Oasis Well

At the end of my last post I wrote: Is the gate about to fly open? Several hours later a woman who abides in Christ and is so used by God in the lives of others, called me on the telephone to chat. She had not read my last post…or any of this blog. After we chatted for a few minutes about general stuff she felt led of God to open her Bible and read Isaiah 60 to me. As she read I knew God was using her to be ‘Himself with skin on’ to speak to my internal distress.

Matthew Henry defines this chapter as “The glories of the church of God.” And those of us who are children of God are the church…the church is not a building.

Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” [JFB Commentary 1. Arise--from the dust in which thou hast been sitting as a mourning female captive (Isa 3:26 52:1,2). shine--or, "be enlightened; for thy light cometh"; impart to others the spiritual light now given thee (Isa 60:3).

Isaiah 60:11 “Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.” [JFB Commentary  11. (Re 21:25). The gates are ever open to receive new offerings and converts (Isa 26:2 Ac 14:27 Re 3:8). In time of peace the gates of a city are open: so, under the Prince of peace, there shall be no need of barring gates against invaders.]

When I added the Jamison-Fawcette and Brown commentary notes…….verse 1 made me chuckle “mourning female captive”…yep that seemed to define me in the last post…and for the last few months. And verse 11–I read as my having no need of living with the gates closed to the holding pen confining me from my race in this period of my life.

For the following 24 hours after my friend read this chapter of Scripture to me God used verse 11 as the Balm of Gilead and healed me/delivered me from my frustration and…some fear. Verse 1 and verse 11 revealed my purpose in this life: To live my life so others can see Christ in me and share with others all that God IS, all Scripture, His Gospel and all He has personally done for me and taught me…and to do so “in the power of His resurrection” and continually asking to “be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And I realized…this is a huge responsibility, not to be carried out in one church, one place or an isolated ministry, but 24/7 in every place my feet trod and to every person I meet.

Recently another dear friend shared with me: Our light in this world is not just to be who we are and what we do each day. Our light to others—which we are to share with others–is also to be what God teaches us each day. See the page listed in the right column, “Your Candle”

In January I wrote:

My life seems in a state of ‘limbo.’ Why? Has been a constant question I’ve asked God.  How often I find myself reminding the Lord I know His calling on my life but the how? when? where? has left me…I’m like a horse in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby.  The gate has been shut behind me and the gun has not sounded to open the gate in front of me.  Like a horse in this situation I am internally hopping, banging against the gate in front and the sides of the gate, kicking the back gate or trying to back through it, snorting and complaining to the jockey…with no answers concerning when I can run the race before me.

I’m feeling so much better physically and I am emotionally miserable.  A dear friend of mine is battling cancer for the second time…time is uncertain…today must matter.

I want to write, which I have been doing more of.  I know God has given me a message that encompasses all of our Christian lives:  He is risen.  How?  Where?  Do I start a blog and hope someone reads it?  Do I start a book covering all of my life (wondering if anyone could believe it when read all at once)?  Do I just sit quietly and wait?  I burn inside to teach. God has given me a voice in response to a vow…a voice no person with a tracheostomy should have…a normal voice. God gives us talents and gifts and expects us to find a place to invest them so they can bring return.  I have so often said that a person not using their God-given gifts are miserable and frustrated…..and oh I can personally attest to this fact!

Time is short and I will soon be 61 years old. Do I just sit quietly and shrivel up like a prune?

I believe these feelings have come to the surface and multiplied in intensity because I am at the point in my life where I can do whatever it is that God wants me to do…without Satan constantly using situations and people around me to try to destroy me.  It has been a wonderful change…which has caused more unrest as I painfully endure my seeming state of limbo.

Is the gun is about to go off and the gate fly open?

Stop by this well anytime…I’ll find some ice for your water…and make sure the camels don’t drink from this well…they slobber.

Funny to me today…I started this blog in October of 2008.  I had good intentions when I wrote the introduction/first post.  It is now February 2009 and here I am again…with the second post.

Today I don’t have an answer to my latest desert wanderings, just a lot of thoughts mixed with a lot of prayer.  God has come to me with adequate cups of water to quench my soul but I’m still restless, a little anxious, biting at the bit and feeling like I want to back through the corral fence like my mare used to do when she started biting at the bit. But I know in His time God will sit me down in the shade of a palm tree and nourish me with buckets of cool water from His well.  He will give me answers and G.P.S. (God Plainly Sees) direction for my path of service.   I sit her wondering if it will be a new path or if He will fill the potholes on the old one and send me on my way.

It has been a long four months in an arid desert place in my life.  I haven’t quite reached the Oasis but I know it’s close…I can see the top of the palm trees as I inch closer and closer to the shade and cool water that will welcome me to rest.