“Lord the Light or Your Love is shining,
In the midst of the darkness shining,
Jesus light of the world shine upon us,
Set us free by the truth You now bring us,
Shine on me. Shine on me….”
She danced without inhibitions. Eyes closed and arms out wide, she floated around the room where, every Sunday morning before Sunday School, the kids sing worship songs together. This three year-old danced freely to Shine Jesus Shine.
Maybe it wasn’t such a strange sight to behold on Sunday morning in a place where children were singing and music was being played to the Lord.
Yet maybe it was.
The little girl was not just any little girl. She was a little girl who wouldn’t have been there except by God’s intervention in her life through His people. She is not the daughter of anyone in our church. She would have no reason to be there, naturally. I think it’s pretty safe to say that, since she is so young, she wouldn’t have been attending church that Sunday morning if it weren’t for the help of her foster family. That family is of no blood relation, yet they have taken her in as a part of their family. This work is not easy, yet they love her well. Through this relationship she has come to know what it means to be a part of a household of God and the household of God.
I’m not sure if, a year ago, when she first came, that she would’ve danced around a room like that. I wondered what was going on in her heart. Was she sensing the joy of the Lord? The joy of community? I didn’t ask. I just enjoyed watching this little girl, who once often looked sad, now enjoy worship.
This lead me to think upon my own sense of joy in the Lord.
Lately, I must admit, I have felt a bit lacking. My usual routines were disrupted for a number of weeks after a computer blow-up. All of my devotional and writing stuff…gone. I had to reorganize and do things differently. When I got the computer back, I had to reorganize again. I haven’t been writing or reading to the extent that I normally do.
On a positive note, I realized that all I really need is the bible, paper and a pen.
On a negative note, I allowed all of the disruption and reorganization to steal some of my joy.
Do I daily recognize where I once was and the privilege of being in God’s household and all of the other glorious truths of being in Christ?
A few weeks of allowing myself to be defined by a lack of organization instead of who I am in Christ can feel like a year.
So I begin to begin again.
Surely, unless by the Lord’s mercy and intervention in my life, I wouldn’t know Him.
Yet I do.
A recent study of Ephesians 2, reminds me that, before I was brought into the community of believers, my life was defined by this:
I was…
Dead in my sins.
Following the course of this world and Satan.
A child of wrath.
Separated from Christ.
Alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise.
Without hope and without God in the world.
But God…
Being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
But now…
We have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Jesus Himself is our peace.
Through Christ, we have access in one Spirit to the Father.
We are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
In Him we are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
(Ephesians 2)
He is a God who gives life to those who have no life and mercy to those who do not deserve mercy.
He has given us a place in His Kingdom as fellow citizens, He has given us a place in His household…a seat at His table, and He has made us HIS home…His temple.
There is so much to dance about here, isn’t there?
By God’s mercy and intervention, are you rejoicing today in being a citizen with the saints, part of the household of God, growing into a holy temple in the Lord?
“Lord I come to Your awesome presence,
From the shadows into Your radiance,
By the blood I may enter Your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness,
Shine on me. Shine on me…”
This painting, Dancer, by Steve Henderson was taken from SteveHendersonFineArt.com. The painting at the top, Child Dancing, is by Anne Danahy. Lyrics to Shine Jesus Shine by Cliff Richard.
Linking up this week with:
It is easy to let things get in the way and take us to a different place in how much joy we experience. The story of the little girl was stirring and such a wonderful example of how we should be in spite of our circumstances. Thank you for this reminder. Stopping by from Heart filled linkup. Many blessing this weekend!
It is easy to let things get in the way…but also easy (so easy it’s hard!) to turn to the Lord and receive His joy and mercy. We can start fresh right now! Blessings and thanks for stopping by…
Beautiful post & paintings. So glad to have stopped here from The Friday Five. Have a wonderful joy-filled weekend, Amy!
Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet thoughts, Joanne!
Amy, I like the photos you picked to complement your writing. They pair together so well. Like you I’ve managed to let some things come in and steal away my joy and I appreciate this lovely reminder that there is still much to be joyous about.
Thanks for sharing your own struggle. This is my thought today after writing this…that I don’t even have to depend on my own joy staying strong. All that is Christ’s is mine…even His joy. Joy in Christ is always available…have a joy-filled weekend!
So thankful for all the times that “But God” has come into my life. Appreciate your transparency in your own time of difficulty, friend. Great encouragement to me to keep looking for the ways that God is working and to keep dancing to the sound of praise!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on how this encouraged you. I too want to see the ways God is working and praise Him. The list is endless but we must be looking…:)
Beautiful images and words. Thank you for linking up with The Weekend Brew. Praying you have a blessed week.
Thank you Barbie…and thanks for that linkup! It’s a beautiful Monday as I go through my comment box. A fresh slate. What will God impress upon our hearts this week? A prayer that you have a sense of anticipation, awareness and blessing in regards to this…
Oh I know this hit close to home. I let things get in the way of keeping my focus on God. Thanks so much for reminding me of this.
Thanks for visiting, Tammy! If only we could keep this at the top of our minds and hearts–an awareness and desire to not let anything take our focus off of the Lord!
Yes, dancing must be Father’s buzz word this week as I ended my post with a dance as well….the music is always playing…may we ignore our circumstances and take to the dance floor.
Oh I like that–take the dance floor! I’m inspired by those words!
Ah, computer troubles – yuck. I love the picture at the top. Thanks for linking with Unforced Rhythms, may you find joy in every dance.
Thanks for visiting, Kelly! As much as I dislike the computer problems, it did teach me some things! I wish I didn’t have to endure challenges in order to learn…
I really love to dance in the presence of God.
When everything is gone…yes, we have a paper and a.pen and God will give us new words to to write.
God bless you more sister:)
Yes…I think so much of writing is actually showing up–with your paper and pen and bible! Blessings to you too!
So sorry about your computer troubles, Amy. 🙁 I know that can steal my joy in a major way too, unfortunately. I’m glad you’re beginning again though.
Love the story of the little girl dancing with joy, despite all the reasons she might have NOT to. I want to be like that because I have much to dance about.
Thank you…I love having my computer back but I’m glad, in hindsight, that I learned some things through the loss! Yes we have much to dance about…keep dancing, Lisa! Thanks for visiting!
What a great reminder to dance in God’s presence. To just enjoy it…enjoy Him. I’ve been feeling lacking too, like I’m in a rut. I love that you pointed out that all you needed was the Bible, paper, and a pen. It reminded me that all I need is to spend time with God when I feel lacking or in a rut. His Word uplifts our souls and spirits. Blessings from Winsome Wednesday!
Blessings to you as you continue to turn toward Him and His Word…
I could really relate to this post as my sister-in-law has fostered a girl and has given her a really different life than she would have had. Then also we have a very young girl who comes to our church with her grandparents and although very shy to start with is now dancing and singing in the aisle even though she is in a body cast for her curved spine. Great blessings are witnessed in these types of things.
Yes…I’m so thankful for the people around me who bless me as they follow the Lord’s leading in ministry. Thanks for visiting here!
Absolutely lovely. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and gifts here with us. The art is stunning and your heart equally so. Bless you as you dance and seek…
Thank you….may you be blessed as you dance and seek as well!
Amy, this is such a lovely reminder of how easily we can lose our joy in the Lord. The little girl’s story is so uplifting and inspiring! Your thoughts and illustrations are a great match too. Thank you. 🙂
Thanks for visiting here…it’s nice to know others can relate! Enjoyed visiting your blog too!
You are so right. It’s so encouraging and necessary to remember what God has brought us out of, and what He has done. It’s like building a memorial to Him. I want to honor Him always and build lots of memorials. He’s so deserving of them!
Beautiful words! I found your post over on Missional Women.
I like the thought of building memorials. Perhaps that is what we do when we blog…so we’re already doing it in a way! Blessings as you build…
I like the thought of building memorials. Perhaps that is what we do when we blog…so we’re already doing it in a way! Blessings as you build…
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