Author name: Tami

Seasons

Leave a Comment / Encouragement, Hope / /

The steam curls up from the top of my cup, floating in the air, then fading from existence. Staring, I look for answers as though I expect words to pop out from the steam and hover in the void of space before my eyes. But it’s not that easy, I’ve discovered. I wish it were. Life progresses through seasons. Answers to the questions we have surrounding our circumstances arise from lessons we learn while in those seasons. The natural world changes predictably from one season to the next, but events in our lives can move us (or hurl us) unpredictably and without asking permission. I call these life events “seasons” because once we’re there, we usually stay awhile, soak everything in, take note of what we’ve learned, and then move forward as a changed person. Or not. The “or not” is up to us. Looking over my life, I can identify distinct seasons. All of us have them; the difference is they aren’t as timely or convenient as Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. We experience joy, sadness, hope, disappointment, fullness, emptiness…life, death. There’s a balance and a natural order to life, but sometimes from our limited, human perspective, we refuse to cooperate. Sometimes we like life, sometimes we don’t. I know I’ve tried to rush life’s seasons, growing weary of the pouring rain or the gale force winds. And then, when you want it, where is that rush of cool air in the blistering heat? Without looking deeper, it might appear that in the heat, the hardware store of life is all out of fans. In truth, heat refines us. In Spring, the mild temperatures thaw frozen areas of our heart and mind. It feels good to be warm. Like buried bulbs, we break through the hard earth, allowing the sun to smile on our accomplishments, our brilliant colors blossoming to the possibilities. Then Summer comes, still ripe with color, but warm becomes hot. I am not an extreme-weather person. I don’t thrive in the hot, dog days of Summer, or in the frozen realms of Winter. I find my happy place in mild, gentle conditions. Sadly, good character isn’t formed under gentle conditions. For instance, fire purifies gold and silver by extracting impure metals from the ore, leaving behind a richly refined product. Furthermore, while still exposed to the intense heat, the metal becomes soft and pliable, ready to be fashioned into a design of the crafter’s choosing. This is akin to the way our Creator works. Now and again, the Lord allows us to go through things we’d rather not be part of; painful things, yes, but they refine us in the process. Other times, we choose our own circumstances, although not very wisely. We sometimes get ahead of ourselves and we run ahead of wisdom. We’ve all done it. Personally, I’ve crowned myself the queen of unwise choices. I have some extreme regrets but living in a place of regret and self-condemnation doesn’t produce anything of value. Conversely, the pain we find ourselves enduring may have nothing to do with us, and everything to do with another person, or people. I know someone who is guilty of love. That’s all. She loved with her whole self, sacrificially, as Christ asks. Her reward was the pain of betrayal by an extremely flawed person, who falsely presented himself as someone possessing the utmost in moral character. He was the fraud, but she still bore the brunt of the fallout. He bailed and she was left to hold herself and her children together. But the truth is, she was never alone. And neither am I; and neither are you. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 34:7&8. “The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who reverence Him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” When I read the word “encamp” a few images come to my mind: hot weather, camping, being entrenched, old military encampments with white tents. And in all these scenes, I imagine the Lord and His host of angels surrounding, supplying and protecting His warriors. I envision the soldiers gathered for evening rest before having to battle another day, a campfire in the middle for cooking, warmth and light. And while it stands to reason the enemy could also be surrounding and looking out on this scene, plotting its next attack, I believe to the depths of my being that those plans are in vain, because whatever surrounds God’s people, God surrounds it! No matter what season of life you find yourself in right now, no matter if it’s one that is natural, expected and predictable…or if it’s one that hit out of nowhere, like snowmageddon, a 500 year flood, or the drought of the century, it is a season in which you are not abandoned, you are never alone, and you will learn and grow. Not only that, but I predict you will thrive. Press into Jesus. Let Him love you. Let Him teach you. Let Him refine you. And always, always remember that “The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who reverence Him, and He delivers them.” Psalm 34:7

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Lost and Found

Leave a Comment / Hope / /

The day is at its end. The children sleep, and I’m curled up in the dark with the dying embers of a crackling fire as my only light. An old, familiar ache wells up in my chest and I find it hard to breathe. Where did time go? Wasn’t it “just the other day” I held hope and promise in my hands? I guess not, because many decades have passed. Time seems, at once, to race and stand still and I don’t know which is better. I look in the mirror. Where did the young girl go? She must have gone the way of time, disappearing into history when no one was watching. But she’s safe there, forever young, before the claws of the world mauled her beauty. Like a snapshot in time, she’s preserved. I wish I could find her, bring her back and teach her about wisdom. I wish I could turn back the hands of time and, with what I know now, relive crucial moments that forever altered life. I can’t. No one can. Yet, there is hope. There is a God in Heaven who specializes in second chances. He’s at His best when I am at my worst. He rises to the occasion when I fall at His feet. When I get to the end of myself, I reach the beginning of God. The middle of His will is the safest place I can be, because He makes a way where there is no way. The Lord says in Isaiah 43:19, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” I do see it. Sometimes there’s only enough light to illumine the path a step or two ahead, but I can see the direction it’s leading. Indeed, it leads through the desert, but what a miracle where once there was no road at all. God loves, He forgives, and He makes a way. It’s painful living with the consequences of our choices, some of which we made at such a tender age we couldn’t possibly comprehend the long-term effects. The world we live in eats it’s young, but God redeems that which is lost. Joel 2:25 says, “I will repay you the years the locusts have eaten,” and the 103rd Psalm declares, “Praise the Lord…who redeems your life from the pit…who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Life hurts. It comes at us with everything it has and we falter at its force, but God reaches down, lifts us up and whispers, “Things are not always as they seem; the final say is Mine.”

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Many Waters…Deep Reflections ~ Tami’s Story

1 Comment / Bio / /

“He drew me out of many waters. 17-He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. 18-They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord, 19-He brought me out into a broad a place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. 20-The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands, He has recompensed me.” Psalm 18:16b-20. “God will see to it that you are paid and fully reimbursed for expenses to do His will; He will make a settlement that takes care of all injuries or losses you may have incurred; He will make sure that you get reparations to cover all that has been damaged or destroyed due to the attacks of the enemy or because of the adversarial situations you have faced.” Author Unknown Hello friend, my name is Tami. I want to say a few words about myself so that as we journey together you will have a sense of who I am, the road I’ve walked and the experiences I’ve had while traveling. Like you, I’ve worn a few different hats in this thing called life. I am a mother, daughter, sister and friend. I’m a nurse…and I am a writer. I was a wife for 18 years, then single the last 14. As you and I begin walking this road, I promise genuineness and integrity. Sometimes I’ll be eloquent, or poetic and hopefully have words of wisdom. But, more often, I anticipate being right in the middle of the mess with you, struggling with old wounds, current fears, and unresolved heartache. My healing is going to be in step with yours. About ten years ago, a friend told me, “Your healing will come through writing.” Today I take, not the first step, but certainly the boldest step forward so far. I pray the words I write and share with you here, will bless you, cause you to think, inspire you to believe, and strengthen you for the battles you face. As I sit here in this moment, writing these words, I am remembering the lyrics of a song: “God blessed the broken road, that led me straight to you.” In our time together, I’ll tell you about my broken road. But I’ll also share with you the many ways Jesus has restored to me what the Enemy had stolen. I’ll show you the stained-glass mosaic He is piecing together from the shards and shattered ruins of my life, as only He can. The thing about glass, especially stained glass, is that it’s reflective. The sunlight beams through the brokenness and an array of color is cast out from there; perhaps to an opposing wall, or maybe the floor. But realize this: those colorful prisms not only reflect off tangible surfaces, but also the air, the open spaces…it lights up the unseen. So, let’s remember together, when we feel hopeless, when the way is dark (or even light but empty), when the pieces of our life and our past seem shattered beyond repair, there is a God in heaven who specializes in reparations. He delights in second chances and in making something out of nothing. He is in the seen and the unseen…the unseen being more real than anything else. I know, because I’ve been there; He’s shown me. There might only be enough light and reflection for a step or two at a time…but that’s all we need. If we hold onto His heart and to each other, there will be enough reflective light for the entire journey. Reflecting His Heart ~ Tami

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