Monday, June 27, 2011

Make Us Your Sunflowers, Lord


"Dear Jesus,
help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Your Spirit and Life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me and be so in me
that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up, and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I will begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You;
none of it will be mine.
It will be You, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You in the way You love best,
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching,
not by words but by example,
by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for You.
Amen."
~Mother Teresa, from a note in Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, p.391



Thank You, gracious Lord, for
~thwarting our attempts to find satisfaction or security anywhere but in You
~the grace amidst the dismal record of the kings of Judah and Israel
~Isaiah 12
~mysterious resurgence of interest in a January post, reminding me that "the wind blows where it [He] will" in the blogosphere
~you delightful readers!
~eating humble pie for breakfast
~gentle, if uncomfortable, reminder to trust the Giver, not the gift
~confession of sins
~forgiveness and grace
~spilling an entire Earl Grey latte on the floor of the car
~car wash next door to the corner coffee shop
~more grace
~themes of stillness and God's fullness for our emptiness weaving themselves through my reading this week
~2.5" needed rain
~Speed Racer bringing his whole family to the feeder (first time we've seen more than one at once)
~professional encouragement for a sister
~another medication adjustment, working toward better pain management
~lupus stabilized except for the costochondritis factor
~God's sovereignty over efficacy, side effects, and interactions
~pharmacy and medical staff who know me well
~morning with Mom going to lupus doc and back, her help pushing the grocery cart and loading/unloading purchases
~healthy, happy Ebony dog
~sharing book recommendations with the other sister
(from the gratitude journal #641-63)



15 comments:

  1. It's good to be grateful for the bad stuff, too, like spilled tea and humble pie...I wince on your behalf!

    ReplyDelete
  2. sharing your joy in counting it all joy! and whispering Mother Teresa's prayer as my own.

    Thank you for sharing this Multitude Monday :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. @-t- Thank you for stopping by and sharing the joy.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @kathleenbasi.com Yes, it is. Not natural, but good. Thanks for coming by!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for Mother Teresa's prayer and your thanksgiving.

    On another note, might you consider putting a list together of books that have blessed you? You reference so many and it would be wonderful to have your recommendations in one place on different themes.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You're welcome.

    It is a daunting task to consider, but I will see what I can do. Perhaps, as you say, a book list post on one theme at a time?

    For now, I can add the "labels" gadget to the sidebar so that you can easily select the books label to see relevant posts so far. So many of my favorites have not yet appeared in this place, though... Another action item. :)

    Thanks for the suggestion.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for sharing Mother Teresa's prayer, it is lovely. And how many times have I too dumped an entire tea in the floor of the car! Ugh!

    ReplyDelete
  8. @withgraceandgratitude It wouldn't have been so bad except it was a tea latte. Without an immediate wet/dry vacuum, we never would have gotten that sour milk smell out of the carpet! :) Thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What great sunflower pics! Especially enjoyed seeing the bee in the second picture. My girls and I have been floored when studying the record of the kings in Israel and Judah. Yes, grace.
    Oh, the tea! Been there. How great there was a car wash next door:)
    Enjoyed your whole list as well as the quote. Continue to pray for you. . .

    ReplyDelete
  10. @Amy Thank you for your prayers and the feedback. (It's hard to see at this size, but Allen noticed the photo even shows pollen grains on the bee's head. I like when the camera sees what I can't.)

    Yes, it was great there was a car wash next door, and it was open. The men didn't even make me feel foolish but just dove in and took care of it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. "the grace amidst the dismal record of the kings of Judah and Israel"

    Yes, I'm reading this, too. Before, I would be judgemental. No, I just hang my head in almost-comisery!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I went back and read your January post...I see why God has brought others to read it.
    Can I just say?...I've been dealing with some health issues...nothing major, but just ongoing and several times I've really felt God wanting me to consider those with a chronic illnesses.
    Can't tell you how my heart sings to see you praising God...thanking God...in the midst.

    I love reading your posts. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  13. A beautiful list of thanksgiving, amidst spills, pain and all of it! The sunflower goes so well with the words you share by Mother Teresa above. A beautiful picture! And I, too, visited your January post...such a needful reminder, and I can see why the interest. You are an encouragement!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Jen~
    You are right; it's that much sadder because I see myself in the mirror of their stories.

    Kara~
    I'm sorry for your health issues but thankful for your tender heart towards God's invitation to consider others. Your prayers are gifts, and your words are, too. It blesses me to know you are blessed here.

    Anna~
    I'm glad you liked the pairing of words and image. (That sunflower is a serendipity, by the way, a volunteer plant that arose from seed the birds scattered. To me that makes it more fun.) Thank you for your encouraging words and for visiting the baptism post.

    May the Lord return the encouragement to you all today!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This was really beautiful. Yes, to only look up and see Jesus and no longer myself. Lord, make it so.
    And thank you for sharing your gratitude list.
    grace and peace to you,
    cheryl

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for sharing your day with me! Your presence here is a gift. *You* are a gift. Right now I am unable to reply to every comment, but please know I read and pray for each and every commenter. Grace and peace to you in Christ.