And now these three remain… 1 Corinthians 13:13
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand and it will give light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
Or in lament’s terms, set a good example by being the light that outshines the darkness and other’s will begin to follow.
Rather a grain of sand than a snowflake
With fleeting attributes that are absorbed and lose shape
A sandy shore gives guidance to uninterrupted tides
It’s never destroyed yet is subject to being carried away
In and out with the ebb and flow
East or west with hurricane winds
The drift creates for future uncertainty of place
But it is the nonexistence of time and the immorality that pains
The latter is candid and sincerely frank
Pulled slowly south by gravity and quenching in taste
The frozen precipitation piles piece by piece
And it’s inevitable evanescence goes undoubted because of faith
Rather a grain of sand than a snowflake
But furthermore breaths will come to an end
Let the circumference be minuscule and existence significant
As long as the pursuit is made
Regrets sink it to depths
Deep dark blues surround it
As it drops it takes the light with it
The free fall is messy and unpredictable
In the descending it becomes blind
Unable to seek refuge from the capsizing
It reaches for ledges to decelerate the plunge
But that only diverges the path
The inevitable plummet is needed
Its security will create stillness
A calmness where mercy is given
As the iron digs into the floor
It becomes a cornerstone of protection
It fights against the doubt
Battles the decaying of the foundation
And guards the spoiling of its fruit
The stronghold grips the rope
It leaves enough slack for growth and extension
But it holds tight enough to keep one from getting lost
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19
What inspired this poem was the thought that hope is what keeps things going but what also keeps things in check as well. Hope keeps us anchored in our faith. What would we have faith in if we didn’t have hope for redemption, hope to see Jesus in heaven or hope for better things, a better life? I’ve been growing deeper in my faith recently and always seem to hit a plateau. But I have discovered that hope is what keeps me walking that plateau until He is ready for me to take that climb to the next level. And it’s His love that gives me the confidence to actually make the climb. I pray that my hope will keep my faith secure and strong to help fight against the detours and stumbling blocks along my path.
Last Sunday I was invited by one of my favorite customers to attend her church. We have shared a lot with each other about our faith walks and recently I have been trying out different churches so she invited me to hers. After attending her church’s Sunday service, I was very moved by the pastor’s message: How did God SHAPE you and how are you using your SHAPE? It was a part of his series about learning to live in God’s will. The sermon was supported by Erik Rees’ book, S.H.A.P.E. Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life.
Upon entering the church, I was starting to back slide into this doubt that I had before the church camp I attended a month earlier. (see post) I wasn’t sure if I was where I needed to be spiritually and vocationally. But after hearing the sermon I remembered that God is simply keeping me in places for a reason. He is using my SHAPE to fulfill His purpose for me.
God’s SHAPES us according to His plan. (Jeremiah 1:5) We are all unique and none of us are completely alike. He does this so that we can learn from each other and share our talents with others. These SHAPES are not meant to be compared or envied. They are meant to raise others up. We each have our own SHAPE, we just have to identify it and put it into our hands for use. Here’s what our SHAPES look like:
S- Spiritual Gifts Special talents that God has given you to share His love.
H-Heart What God wants your heart to break for, your passions.
A-Abilities What God made you good at so that you will be good to others.
P-Personalities/People Your make-up, how God wired you.
E-Experiences The mountains you have moved and you have climbed using His strength.
So how has God SHAPED you? What are your spiritual gifts? We all were given gifts of faith, hope and love to fight the good fight but we were also all individually given gifts that are unique to us. Are we using them? Have we even identified them yet? Our hearts are made to love, do we love to the best of our abilities? What about your personality, what traits set you apart from the world? Do you hide those traits or are you using them to minister to others? Have your experiences become testimonies for change?
These are the questions that were raised but many more came to mind for me. Those questions I asked myself were not answered very quickly. I had to really think about my past, my personality, my relationships, my talents and my service to others. Then I realized how great the potential God has created for all of us. It’s really breath-taking if you think about it. Just look at some of the most successful, charitable people in the world and the potential they lived up to. It’s like looking out across the ocean and seeing how wide and vast it is, that’s our potential. We just have to learn to be like Peter, take that first step onto the water without taking our eyes off of the Lord. We gain confidence in taking that step out of the boat when we recognize that the SHAPE God gave us was made to support and fulfill the potential He sees in us.
I am not afraid to admit that I don’t live up to that potential because I don’t recognize that my SHAPE is special and useful. But I truly believe that we can live up to our potential when we identify our special SHAPES and use them. So this is my prayer, that I learn all of the ways that God has made me unique. That I recognize that I am shaped according to His plan and that He will reveal to me in due time why I am to go through the things He puts me through, why I meet the people I meet and why I am the way I am.
“Family of Israel, you know that I can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay in the potter’s hands, and I am the potter.” This message is from the Lord. Jeremiah 18:6
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
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:6-9
Or in laments terms, “Stay positive and look at the glass half full, not half empty. There is a reason for everything.”
My Faith, My Hope, My Love 