Disappointment and Devotion

So today, things didn't exactly go my way. So of course, I was disappointed--by events, and people, my suddenly unbearably heavy bag, the overabundance of neon label stickers and the utter unavailability of plain white ones just when I needed them, and myself, mostly myself. I wasn't even halfway through the day yet, but I already felt like I deserved to take the time and "splurge" on my favorite food. And I did. Not just one, but three of my favorites. :D

As I ate, trying to enjoy every bite, I thought, "I deserve this: this bite, this feeling in my mouth, this break. This is what I'll do when I'm disappointed. I deserve this."

But then something inside me asked, "What does God do when He's disappointed, especially when He's disappointed with you? What does He deserve?"

And then the phrase, "...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame..." (Heb. 12:2)

You know, I was that joy that was set before Him. People didn't treat Him very well when He was here. But He still calls me His joy. He still calls YOU His joy.

What does He deserve?

Certainly not this selfish, ungrateful, proud, complaining heart. No, certainly not. But you know what, He'll take it anyway. If I learn to give it up, He'll take it and lovingly, mercifully, He can make something beautiful out of it. He can do the same with yours, too.

Colossians 3:2
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Then suddenly, I was fine. Right there, over the unfinished curry, I was fine. There was a Joy set before me as well. I was fine. Thank God. :-)

Word of the Week: Collaborate

For the past seven weeks or so, I have been choosing one word that would best describe my week or what I most want achieved that week. I would write that word down in my journal/planner, at the bottom of my weekly calendar.

I thought this week would be a tough one since there's so much to do I couldn't really focus on one project or goal. But then, my eyes fell on the opposite page of my journal where I'd just finished jotting down the things I'm most grateful for this week. Almost every item on it are people with whom I have been working with on one project or another.

This may seem like something very common to some, but not to me. I have always been inclined towards working alone rather than with a partner or team. It's pretty tough for me to brainstorm with others without either clamming up or monopolizing ideas. I also find it hard to ask for help or share a workspace with others. 

Thankfully, God has been patiently showing me this weakness and helping me overcome it by giving me opportunities to share more with others.

This week has been filled with those. And the opportunities came in so beautiful a manner that I didn't have time to feel awkward about it. 

There are the moms who are sharing their resources/plans/ideas for future Child Education projects. There's the youth who helped me clean out the office. There are the church brethren who give gardening advice and gifts for the kids' sunflower project that I started. There are the youth leaders preparing for our major activity this weekend. There's the Publishing Team and all the production plans for the upcoming camp meeting. And I'd even count in all the Facebook conversations I had this week that included some sort of plans, sharing, and agreements.

So the word for this week is COLLABORATE. It's to realize that truly no man is an island, that there's beauty in synergy, and that God works in the hearts of His people to bring them together in His service, like stones framed together for the upbuilding of His kingdom.

Best of all, "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building." 1Corinthians 3:9

God is working with me on me, building me up to become who He wants me to be. And sometimes He uses other people as instruments for that work. 

Today's Teacher: A Tiny Pink Flower

Written March 13, 2018

Yesterday morning, there were two of these. By afternoon, they were both gone. This morning, this one greeted me with a brighter pink and healthier petals than yesterday's blooms.

The lesson, I believe, is hope and faith in a God who sees what's in tomorrow and in all the tomorrows after it.

Yesterday was a beautiful time to wait---for answers, for inspiration, for the right time, for miracles. I worried, true. But I also learned to wait, and to work while I waited. Because He is faithful who has promised.

And today came answers: in the restoration of something I had almost given up on, in promises, in privileges, in work finished, in new ideas, in gifts, in loving support, in the joy of working with those who are passionate about their work, in hellos, in healing, and not at all the least in the bright pink of a teeny tiny flower that probably only has today, but is bright anyway.

#learningfromcreation #lessonsfromtheCreator

Today's Teacher: Horror Vacui

Horror Vacui. I first learned the term in an Art class in college. It means  "fear of empty spaces," "fear of the empty," or "fear of white spaces."

Today, I came across it again while working on a layout project for our upcoming camp meeting. Thankfully, another sister has already chosen the images and created the general look of the design. My job, she said, was to arrange the elements. I am no artist/graphic designer. I'm just somebody who tries to do the best she can. So over and over again, I found myself changing images, resizing, changing colors and fonts, adding and deleting elements, and stressing all throughout. At the end of all that, I sat in front of the computer, face to face with 40-50% of white space.

This is it.
The boss battle.

I tried putting back some of the images I had already deleted. I tried one background after another. Almost exhausted, I asked myself, Why do I need to fill up this space? What is wrong with this emptiness, this silence?

When God created the earth, He made it with lots of air, lots of breathing room, lots of space, lots of peace and quiet.

That was when my favorite passages from the Bible and Inspiration came to me:

"When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God." -EGW, The Desire of Ages

He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

"There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart and lives a life wholly consecrated to God." -EGW, Maranatha

Be silent. Be still. Do not be afraid of the quiet, of the inactivity, of rest, of what seems to be emptiness. It is room for the Holy Spirit to work in your heart.

Meanwhile, here is the promotional banner for the camp meeting. You are, of course, invited. And do keep us in your prayers. Maranatha!