Still Water Reflects
The Book of Matthew tells us that Jesus invites us; “Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
A few years ago I penned a song (There’s a Waiting in My Room) with these words; “I see your face shining as a glory of grace.” As I read these words today from Matthew, “learn the unforced rhythms of grace” I started thinking have I learned “the unforced rhythms of Grace”?
How often have I taken a few days of R&R and walked by a body of water that seems to calm the soul and reflects my face and reminds me God’s Grace is sufficient for all my concerns.
In 2 Corinthians 12:1 “Paul provides an example of how a person should not find his or her identity and confidence in personal achievements because only God’s grace is sufficient. Yet, I leave my resort spot and take my concerns with me to work out.”
What does, “learn the unforced rhythms of grace” mean to you? Do you get excited about coming to the table of Grace and learn more about the unforced rhythms of Grace?
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What a beautiful photo, Sara! We may not be able to physically walk by such a lovely ‘body of water’ such as you write about, but you have provided a means for us to gaze and reflect on this photo … “that seems to calm the soul and reflects my face and reminds me God Grace is sufficient for all my concerns.”
Sara asks us, “What does, “learn the unforced rhythms of grace” mean to you? Do you get excited about coming to the table of Grace and learn more about the unforced rhythms of Grace?”
One thing the word, ‘rhythms’, reminded me of, was a dance. And that dance reminded me of one of Sara’s retreat books, “The Dance of Healing, The “Ultra-Healing Spirit” comes from within”.
From the Introduction and Step 1 of her book: “to the Christ-in -us, we pray the Mystery of your Indwelling Presence will continue to fill us with Your glory. May we learn the Dance of Healing as we surrender to all the new steps you will teach us. We desire to bow and move to Your heart’s delight.”
From Step 6: “I danced and played the flute for you (playing wedding), and you did not dance; we wailed dirges (playing funeral), and you did not mourn. (Matt 11:17 AMP) Dance, then, wherever you may be, I am the Lord of the Dance, said He…I am the DANCE AND I AM THE BLOOM and I still go on. So Bloom and Dance and come to Me and you will find Healing for your Soul! Said He.”
This was from Matt 11:17, interestingly in the same chapter as Sara’s scripture quote: “Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
Matthew 11:28-30 MSG”
I think this is exciting and helps in knowing how to: “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.”
The Word, learn, in our focus sentence, “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace” speaks to me as a practice! To learn a new way calls for practice in my way of thinking. Practice your ABC’s and practice learing you memory versus and practice never ends when we are exciting about learning new things.
Jesus introduced us to the skill of new tools. Maybe stitchery, among other tools to creative new ways to enjoy life in the abundance column. Jesus said,
“No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”“
Mark 2:21-22 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/mrk.2.21-22.MSG
”Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.“
Mark 2:21 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/mrk.2.21.NLT
”Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”“
Luke 5:36-37, 39 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/luk.5.36-39.NLT
Are we content with “the old wine, the old is just fine!”
I guess I would have to ask Jesus, “Why? If You Holy Spirit, our teacher, be willing to teach us why would we not be willing to learn and make by practicing a better way to enjoy “…the unforced rhythms of grace”
Sara, you stated, “To learn a new way calls for practice in my way of thinking. “ I agree. We don’t learn by passive absorption, just like we don’t exercise just by thinking about it.
And Sara’s question: “Are we content with “the old wine, the old is just fine!”
A couple of thoughts I had: practice and learning requires observation; practice and learning requires effort and change; practice and change require work. I think Jesus knew this which is why he said, “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.”
Maybe that is why Step #1 in Sara’s book, Dance of Healing” is “Cultivating the mind”. We must need a mind change in order to learn.
the footnotes for Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) says:” A yolk is a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen. It is attached to a piece of equipment the oxen are to pull. A person may be carrying heavy burdens of sin, excessive demands of religious leaders (23;4; Acts15:10), oppression and persecution, or weariness in the search for God. Jesus frees people from all these burdens. The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes, meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.” Beautiful picture above with still waters. So peaceful!🙏
“A relationship with God changes, meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.”
Tammy’s footnotes often prompt the Holy Spirit that dwells in me to follow some Biblical guidelines for compassion to replace wearisome toil and become more productive with purpose.
Just this moment I was reading news and stressing over wars and the devastating results to families. I have always had a heart for fatherless children being one myself @age 9.
Reading these words, “God changes, meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.” When I allowed these words to change me and remind me did God love me more at age 9 than he loves these precious children today that are fatherless? “God is the same yesterday, today and forever”. (Hebtews 13:8)
I started to recall just where to start and as Debi wrote, “A couple of thoughts I had: practice and learning requires observation; practice and learning requires effort and change; practice and change require work. I think Jesus knew this which is why he said, “Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.”
A start to change and condition my mind to be productivity with purpose.
Psalm 82:3
“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.”
John 14:18
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
Psalm 68:5-6
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.“
Psalm 10:17-18
“O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.“
Sara, I think you gave us a live example and practical application of Tammy’s footnotes…”When I allowed these words to change me” …and “A start to change and condition my mind to be productivity with purpose.”
I think your ‘change and purpose’ and the scriptures you provided is a revelation. I would just like to say thank you for sharing this, and want to join in an amen to these scriptures and prayer for these hurting children.
I agree in prayer also, for these precious little ones. Thanks for sharing the above Scriptures Sara. 🙏