Tag Archives: Way

Day 1/31: Way

1 Reply

31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes

“The LORD replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'” Exodus 33:14 (NIV)

Day 1: Way

Just down the road from my house, majestically rising from the ground, are the Seneca Rocks. Rock climbers from all over the world come to ascend their sheer fins. They can often be seen standing on the very top, silhouetted against the backdrop of only the sky. I want to make it clear, I am NOT one of them!

Thankfully, there’s another route to enjoying the view from the heights of the rocks, one designed for non-climbers like me. Many years ago I took that trail with our church youth group and while the path is easily navigated, I found the steep slope and my lack of physical fitness challenging. At the same time that I was huffing and puffing, one of our youth who had physical limitations declared she needed to rest. I knew there was NO WAY I was going to make it without stopping, so I “generously” offered to stay back with her and continue on when she was ready. And that’s what we did together: climb a bit, rest a bit, go a bit further, sit for a few minutes, start again, and then pause until we finally conquered what we didn’t think we could. 

This story is a good reminder for all of us that the same is true in life. We will face many challenges and some will leave us feeling as if there is NO  WAY we can make it to the end. The thing is, we don’t have to push through on our own huffing and puffing under the weight of it all.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.’”
Matthew 11:28-29 (NLT)

We all know that standing in the valley looking up at the mountaintop can feel overwhelming. The weight of our circumstance makes taking another step, let alone a step up, seem impossible. That’s when Jesus generously sits with us, offering rest when we need it the most. While still difficult, the journey becomes doable by uniting with Him, sharing the load of our worries, anxiety, grief, or whatever we face. Together, we climb a bit and rest in Him, make it a bit further and sit with Him, begin again and wait with Him until we conquer what we didn’t think we could. Where to us, there seemed to be NO WAY, He doesn’t just make one, He IS the One!

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’”
John 14:6a (NLT)

#myseaofthought #31days2022 #fiveminutefriday #viewfrommylens

Have Thine Own Way ~ Five Minute Friday

8 Replies

No WAY! Yes WAY! It’s Five Minute Friday already again!!! And, by the WAY, the prompt today is…. WAY! So aWAY we go and if you get carried aWAY you can make your WAY over to
http://www.fiveminutefriday.com to read WAY more!

Have Thine Own Way

“Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) / Pixabay

Many years ago, when my daughter was young, she and her friend were in the kitchen cooking with a recipe they’d found to make play-doh.  I could hear their giggles from the other room and decided to peek in. Rounding the corner, what I saw made me squeal!  There stood one girl holding my best Tupperware bowl over a hot stove element while the other was mixing vigorously.  It was quite a sight because the tallest one was holding the bowl and the tiny one, standing on her tip-toes, was attempting to stir the mixture.  When I was able to finally get my words out, I asked what in the world they were doing?  Dismayed, they couldn’t understand why I’d be upset as they were just following the instructions which read: “stir OVER heat”! “Stir over heat” has since become a standing joke in our family.

There’s just something about play-doh and clay that children love. Adults too! (At least this adult does) I think it’s that you can work and work to make something just the way you want it.  It may take a few tries with a squeeze here to close a gap, or a pinch there to cover a mistake until ultimately you create the masterpiece you’d visualized.

There’s an old hymn that says: “Have Thine own way, Lord! You are the Potter; I am the clay” and the book of Isaiah shares with us, the same message.  God sees the masterpiece each of US can be.  His artistry created  through our good times and bad, the people we come in contact with, the gifts we have, and everything in-between as we journey through life. With a squeeze here or a pinch there, we are skillfully being molded into the Potter’s vision. I have to admit, it’s easier to say “Have Your own way” when things are smooth and coming together.  Not so much, when we’re being stirred over heat and there are mistakes to cover! But, just as play-doh in a child’s hand lovingly becomes a treasured creation; so are we, in the loving hands of our Creator who continues to mold each of us until one day, He will look upon His perfect design and say, “Well done”.