Finding Real

seeing so much unfamiliar the familiar ground of fear screams and desires for protection and security the push to reach into the flesh and soul instead of up....

Then I sit and allow the warmth of the sun to settle that which would be shaken.. and I grab a hold of Paul when he spoke; "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves, we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; "

Afflicted but not crushed... perplexed (oh boy that one is right on) but not despairing... Persecuted but not forsaken .. struck down but not destroyed... It may feel like the second action is that which is happening.. crushed.. despair.. forsaken.. destroyed... but those are death.. I have thought about this passage often these days and afflicted is different from crushed.. perplexed is different from despairing.. persecuted but not forsaken.. never forsaken.. never destroyed...

We have hope.. we have hope .. no matter what circumstances or situations we find ourselves we are never the second word because of Christ... The thing that lands upon my heart is we aren't crushed because He was.. He was crushed for our iniquities... he was crushed so while we touch afflicted we never touch crushed because in Him we are sheltered from that...

These days .. this season where the knee jerk reaction might be to zip up that winter jacket because the winds are blowing so hard that I want to pull everything into me I am choosing to allow the heat of the sun's rays to pull that jacket off.. the old story of the sun and the wind and who could have the man take off his jacket.. the wind blew and blew and blew but the man just clutched at his jacket and held it in tight.. while the sun shone brightly and allowed the heat to bear down upon the man and the jacket came off...

These things that Father wants off of me I do not want to cling to... these things that I would clutch at that would scream make yourself safe I do not desire to walk in.... I will allow the heat to bear down and have its affect... I will be transformed by allowing all that I would touch or desire that is not of Him to be melted away....

There is nothing upon this face of the earth that is worth clinging to if He desires it.. who we will be made into by the release is worth more than anything that He could ask for... He being manifested into the realm of humanity.. within us He being formed... by taking our hands off of whatever they are upon and placing them on Him... By leaning and trusting and looking into that gaze and getting lost there... in that place.. that is life... walking it out here is what is asked of us but only as we display Him...

Finding real... finding real within our days.. not hyper spirituality but the truest reality that we can walk.. the passion for creation touching the abundant delight within the spirit.... within that place I breath.. within that place all makes sense... He loves His creation.. He loves the realm of creation... He called it good.... He called us very good.. He delights in the work of His hands...

I am not removing myself from the earth or this world I am stepping more fully into it when I embrace Him and His reality and step into this place and not allow this place to dictate the ways of things... we have been given truest authority.. we get to dictate.. take dominion over... the rules truly are different...

Finding real means that in suffering and in loss we find life.. in losing we find victory... in release we obtain....

My heart faltering along the way can abide in Him and while weak can absorb a strength that sustains and flows with a life force that knows no obstacle... Finding real does mean finding Him.. Embracing real means embracing that which He says and pulling that truth into the depth of who I am... I falter and my heart fails but He will never be moved...