Feeling His Presence

I can't really explain how I have felt recently, other than to say I feel the Lord is in it. How it is that during one of life's storms you can feel the very essence of who He is. More so probably than when your on the mountain.


You see, just a couple of days ago I "happened" across Angie Smith' blog, Bring The Rain. (Which if you haven't read you need to....from the beginning.) I was overcome with her honesty, openness, strength, weakness, courage, and fear. Her display of compassion for others amidst her own pain was humbling. She conveys not only the deep love for her children, husband and family, but first and foremost her Savior and His will in her life.


I'm not exaggerating when I say I spent most of the weekend reading her story. I was so touched by her words and felt the very presence of God among them. It reminded me that He has not forsaken me even though it may seem that way at times.


We have several acres here that we keep mowed. I enjoy this time on the tractor for a couple of different reasons. I always have my iPod that I listen to so it is a stress reliever for me. The other is it is an opportunity of alone time that I can talk to the Lord. Either way I always get a blessing.


The other day as I was mowing I was thinking of Angie and contemplating the situation at hand. I was listening to Leann Rimes version of "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow". I had probably repeated this song about 20 times already and was reminding myself that I DO know who holds tomorrow and that I need to trust Him. Which, if you are a Christian, isn't always an easy thing to do, as we want to be sure he hears our two cents worth. But as before I come to the point that I know there is absolutely nothing I can do. Except trust in Him completely. That I have no control over this or that, but He does. And knowing that if I trust Him it will all be for the good.


So as I am mowing I look over to this section where I can't really get to and is mostly weeds. When I realize that right there in the midst of the weeds is this:

Now it appears to me that this may also be a weed, but does this bloom not have a beautiful shade of purple? And that while the stem may be a weed there is beauty at the end of it.

My situation may feel like a bunch of weeds has penetrated my life, but at the end it will flourish into a beautiful bloom. Like a rose on the stem of thorns.

I may have cried many a tear on the tractor seat that day, but I came home feeling the Lord had just enveloped His arms around me.