Image of forgiveness

I have a friend who has been on quite a journey. For many years she has struggled with coming to terms with the abuse she suffered at her father's hands as a teenager. Over the years she has gone through many seasons of trying to come to terms with how to let it go.

You may be thinking that she has been harboring unforgiveness in her spirit and that's why she couldn't let go, but that's not the case. She has truly forgiven her father and loves him dearly.  What she was struggling with was the images that keep coming up in her mind when she thinks about him, and those images made it hard to forget. 

One day in prayer, she asked the Lord, "Father, help me to forget," for your word says that you remember not our sins and you have caste them as far as the east is from the west. On that day she looked at her father (his memory) and all she could see was the risen Christ standing before him with arms outstretched, saying, "don't look at him, look at me and what I did for him at the cross."

In that moment, a new peace came and she was able to forgive and forget!  What seemed so hard for so long, was now an easy peace.  You see, all she needed to do was to change the focus of the image to an image of forgiveness. 

I would encourage you today, if you too have been struggling to forgive and forget, to ask the Lord to show Himself to you in in a way that will be meaningful to you, and allow His Holy Spirit to show you  which image of Himself you need to see in order to forget. 

God is faithful and will answer your prayers. 

The calling

Over the past few months I have been contemplating my love for writing. This journey started from a letter written to a friend.  The person enjoyed my story telling style and I began to think about how I could use that to communicate my love for God. I thought about how people struggle to see God as real in our very depraved society, so my call was to write about my everyday life and how I saw God in action through everyday events.

I was drawn to begin my blogging journey and started writing in November of 2010.  Over the next 7 years I wrote prolifically and also published my book during that time (A season of much rain). My book named: Growing with God by Ronwyn - Everyday God, is available in various formats on Amazon.

And as things happened a change in jobs and lifestyle made writing time more difficult and over the 7 years that followed, writing became more sparse. (7 years of drought). 

But once again, I am feeling the calling to begin writing again and I know it will take great discipline. This time I am older, hopefully a bit wiser and feel it's time to write about the deeper things of God. About how we need to follow God's word by "working out our own salvation.". This season will be: Growing with God by Ronwyn - Living God! 

I hope you will join me on this journey one again.  In the past I have communicated the Blog through Facebook and email. Emails have become a spam concern so I have switched to sending out the blog my Facebook and WhatsApp. Feel free to reach out and join the group. 

Starting tomorrow let the journey begin! 

Identi-Fluff

This morning, while I was getting ready for work, my newest baby fluff cat, Midnight, rubbed up against my leg for attention.  I picked him up for a cuddle and I sometimes like to look at us in the mirror because then I can see both our faces enjoying the affection.  Midnight however decided he didn't like this one bit and proceeded to squirm to escape.  This promted the question: Little fluff how do you know what you look like, if you never look in the mirror? 

This reminded me of James chapter 1:23-25. 

23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

I ask you therefore, how often do you look at yourself in the mirror and see what measure of manor of person you are? It is only when we gaze into the 'eyes of Jesus' through looking at the word of God that we truly figure out who we really are. For no one has ever loved us like Christ did, for He gave His life to be the sacrifice for us so that we could live free. 

The Oaks Know

Growing up in mostly hot South African climates, winter was never a big deal.  The landscape hardly changed much and what we thought was cold was well, a wee bit of a chill.  From the time I first moved to Johannesburg, the one thing I truly fell in love with, was watching the Oak trees and seeing how magnificently their leaves displayed the seasons.  The most spectacular of which, being autumn (fall).  

It always amazes me therefore that we barely notice any change in the air temperature, and all of a sudden, the leaves start to turn golden brown.  As seen in the photo attached, autumn has begun.  The term/name for the season "fall" to me is so much more descriptive than autumn, because you can really picture it all happening.  By the end of this season, the magestic trees will lie bare for all to see throughout the cold winter months and then just as suddenly as fall began, spring too will announce itself with the cheary, bright lime green spring leaves.  Well, summer is summer and the dark green will prevail until the spectacle begins all over again with fall. 

As the trees automatically know the seasons, we too as Christians need to learn the seasons of our lives.  Some seasons are for change and new things, some are for growth and establishment, others for a harvest of great rewards and then too there are very real seasons of grief and pain. 

We need to be like the Oak trees, we need to have deep roots, grounded and stayed in God's love that no matter what, we can withstand the changes that the seasons of life bring our way.  God's word needs to be our anchor and strength and hold us when the winds of life blow.  

I want to encourage you today to set your mind on the things of God and learn and know what season you are in.  God in his majestic power will allow the seasons of life to shape you and you can wither and die, or you can anchor your roots and grow tall and strong and become a beautiful Oak Tree for God. 

Throne or mantle piece?

I ponder a lot!  A....LOT!  And recently I found myself asking the question... Do I really love God?  Is HE truly the Lord and King of my heart and does He sit in the throne, or have I put him neatly on the mantle piece, only to be taken down when I need Him? 

For those who really know me you'll know how absurd that question is. 

My thoughts centred around some bad habits that had crept in during that C..V..D thing we don't like to talk about anymore.  The practice of my faith looked very different before that all happened. 

In case you were wondering about the outcome of the question, I climbed into my car and went to a mid-week church meeting. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Obeying God's call to gather together, even when I don't feel like it, is more important than anything else. Life can only come into true perspective when we allow ourselves to be washed by the word on a regular basis. 

Whatever your choice is that you are just struggling to get dealt with, ask yourself what you would do if God was physically sitting in front of you on a throne.  

Goodbye 2023

2023 was indeed an interesting year.  As I look back on the year and reflect on this time, I do so with somewhat confusion.  It is a difficult year to put into words. 

There were so many painfully difficult goodbyes. Business relationships that ended and changes that weren't expected. New relationships were forged and with that their own challenges.

I celebrated my 50th birthday with a month long celebration.  An amazing trip to Cape Town seeing my favourite ballet, Swan Lake, was a dream come true. 

A lot of fun was had, but a lot of sadness was experienced as well. A dear relative passed on at a grand old age. 

Our weather was as confused as I was with snow this winter and early heat waves this summer.  

As I put these all behind me, and try to focus on the year to come, I am reminded of one key scripture:

Philippians 3:12-14

[12]Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

[13]Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

[14]I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

What that calling for 2024 will be, I know not yet, but one thing I do know for sure, if I place my hope and trust in Christ alone and listen to His voice, His guidance and strength will be my portion. 

So goodbye 2023 and thank you for all I've learned.  Hello 2024, I look forward to our time together!  

Happy New Year to you all! 

It's nice to see you!

This week was downright horrid!  Work was tough and then we ended up with being without power at home for 3 days.  To top matters off, the small bridge I cross from home on my main route to work started collapsing and the road was closed. 

By Wednesday evening, I was finished, physically and emotionally drained.  I arrived home and a few minutes later, the power finally returned.  Relieved but still out of food, I headed out to the store and decided to go to the small strip mall I frequented when I first moved into my home, as at that stage it was the closest one too me.  

Arriving at the mall I spotted my favourite Italian restaurant, and decided to stop by.  To my utter surprise, the waiter that served me was familiar and his greeting blew me away!  "Ah madam, what has it been...10 years since I saw you!". Wow! I was moved to tears (and still am) at the warmth and care that he showed me.  I managed to fight back the tears to enjoy a delicious supper, but the water works soon returned once I'd finished.

It was so wonderful to be missed and appreciated!  As a single women, I often feel unnoticed or appreciated in public spaces, but how this waiter treated me proved me wrong!  I left him a warm note of thanks, with a promise to be back and a hearty tip! 

We should never underestimate the power of the love and kindness we show each other every day!  Your smile, and warm greeting, may be the very lifeline someone needs to pull them out of the depth of despair.

This Christmas season, let us remember the joy we serve with and spread smiles and love to all we meet!!