Lilley of the field

Do you ever want to really explain something so significant in your life, but you come up short with words? Are there really words to describe the greatest joys and deepest sorrows of life? In Brennan Manning's book,  The Ragamuffin Gospel  (which I can't recommend enough), he writes that trying to comprehend God's love is like trying to contain Niagara Falls in a tea cup. I feel overwhelmed by the sheer love and mercy of the Lord looking at these pictures my good friend Mary Ashley took of my feet. My little tea cup has shattered because His grace just can't be contained. So in feeble words- I will at least tell my story in hopes that you will hear His story of love and mercy which is intended to be the theme of all our stories.   - - - -  Five years ago, during my first year teaching, I started coming home from school with terrible pain in my feet. I developed plantar fasciitis. Your plantar fascia is a band of connective tissue that runs along the sol...

A dear friend commented on my last blog post and noticed how the last post before I broke finger included this line: "What if is brokenness is an opportunity to experience healing?" Wow. Moral of the story? Be careful what you write. But of course there are way bigger morals to the story- such as God loves to heal. He will take care of my every need. He will never leave of forsake me. It is bright, sunny and warm outside. Spring is announcing itself with unfurling leaves, swaying branches, and chirping bird making sweet morning melodies. Six weeks ago there was an ice storm and a new dog. To this day, six weeks ago, on the first day of Lent, I broke my finger chasing that new dog through the snow. Now all that remains is a tiny, red knob where the bone grew back, some very minimal swelling, and stiff muscles. I have learned so many things throughout the last six weeks and probably will have to keep relearning so many of them, but the beauty and difficulty of healing has o...