have not loved God with our whole heart; and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.” And I also add I have not loved myself as God would want me to do.

It is important to stop there and ponder in what ways are these statements true? It is far too easy to memorize a prayer and blow past the significance of how these sentiments apply to us personally.

Stop. Ponder. Confess. Pray for forgiveness. There is not a single one of us who does not need this. We all fall short of God’s highest and best for us.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my thoughts. Psalm 139:23 NRSVUE

God asks us to search and know our own hearts, test and know our thoughts along with Him. This is our work as well as His. We are so easily deceived. We fool ourselves more often than we might think we do!

Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5a NRSVUE

As realization dawns upon you, write down what you see as your shortcoming, and acknowledge that you are out of line with God’s ways. Then tell God you are sorry and ask for help in changing your ways.

God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us. Yes, Lord! Perhaps you will embrace self examination and confession this Lent. One of our priests says her dad who was a priest used to tell people , “Have a miserable Lent!” I, too, hope that yours would be miserably holy. As we seek to draw closer to God we see how far we fall short of His likeness. Let God help you move closer to that goal of living holiness this season.

Imbibition Part 3

Are you feeding upon the Word of God? Are you seeking and drinking in Living Water? Are you thriving in the dark mess the world has become?

Part 3 addresses the How to live imbibition. It takes about 7 minutes to read. Hope you enjoy it.

PART 3 You might say, “Well, Molly, that is all very nice.  What am I to do to foster the growth of the Kingdom within me? You have no idea of the pressures upon me, I need a better job (or employment period).  The strain of what bad thing will happen next is about to break me.  I can’t get any rest. I am not a bean in a ship’s hold.”

First, in my experience, you must make reading the Word of God a major priority in your life.  Not a “religious” priority, but mandatory for health, oxygen, well-being. This is the only way we are going to make it through the coming darkness with dignity and grace.

NASB     Hebrews 4:12-13  For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. The Word of God has power. Power we might never understand fully this side of heaven.

As you yield yourself to the Lord God and yield to the power of His Word upon you, things will begin to change, inside you and about you.  Not necessarily big dramatic changes, (though those might occur also), but remember the man scattered seed. He went to bed and he got up and the seed grew HE KNEW NOT HOW. Yield yourself to scattering seed upon your own soul.  Make it a habit to allow the Kingdom of God room to have a place within you.  And you begin with the seeds. You do not have to understand how it works.  Just begin to do it. Ask for the Living Water to nourish the seeds you sow in your soul and mind.

            Second, you must ask Jesus to give you the things He promises in New Testament Scripture. We live under the New Covenant, the new plan He brought and established by His birth, life among us, death, resurrection, and ascension.  There are specific promises and blessings He promises to give us if we seek Him.  He will give those to you and He tells us to ASK and keep on asking. You will grow in the things of the Kingdom.  Do not ask me to explain to you how you will grow.  I do not understand the how, but I do understand the promise and the results.  He will give you living water to nourish the seed. You must be willing to consume, absorb, soak up that water.

More from The Living Earth book: “The power of imbibition is a common one in nature, and so is the reproduction of living cells.  Combine them, as in a growing plant, and there is a force which can move mountains or easily grow through a blacktop road.  A classic experiment in botany was once made with a growing squash plant to test the expansive power of cells.  The squash, while still on the vine, was tightly boxed in and weights were added to the framework to keep it enclosed.  At first, the young squash moved sixty pounds of weights; a month later two and one half tons were not enough to contain its power of growth.

            Now that sounds like our life, huh?  See how much pressure you can put on (and did you notice the humor of what plant they tested, the SQUASH!) and the thing just keeps on growing and busting out!  Sounds like a little group in Jerusalem that the religious leaders could not make shut up after their Lord was crucified, died and rose again.  Jesus said He will be with us always, even to the end of the age.  He told us He and the Father would come to us and live within us.  He promised to send His Holy Spirit to guide us and be in us.  How can we go wrong with all of them helping us?

   Paul says in Colossians 1: 25-27 NIV   I have become its (the Church’s) servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness–the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

This mystery, oh this mystery that we so often belittle by wanting every detail explained.  Could you just go with the mystery this once and see where it takes you?  Could you risk it all and gain the Kingdom? Would you try once again to soak up, absorb, and consume the living water, and grow into His image in the Kingdom, the image He had in mind when He blew life into your being and wonder into your soul?

Perhaps Paul understood this better than any of us. NIV  1 Corinthians 3: 6-9 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

In the dispute that Paul was addressing, the watering and planting were attributed to different persons.  I believe that it would delight the Father’s heart if each person who reads this would determine in their heart to plant the seed of His Word in his or her own soul, soak and water that seed with living water until the Kingdom sprouts up with a force that can move mountains or burst through inches of blacktop.  For we are, indeed, His Temple and His Spirit wants to live in us.  “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16 If we believe Acts 17:28a “For in Him we live and move and have our being” then His Word must be life and breath to us.  We can share this life giving discipline with others. The more we grow, the more others will be drawn to His light and Life.

Yes, the darkness is getting darker and moving in upon the areas we thought would always surely remain bright.  However, we have a great High Priest who knows all that we go through.  (HEB 4:14-16)  He is just waiting for us to run to His throne room to find mercy and grace in time of need.  He wants to abide with us, in the quiet times as well as the turbulent hours.  Yield to His ways and find His quiet strength.  As you run to Him and yield to Him, even in the midst of great darkness, you will find Isaiah 61:11 becoming a reality in your daily life. 

For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
    and praise spring up before all nations.

Constant fellowship with the Spirit, growing trust in the Son, and adoration of the Father will result in righteousness and praise springing forth from your lips and overflowing from your life.  Perhaps the river of living water in the depth of our being is a foretaste of the river of the water of life in Revelation 22:1 that issues from the Throne of God and of the Lamb! Even so, rule and reign in us, Christ Jesus, our King of kings and Lord of lords.

Fresh plant growing out of concrete

Imbibition Part 2

So I left off in Part 1 asking you to get into your Bible, feed on the Word of God. Part 2 is below. It takes about 6 minutes to read. I hope you find it interesting!

PART 2: Ponder that enduring and abiding Word, living and imperishable seed. Perhaps instead of being the farmer that scatters the seed, are we the ground where it grows? Now that seed was planted in each of us and Scripture says we do not know how it grows into a Kingdom.  That does not mean we are ignorant as to how to foster that growth and nurture its presence within us. “Oh, but I am so fearful.” The Word does not say to only grow when you have no fear, or when you are not too busy, or when it feels right to you. Your excuses are nothing new under the sun.  Trust me.  God has heard them all through every generation of human beings.  He will make a way for you to grow in His kingdom.

            This quote is from a book at the Cincinnati Nature Center Library Living Earth. At the time I copied the information I failed to write down the author, etc. The librarian at the Lloyd Library in Cincinnati was able to track it down for me. The book was written in 1959 by Peter Farb. I took the quote from the chapter entitled The World of the Root: “A blacktop road is often punctured by seedlings which have forced their way through three inches of asphalt. The force that allows them to grow through asphalt is what scientists call imbibition.  Take a substance that can absorb water, confine it in a narrow space, water it, and it will swell with power enough to split rocks.  Even a ship’s cargo of beans, if water reaches it, can expand and burst the hold.”  Imbibition: to consume, absorb, soak up [as in] water, heat and light.  Imbibition for the Christian would involve the Word of God, the imperishable seed by which we have been born anew into eternal life, living and growing within us through consuming, absorbing and soaking up …..what?

Plant growing out of concrete

            No plant can grow without water.  This very specific need for every seed has been known since men became gardener/gatherers.  Seeds need soil and water.  Today we are discovering that they can even do without soil if grown hydroponically.  However, that water is essential.  So where are we to get water?  Jesus knew we would ask that and He provided answers.  In John 4 He is speaking with the woman at the well. The NIV in verses 13-14 read

 “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'” 

Here is a comparison chart of several translations.  Anyway you read it we will get very wet!

spring of water              welling up         (NIV)

well of water                 springing up      (NASB)

fountain of water           springing up      (NKJV)

spring of water              gushing up        (NRSV)

And in case we missed the point, He made it again at the Temple ceremony recorded in John 7: 38  NKJV as “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

Okay, so where did Jesus get the idea for this seed and farmer parable in the first place?  Did someone just add this when stories were written down?  We don’t hear this taught very much! I was pleasantly surprised to have the following verse from Isaiah pointed out to me during morning reading one day.

Isaiah 61: 11 NIV For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

This comes after Jesus reads a portion of Isaiah in the Temple and then teaches them saying the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me to perform all kinds of deliverances and wonderful things. Today this is fulfilled in your hearing. Remember that Jesus read many of the same Old Testament books that you have access to today. 

I do not believe He was certain in His manhood HOW the Kingdom of God would be accomplished in every minute detail.  He was fully man and fully God.  As fully man how could He comprehend all of that?  I do not know, but I am willing to let that be folded up in mystery for now.  I do know Jesus taught this parable and it has meaning for us today.  He has made a way for us to be reborn through the imperishable seed of the Word, born into the Kingdom.  Although it is getting dark and scary out in the world, He continues to provide a way for our growth.  One of those ways is through a river of living water running through our spirit by His indwelling and abiding with us

The same Isaiah passage in NRSV reads “For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.” 

Now that will really be something!  As the darkness gets darker and the garden of God continues to grow, His crop will be righteousness and praise springing up before all the nations.  Righteousness and praise.  We should know by now that we have no righteousness of our own.  If you think you might have a smidgen of righteousness, show it to our Father.  He will inform you if it passes the Blood test of Jesus.  The Word teaches us that all Praise belongs to God.  Therefore, as this crop of righteousness and praise arises from God’s garden, the crop that will be harvested before the nations, it will surely be all about Jesus. (I have had a repeated experience while typing this of having to correct a typo – darknmess.  Well, it surely is a dark mess is it not?)

In ACTS 19:20 the NRSV reads:  “So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.”

Are you ready to take this challenge for growth and life and imbibition regardless of the rocks piled upon your box? Are you asking Father God for more of that Living Water? I will post Part 3 next week. It has a full explanation of Imbibition.

Can You Relate?

Many women in America suffer from body image disgust. I came across a photo from when my kids were little. We were at a beach and I was in a swimsuit. I can remember seeing myself in that swimsuit and thinking at the time how I needed to lose weight. Looking at it now, “NOT SO!” I had a great figure.

Are there things about yourself you do not like or accept? When the diagnosis of aneurysm came I started to think my body had failed me. Yet, someone mentioned to me that one neurologist believes that this flaw in a blood vessel may have been there since birth and gradually weakened and enlarged over time!

There is great power in accepting things as they are, not wishing our lives were different as much as adjusting our expectations to how things truly are. One powerful book teaches that concept. “Radical Acceptance” has helped me avoid unnecessary suffering by coming to terms with reality. Tara Brach teaches, similar to Brother Lawrence, that we should cut short the negative thoughts and go for the ideas that move us forward.

And I said to my body, softly, “I want to be your friend.” It took a long breath. And replied, “I have been waiting my whole life for this.” Nayyirah Waheed

Isn’t that quote a lovely word picture? Are we willing to befriend our body and do whatever is necessary for the best care we can give it? One man I know is reluctant to participate in physical therapy. When PT is prescribed there is something we need help working on to get us to the best place possible.

I could list a thousand ways these ideas apply. You likely know your own ways. So try to befriend your earthen vessel and inhabit it as best you can, giving the best care you can.

Recently we were given tickets to see the Wizard of Oz ballet. What a treat! I was reminded as the Scarecrow wanted a brain; the Tin Man pined for a heart and the Cowardly Lion was desperate for courage, how I likely have all the things I need for my journey on earth. The Wizard showed the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion that they had already shown heart , brains and courage on the journey with Dorothy.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 NIV

Our God is more mighty than any pretend Wizard. He has promised and given us everything we need, as Peter wrote, for a godly life. Why should we belittle and denigrate what He has created? We ARE His workmanship. Thankfulness will get us further than shame and negative thinking. I pray you will go forward in this life thanking the Lord for how you are created.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 NIV

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV

Chonda Pierce used to say this verse shows that we are all crackpots!

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God the Artist

The opening drawing is a take off on Scripture. My point is this is someone’s artwork. It reflects God’s power in creation. It is also a reflection of the work of the Trinity in our lives, if we will yield to the work of the Word.

Have you had a glimpse of the masterpiece God is making with your life? Do you know that the Creator who made the seasons is also making you into a masterpiece?

I recently saw a pen and ink drawing and was hit by the thought,

"You, Lord, are drawing the lines, 
etching the picture,
planning my future,
equipping me to yield
in gentle and quiet obedience."

drawing the lines
etching the picture

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3 NIV

Let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:4 NRSVUE

My thanks to Juan D. for the first photo portion and M. Linda McLaughlin for the second. The opening sketch is from the J. S. Paluch Company.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
    and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10 NRSVUE

Are you yielding to the plan? Is your goal that gentle and quiet spirit of obedience?