Shelleen Weaver -

I'm a wife, mother, friend, and daughter,
Author, speaker, singer, songwriter,
Girdle bur & beauty hunter.
There's a rock on which I stand.

I am convinced it's so much better
To trek this journey all together.
Laughing; learning with each other
With the strength of many hands.

I have learned encouragement
Can hold such great significance.
Sometimes it is the very breath
That saves collapsing lungs.

I love the Word of God and how
It speaks to us right here and now,
Unmatched in artistry and power.
It's how battles are won.

And that is why I blog this blog-
To share a smile, a poem, a thought.
Stick around. I'll sing a song
That might have been forgot.

We'll run our hands o'er tapestry
And marvel how the Word can weave
Beauty so remarkably
In the shadow of the cross.

I Want to Break Things Too! A Look at Easter through the life of “The Woman of Ill Repute”.

April 10, 2020 By Shelleen Leave a Comment

Featuring “The Last Say” -Original music by Shelleen Weaver

Mary Magdalene is, hands down, my favorite female character in all of Scripture. When I get to Heaven, I’m going to spend the first thousand years captivated in the eyes of my Jesus. Then of course there will be the reunion of all my friends and loved ones who have gone on before. But then…then, I’m going to stalk Mary Magdalene. That’s right. She doesn’t know it yet, but we are going to be BFF’s. Here’s why.

She adored Him. [Jesus]

Most of us have been taught that she was a harlot. And perhaps that is so. And although that is a likely assumption, the Bible doesn’t specifically say that. It does tell us that she had a bad reputation before Jesus came along and drove 7 demons out of her. Specifically, she is referred to as a woman of “ill repute”. No matter what her rap sheet consisted of, (I mean…7 demons…7), she was one despised, hot mess before her life radically collided with Jesus. And from that moment on, every fiber of her soul was sold out to him.

In Luke’s gospel account, we learn that women travelled with Jesus and his disciples, tending to their needs. Someone was doing the laundry and making the meals when Jesus wasn’t feeding the multitudes himself. These women often bought the groceries too when he wasn’t pulling coins out of guppies. And Mary of Magdala was among them.

Luke’s Account…

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. ~Luke 8 1:4 (NIV)

But what made her world-famous was her unapologetic display of affection 6 days before, unbeknownst to her (or was it), her very soul was shattered into a million pieces. It looked like this:

A Pharisee invited Jesus and his disciples to dinner at his home along with some other big players in the upper echelon of society. This was no backyard picnic. It was a much stuffier group than that. In fact, the host was too preoccupied sizing Jesus up (with all his intellectual worldly wisdom) than to offer his guest of honor the cultural norm of that day – a kiss (the traditional greeting), a basin of water (to wash the dust and dirt from his sandaled feet), and oil for his head (olive oil was used to soften parched skin). No doubt the conversation consisted of Jesus being peppered with loaded questions in typical Pharisaical fashion when…

[Enter Mary Magdalene]

She can’t… She won’t contain her emotion. Completely unfazed by the judgmental piety surrounding her (perhaps her weeping drowned out the harsh words they railed against her), she began to break things.

First, she broke the rules.

brown hammer on focus photography — Photo by Moritz Mentges on Unsplash

Women did NOT touch men in that day. Unthinkable. And not only did she touch him, she drenched his feet with her wellspring of tears. This wasn’t a scene out of Rapunzel where a single crystal teardrop falls from the eye of the princess. No, this was an ugly cry. Her face was contorted. Her nose was running. You get the picture. And then she started kissing his feet. (That really is love folks. Feet are well, feet.) Then she dried them with her hair. (Um…that should be veiled.) This unbridled, and in their staunch opinions, unacceptable display of affection prompted immediate criticism of both she and Jesus.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” ~Luke 7:39 (NIV)

Then she broke a bottle.

broken green glass bottle on the ground — Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet… ~John 12:3:a (NIV)

This of course, lead to an eruption of protests- notably from Judas Iscariot, because he was certainly above reproach:

“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ~John 12:5 (NIV)

And here it comes…

Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” ~Matthew 27:10-13 (NIV)

The part of this passage that completely wreck’s me is when Jesus says, “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” I want to touch the heart of Jesus that way, and somehow live my life so that the second thing I hear upon my arrival to Heaven after the Father’s “Well Done, my good and faithful servant…” is Jesus leaning over, nodding his head and saying, “She has done a beautiful thing {for} me.” (Mic drop.)

She also broke records.

white and brown wooden table — Photo by Taylor Wilcox on Unsplash

Did you catch what Jesus said about wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, that what she did would be told in memory of her? Did you notice that I’m not referencing this story from just one of the 4 gospels? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all recorded this story in their accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus. And here we are talking about her today. For all their pomp and circumstance, loud prayers, large phylactery boxes tied to their foreheads, and tassels on their robes, I’ve never heard anything flattering said about the Pharisees. But Mary Magdalene’s legacy lives on. This is bigger than being in the Guinness Book of World Records. She is honored by the Messiah himself in the best-selling book of all times. But there’s more.

Fast-forward to just over a week later. Jesus had been mocked, exposed (as in publically striped of his clothing), torchered until unrecognizable then murdered in the most agonizing way conceivable. And Mary Magdalene, unlike the 11 remaining disciples, had stayed put. She didn’t run away. To whom would she run? This was her Lord. She watched in horror as he drew his last breath with which he cried out a declaration of his work being complete. Then she watched him die.

She. Was. Devastated.

pink petal flower on floor — Photo by Natalie Breeze on Unsplash

The next day being Passover, forced her to stay away, but Mary was up before the dawn of what would become the most glorious day in history. She went to the tomb where he had been laid, only to find further devastation. His body was not there. (They killed him. Couldn’t they just leave his body alone?) She ran to tell the disciples:

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Imagine this scene…

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her. ~John 20:1-18 (NIV)

But wait…

Do you realize the magnitude of compassion she moved Jesus to here? Jesus was literally on his way from the grave to see his (and our) Father. The greatest pain he felt on that cross was the separation from him. When the sin of the world was placed on his shoulders, the Father had to turn and look away.

And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). ~Mark 15:34 (NIV)

To say that he couldn’t wait to be reunited with the Fathers a massive understatement. Imagine his anticipation. But wait…someone was crying. It was Mary Magdalene.

She had broken something again…his heart.

heart shaped pink sparklers photography — Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

Moved with compassion on this woman who loved him so deeply, he literally made a pit-stop between the grave and Heaven where he would see his Father and receive his glorified body. He knew he’d be back for some final instructions to the disciples and appearances before a few large crowds before he would return until the appointed time and send the Holy Spirit. But her love for him moved him so deeply, he couldn’t wait another moment. He had to put her sorrow to an end.

But she wasn’t done breaking things. Not quite yet. Did you see it in the last passage I referenced? “Go instead to my brothers and tell them…” Right there it is. I propose that little Mary – the woman of “ill repute” whose broken life collided with the lover of her soul was the first missionary, commissioned to spread the Good News by non other that Jesus the Messiah himself! Man was she good at breaking things.

This time, she broke the mold. -Yep, we are going to hang out.

two woman standing during daytime — Photo by S.Ratanak on Unsplash

So this Easter, as you process the grief you likely feel about not being surrounded by loved ones (to celebrate or those who have passed on), as well as the uncertainty we face in this current world-wide pandemonium, think of Mary Magdalene and how she must have felt celebrating Passover 2020 years ago. And realize that although she thought her world had ended, a new day was dawning.

Look up my friends. It has dawned, and we live on the other side of the cross. We belong to and are adored by the God of the Universe. Remind your heart and someone else’s today that he Is Risen just like he said.

Original Music

Enjoy the song below entitled, The Last Say where we will hear from (what I imagine to be) Mary Magdalene’s perspective of those three devastating and glorious days that bought back the debt we couldn’t pay so that one sweet day, we can fall to our knees before our Savior and cry out, “Rabboni”!

And how about you? Whose life grabs at your heart, inspires, convicts, or encourages you the most in Scripture? I’d love to hear who and why? And if this post inspires you, would you consider sharing it with your friends? If you are new to my blog, and would like to hear more, you can sign up to follow it on my website. Happy Easter to each one of you. He is Risen!

The Last Say

Haste to bring Him Laud! – (featuring “For Life” – original music by Shelleen)

October 14, 2019 By Shelleen 6 Comments

My best friend and her husband are heroes – for real. They are foster parents, which in my opinion, is one of the hardest, selfless, and at times most gut-wrenching callings. The emotional roller coaster you avail your heart to when you open it to these little ones brings moments of celebration marbled with circumstances that can leave you completely undone.

One of their recent placements was an 11 year old girl. For valid reasons I’m sure, she was leery of them for several weeks. Despite all of their concerted efforts to communicate to her that she was wanted and safe, she remained distant – her guard staunchly in place.

But then one day there was a visit with some of my friend’s nieces.
While they played, the little girls raved about how lucky this foster daughter was for getting to stay with their Aunt and Uncle, and talked about how much they love it when they get to come for visits and sleepovers. Unwittingly, these little girls were able to communicate to this child what all the loving efforts of my friend and her husband couldn’t: These people are good, kind, and even fun. She can trust them. They love her, and she is wanted.

Here is what struck me. Even though she was experiencing their love and care firsthand, it took someone like her – other little girls- to convince her that these wonderful people really are wonderful.

And we are no different.

Every day, we live in a world full of the blessings and goodness of our faithful God. And every day, He is present, trying to show us that He is good, kind, even fun. We can trust Him. He loves us and wants a personal relationship with us. Yet, so often we have a warped opinion of His goodness, often based on pain caused by others or even resulting from our own poor choices.

Here is where you and I come in. Just like those little nieces, we get to engage with those who are lost and hurting, and tell them what a good and loving Heavenly Father we have. Because just like that little foster girl, they need to hear it from someone they relate to; whose opinion they trust.

What a privilege.

Not everyone is called to be a foster parent – whew! I do know the task of taking in a child with special needs who is not my own. It’s not for the faint of heart. However, we are all tasked with the privilege of demonstrating the heart of God to those in our sphere of influence.

Photo by Shelleen – which is why it’s sideways…ugh!

I’m excited to tell you about a creative way I believe God has given me to do just that. I am right now elbow deep in the process of launching my own publishing company – Haste Laud Press. Remember the old Christmas hymn “What Child is This”? Many of us have sung it dozens of times, I’m sure. But did you ever wonder what it means when we sing, “Haste! Haste to bring Him laud”? Laud is an old word which means to praise, honor, extol, and give glory. Many of you know me as a singer/songwriter, speaker, and blogger, but next year I will be launching the first of nine stories in my new book series. Fruit Fables is a collection of Children’s stories that uses the adventures of talking animals to unpack God’s character found in Galatians 5:22-23, known as the Fruit of the Spirit. By observing fun and relatable animals learn to apply these attributes to their lives, children will be introduced to the heart of the Father while seeing tangibly how to apply them to their own.

Would you pray for me? These are uncharted waters. There is much that goes into launching and successfully marketing books. I want to avoid errors and costly mistakes, but more than that, I want this project to succeed. What will success look like? Little ones learning that God is good, kind, and even fun. They can trust Him. He loves them, and He wants a personal relationship with them.

Perhaps you are thinking, Well, that’s great Shelleen, You go ahead and haste to bring Him laud, but I don’t sing and write stories. I’m not that creative. Really? Creativity’s facial expressions are endless. But can I just say that regardless of how you rate your creativity, each one of us has a story to tell? The road you have traveled to find and know God’s heart and all the goodness that pours from it is uniquely your own.

And only you can give a first hand account of it.

What if every believer began to do just that? What if we shifted our focus from the present hurdles we are facing and took a look in the rear-view mirror at God’s goodness and faithfulness throughout our lives? I think a couple things would happen:

We would encourage ourselves and grow our faith concerning any present struggles.
We would testify more freely to others of God’s faithfulness concerning their own.

And those that don’t know Him – they just might begin to open their hearts to the reality that He is good, kind, and even fun. They can put their trust in Him. He loves them and wants a personal relationship with them.

What a joy it is to belong to Him. Let’s be ready for the opportunities placed before us every day to share our stories and represent His heart well to those who need “someone like them” to tell them – or show them by demonstrating His character or the Fruit of His Spirit growing in our own lives that He is good. He is so very good.

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Click below to hear an original song entitled, For Life. And if you know someone who might be encouraged by this or other posts, please share. Also, I sure do love feedback. I seem to get more messages through emails and facebook than posts in the comment section below. But feel free to start a conversation. I’d love to be encouraged by your story too.

One more thing: If this is your first visit to my site, welcome! To follow my posts and publishing progress, enter your email on my homepage at www.shelleenweaver.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBEsCM17qA4

“Overwhelm Me” – Featuring Original Music by Shelleen

September 3, 2018 By Shelleen 2 Comments

Silence doesn’t come naturally to me. I love to talk, I love to laugh, and I love to sing. And if I’m in a confined space where it might be annoying to do so, I usually can’t help but hum. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the quiet. I prefer silence over white or background noise. I have relented to my husband’s need to sleep with a fan on, but oh, how I miss falling asleep to a peeper and cricket chorus drifting through the open window on the breath of the cool night air.

What I’m saying is that although I love and prefer to listen and engage with the gentle sounds of nature as opposed to manufactured noise, I myself am not naturally quiet.

Some of you have asked (and thank you – makes a blogger feel good) why the silence of late on this blog.

If you read my post in March or listened to my corresponding song, “Baby Steps”, you may remember me talking about a little one taking her first steps. Spurred by his encouragement, she successfully stumbles into her daddy’s safe arms followed by the exhilaration of temporary flight as he tosses her in the air, before catching her and holding her close to his heart – all the while telling her how proud he is of his big girl. And that’s all it takes. What had moments before required much coxing and was answered with hesitant faith, now is met with clamorous giggles for “More!”

I couldn’t have given a better word picture of what I was experiencing in my walk with God, and so the story continues…

I can assure you that “More! More!” is one prayer that will not seemingly fall of deaf ears. The Father loves that heart cry. He waits for it. He longs for it. He gave His Son over 2,000 years ago in anticipation of it. Be assured that if you are reaching for Him, you will not be left wanting.

I grew up in the church and have loved Jesus for as long as I can remember. Yet unbeknownst to me, I would now say that I was a contented crawler. The problem with crawling is that treasures lay just beyond reach – namely, greater intimacy with God. The realization that there are greater depths to what I love was enough to coax me past my hesitation, and onto my feet to take some wobbly steps toward the Father. Then just like that baby, find myself whisked into the arms of deeper love than I had yet understood and left me clamoring for “More”!

That’s why the silence. When God begins to reveal Himself to you in new and deeper ways, I don’t care how verbal you are by nature, like Job, you find yourself standing back in awestruck silence.

Then Job answered the Lord: “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.” ~Job 40:3-5 (NIV)

You know you have made a good meal for your family when the table talk ceases and everyone is focused on devouring their food. It’s hard to talk when your mouth is full of deliciosity. (I know that’s not a word, but it should be.) And that’s me of late. In response to that cry for “More!”, God has set a table before me in the presence of my enemies and my cup is running over. My mouth is so full of His goodness that I have been rendered speechless.

Do you realize that your heart can gather at a much faster rate than your mind can process? The eyes of your heart are far keener than your “mind’s eye”. I am not for a minute saying not to use your head. I love to hear teaching from apologists such as Ravi Zacharias or learn from the brilliant minds of the likes of Ken Ham. Not for one second should you turn off your brain when it comes to your faith. What I am saying is that sometimes it takes my brain time to catch up with the understanding my heart has gleaned from experience. It may only take a half hour to eat that amazing meal, but your digestive system needs all night to process what it received.

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— ~Proverbs 2:1-2 (NIV)

And that’s where I find myself right now. For lack of a more flattering analogy, it reminds me of a cow having to chew its cud between devouring more of the sweet clover growing in the pasture. I’m feeling so full of His goodness as He has been generous with His insights and His Person, yet I am not content to live on yesterday’s manna. In between processing what I’ve just come to understand, I’m taking in more. I have literally been overwhelmed of late and that is why the silence.

Perhaps you relate to what I’m writing. I hope so. But perhaps not. Maybe you are struggling with knowing you should be spending time in God’s Word and in His Presence, but just don’t feel motivated. Can I give you a little tip? In the natural, we get hungry by not eating. But our spirit is just the opposite. Our spirits get hungry by eating. The more time you spend with God, the more of His time you want. Revelation from His Word, begets a greater desire for more revelation. The greater depths of intimacy you experience with the Lover of your soul, the more you awaken to the understanding that there is more to be had, and the more ravenous you become for another encounter with Him.

I don’t care if you are what I like to call “Pre-Christian”, an infant in your walk with God, a crawler, a walker, a runner, or even if you have learned to fly – there are treasures that lie just beyond your reach. You need only cry out for “More” to grasp them. And not only do I know that to be true in this life, but I believe with all my heart that the same will be true of eternity. God is too awesome for us to ever arrive at a place where we completely understand the magnitude of His majesty and love.

I have an idea that when this loquacious woman someday reaches Heaven, she will be rendered speechless for at least the first few millennium. When I finally can speak, I’m pretty sure all I will be able to do, is like the angels that encompass His throne, fall down on my face in worship crying, “Holy”.

Does any of this resonate with you? I do appreciate the private messages and emails, but would enjoy a discussion in the comment section below. You can sign up so you don’t miss a post, and please pass this on to your social media pages if you feel it’s worthy.

In summary, please click below to enjoy my latest song entitled, “Overwhelm Me“.

More! More! (Featuring “Baby Steps” – Original Music by Shelleen Weaver)

March 8, 2018 By Shelleen Leave a Comment

If you have been following my blog, you likely realize that I’m on an odyssey of sorts. The farther I delve into this journey, the more epic I am realizing it is. With every passing year, I am gaining a bit more perspective on the reality that this span of time allotted to each of us in different, unknown quantities is a mere breath of eternity. As this realization grows, the more hyper-focused I am becoming at discovering all that God has deposited in me, His reasons for doing so, and the avenues by which He plans to bring those gifts to maturation.

You know, we all have a tainted view of God. The Apostle Paul tells us that we see through a smudged glass at best. (My paraphrase.) I love how The Message paraphrases it:

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! ~1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG)

It’s interesting to me that different people get hung up on different aspects of who God is. For example, many people don’t want to get too close or put too much emphasis on the Holy Spirit… Uncomfortable. I get that. But I’ve learned to make this my prayer. “God, if it doesn’t offend you, don’t let it offend me. Give me the discernment I need to know what is of man and what is of You.”

Then there is Jesus. I find most Christians are comfortable with Him because, well, He became one of us. He gets us, our emotions, struggles, and pain. He took it all on. He’s safe.

But here is something I never saw in myself until recently, and I wonder how many of you might relate. I have lived my life in fear of God the Father. Why is that? In part at least, I believe it’s this. Our earthly fathers are imperfect, but the only measure by which we define the word [Father]. And sadly, likely without realizing it, we project their inadequacies, mistakes, and flaws onto our Heavenly Father. In my case, (and I believe he is humble enough at this point in his life for me to say this), growing up, my dad, although a believer who loves the Lord, had anger issues from unresolved hurts in his own life. So although I knew he loved me for so many reasons and things he did right, I became an egg-shell-walker and avoided him a lot when he was around. The truth is, if I needed something, I was much more inclined to go to my mom about it, because she felt more safe to me.

And that is just what I have done with God. Here was how I approached the throne: “Um…Jesus, could you talk to the Father for me about this? Or even: “Holy Spirit, the Word of God says that You intercede on my behalf to the Father too, so can you take this need to Him?” And when I did feel bold enough to address Him directly (which Jesus died so we may), I did it on my proverbial tip-toes, watching Him closely in case I was overstepping my bounds.

One of my local radio stations airs a daily broadcast by a man with an unmistakably rich baritone voice named Steve Brown. One of the things Steve often says is, “Friends, God is not mad at you.” Do you know that? As crazy as it sounds, I knew that in my head, but until recently, without even realizing it, I didn’t trust it to be completely true in my heart. See I know all too well the failures that I have racked up. The enemy is really good at reminding me, you know. So with those on the forefront of my mind, I imagine they are on the Father’s as well when I approach Him. It’s as if I think my sins have made me fall from His good graces even though I know I’m forgiven. Perhaps I haven’t earned my way back into enough of His favor to ask so much of Him. (Yuck! There is that “religion” again. How did that sneak in?)

Once I wrapped my head around this new epiphany, I asked God (The Father) to forgive me first of all, then to help me tear down the walls I had erected because I didn’t know how. I asked Him to begin wiping the smudges away that made the glass I see Him through so tainted. And this is one of the things He has been teaching me. Jesus’ words, as recorded by Matthew:

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ~Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

Did you ever think through that? There are so many aspects of a child that apply here, but picture this scenario with me for a moment. A little baby is about to take her first step. She is unsure, teetery, and unstable. Yet, her daddy, whom she trusts and adores is a few feet away with his arms held out, imploring her to come. She stands there for a moment, no doubt tottering between the safety of her current position and the excitement and draw of being close to her daddy. Finally, with enough encouragement, she takes a step toward him, then another, and just as her little legs loose their balance and she is about to plunge head-first onto the floor, he catches her up and to her delight, tosses her into the air before catching her again and holds her close to his heart.

Does he chastise her for the fact that her steps were unstable? Did he wear a frown or scowl at her for not coming right away? Is he angry that she was falling? No way! He is delighted that she came to him! He praises her, and puts her down to try again. Now, with growing confidence, she steps out with less hesitation, motivated by the exhilaration of the coming toss in the air and her daddy’s affirmation and affection.

Do you see where I am headed? This has literally been my experience of late with God the Father. I have discovered that not only is He not scary, but in fact, He delights in me – wobbly, insecure, messy-faced me. And I have also discovered that I love being close to Him. I don’t only experience the grace and love He gives, but am sensing His unmerited favor as well. Grace and favor…that’s another post for another day.

So what about you? Do you project your experiences with others onto the character of God? Perhaps some of you had a dad that left. Fear of abandonment is likely an issue for you. Do you struggle to trust God? Maybe you were abused in some way leaving you with a hostility toward God. Perhaps it wasn’t a dad who let you down, but a priest, a spouse, a teacher, or a relative whom you looked up to…some person in a position of influence or authority in your life whose flaws you subconsciously project onto our loving Creator. May I challenge you to allow Him to speak for Himself? Ask Him to tear down the walls you have erected. Invite Him to wipe some of the smudges away from the looking glass and reveal His heart for you. Seek Him in His Word for the truth of His character. He is gentle. He is kind. God is love – deeper and more fulfilling than any human is capable of being, let alone comprehending. Take a few baby steps toward Him and give Him permission to blow your mind with His affection. Allow yourself to be undone in His presence. Experience a greater depth of a love more pure, real, and glorious than any tongue can tell. You will grow – closer to Him, as well as in your understanding of who you are. You will begin to understand what the giftings are that He planted in you, and why He put them there. And like the little child who taps her fingers together simultaneously signing and singing out “More! More!”, you will find yourself experiencing your own odyssey, reaching new heights as He tosses you up into the air, basking in His love, and marveling at His favor.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to share this post if it blesses you, and click on the picture below to hear one of my latest songs entitled:

Baby Steps

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