I am privileged to have permission to share this wisdom with my dear readers today. This came in an email from my daughter-in-love, Emily Bonnette Hendershot, sharing what God gave her heart through her daughter and my granddaughter, Lilly.

Lilly, age 3, lives and breathes the sweet air of Christ. She loves Him with the pure heart of a child and comes up with the most profound statements sometimes. Without knowing it at all, she is teaching us about the love and care of our Heavenly Father. Enjoy and learn from the heart of a child and her listening momma.

 

“Lilly has been scared of storm clouds and thunder the last several months.

 

If there is a single cloud in the sky, she warns Mark and I that it could rain, and it could get windy, and it could get loud.

 

She is cautious. She tells Mark and I that we need to be careful going out in the storm. She also reminds me that my hair might get messed up in the wind and that I should probably fix it if it does. If you know me a bit, taking time with my hair and outward beauty stuff isn’t much in me, and I’m seeing as she gets older that she is going to keep all that in line 😉

 

She’s in tune with the sound of thunder and the thought that the thunder may result in something unknown. 

 

She clinches on tight, gripping for peace. For comfort. My voice doesn’t always assure her, like it used to just last year. Words that assure God sends the rain and wind to wash up, take a bath, and help the flowers grow. She now knows I do not control the rain or the storm or how bright and loud the lightning and thunder may be. She also asks why we water the flowers in the pots if God sends the rain for that. But, why mom? You can feel her beating heart and sense her anxious worry.

 

I feel that way, too, sometimes. Just with the clouds and the storms in life that we all face. The results of what may be coming, the unknown. The questions. I tend to wear my emotions and show them in my body. As if that will bring some sort of comfort/peace… my muscles feel it, forming knots and unwanted tension. I know my husband and my little ones sense that in me, too. I’m praying on this. 

 

Vacation bible school finished up about a two months ago now. We discovered through camping with “moose on the loose” that God’s forgiveness is forever! It was just a beautiful week, all around.  Ones full of some loud thunder booms too.

 

On the saturday after VBS, Lilly helped me clean up and put the Sunday school room back in order after we had gone camping all week. Storm clouds were rolling in, and just the mom in me was expecting her to cling on tight and grip for peace.

 

But, she didn’t. All the back and forth from the church to the van, and back again. She never clinched on.

 

She actually ran out to the edge of the parking, where the grass meets a beautiful rolling field. She danced her goofy, “hey, mom, watch this” interpretive type dance moves. I was really, really surprised because the clouds were pretty heavy. 

 

And then she said, “hey mom, God forgives the storm clouds because He always sends a rainbow later”.

 

Wow. That stopped me. She danced on. Fearless of the clouds.

 

I don’t know if any of you saw it, but a small tv station in Georgia shared a video a few weeks ago of some horses grazing in a field. Nothing unusual about that, but then in the background, a large funnel cloud formed and the horses kept grazing. They were not clinching, running, or consumed by fear. They were simply nourishing their body of the harvest in front of them.They were comfortable in the uncomfortable. One of my friends shared it and responded that she hopes to be like those horses in the storms of life, unwavering and assured of God’s eternal covenant. 

 

A covenant is a seal. When man makes an oath or agreement with another man, it’s wise to seal it. This makes the agreement more sincere. It also makes the promises with in the agreement more sure. That’s vital in any relationship. 

 

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath” Hebrews 6:17

 

What is better than a clear relationship? I can’t really think of anything. 

 

A clear relationship stands firm and is confirmed, meaning it doesn’t change. It doesn’t change because it’s end matter is made known. It’s destination is made known. It provides hope and doesn’t instill fear. It’s forgiving and blameless.

 

 

What is the result of your unknowns? Do you have a clear relationship with your eternity? In the unknown of here and now on earth, where is your destination and hope? Do you believe in the promise of His covenant, the one He promised by the appearing of a rainbow and then sealed by the shed blood of Christ? 

 

He assures you. He knows, he chooses you, he purposed you, and wants you for eternity with Him in heaven, just as you are right now. 

 

 

Ephesians 1: 1-14

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love  he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment-to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession to the praise of his glory.”

From Vickie: Let me just assure you, God’s promises never fail. He chose you before He made this world and placed your soul into the “glove” you inhabit while you are here in this place in time. He knows all about you and loves you unconditionally. I know, amazing isn’t it? Let’s dance in the fields with the storm clouds of life trying to threaten our parade. Let’s sing in the rain and stand firm in our battles because we know that His covenant is sure and our destinations settled. If you enjoyed Emily’s post, please comment and I will share them with her.