The Princess and the Pea

The Princess and the Pea

Warning: This isn't the story you think it is(smile). Linking up with the Soli Deo Gloria party @ http://www.findingheaventoday.com/

     Once upon a time, there was a Princess who lived comfortably when compared to the majority of the kingdom. Like other woman her age, she enjoys a bit of pampering and chocolate from time to time. Those in the kingdom call her generous, kind and beautiful. She's also known for showing love to the Ogres and Trolls and for her belief in God. But like most women, she sometimes lets her emotions dictate her and that often leads to trouble.
   Life was good until one day while walking through the forest, the princess got distracted by a Purple-throated Hummingbird, became lost, and stumbled upon the Forest of Truth. Now this was no ordinary forest. It exposed a person's soul. A place that if one lingered long enough, one could not help but stay, for the forest was the only place that revealed complete and whole truth.
    The princess had never visited this forest. She looked in every direction, but could only see sparkling, emerald-green leaves swaying in the gentle breeze. Every tree looked the same. She sat on a log and wanted to cry and let her fear overtake her, but she knew better. So she prayed. She asked God to help her get back to the kingdom safely. She asked for guidance because she didn't know which way to go.
   Silence. Minutes passed and nothing pointed the way and no one came to save her. Inside the princess' heart a bit of frustration began to well up. The longer the princess had to wait the more the frustration grew. 

The princess cried out, "Why won't you help me? I am a princess. Why should I have to wait? Haven't I loved your Ogres and Trolls? Haven't I served you rightly?"

        

As soon as the words flew out of her mouth, the princess winced. How could she say those words to God? How could she be so ugly to her greatest love?

Then, a whisper that seemed to come from the trees said,"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

"What does that mean? I just want to go home." 

Do you value the kingdom more than me?  

The princess pondered the words. The truth was that at that very moment, she was letting her selfishness dictate her behavior. God was speaking to her. God was giving her rest, a beautiful forest to enjoy and all she could think about was how she had to wait to be saved. Her heart grew sad and she asked God to forgive her.

Suddenly,  a bright light shone and a path emerged. The princess felt torn because as much as she was happy go back to her warm, comfortable kingdom she really wanted to stay. To relish in the rest, in the peace and truth that surrounded her.   

      As she hesitated to step on the path, she said out loud, "Father, God, I want to come to this place everyday. I want to know you deeper and deeper and not be afraid. I want to bask in your truth and experience this rest that you so lovingly offer your children. Please let me do this."

And as she started walking down the trail, she heard another whisper, "Draw near to me and I will draw near to you." And she smiled.

 

     

Also linking up for the first time at:

Raw 10-minute Wednesdays: The cost of following Jesus

Welcome to RAW 10-minute Wednesdays. A place to write freely and openly without judgement. A chance to think deeply and express from the heart on a topic or prompt provided by me. 

Please remember the rules: 1)Visit another person's blog and leave a kind or encouraging comment. 2)Please put my post link on your post so others can visit if they want and add their posts. 3)NO platitudes, judging or fixing others as this is a place for raw and real emotion.

Today's prompt: When was the last time your relationship with Jesus cost you something? (inspired from Kyle Idleman's book, Not a Fan)

Go...

The above is a loaded question. I mean does following Jesus really cost us something? It almost sounds insulting because Jesus isn't a coveted object on a rack. 
And if following Jesus means giving up something, everything, do I? Or am I lying to myself? Don't answer that!

Today, my relationship with Jesus is costing me something: less money, less comfort, no prestigious or lucrative career, not being well known, being lonely, missing friends, living somewhere I didn't pick...you get the point. 

This life I am living right now is not how I would have done things. It just isn't my plan.  Yet, I know what I have left behind and now that I know I could never return fully. I couldn't pick up where I left off.

Really, I don't mind! 

Isn't it easier to focus on the cost though? What about the end result? What about what I have received from following Jesus?

Following Jesus has been more than just gaining eternal life or forgiveness. NOT that I am making light of how wonderful those gifts are and could write on just those subjects, but I am not who I used to be and this is a good thing. Trust me. 

I have a new career: as a woman at home working in and through the affairs of her household. I have a new perspective: living on less has offered a freedom that is hard to express in words. Things just don't define me like they used to...

This quote sums it up best, "No matter what following Jesus costs us in this life in the end we won't see it as a sacrifice. Rather we will see it as a privilege and an honor,"

 -Kyle Idleman, Not a Fan book. 

Amen to that...

                           STOP.

Okay, now it's your turn.

 

Grace came through...

Today I am writing for 5 minutes. No editing. Just pure, raw writing. Come join us at http://lisajobaker.com Here I go:

Yesterday was my first time to lead a MOPS (Mothers Of Preschoolers) group where I live. I am the Coordinator.

The thing is...this hasn't been your typical MOPS year and let's just say I wasn't all graceful and sometimes I wondered where the grace was hiding. I have 5 people including me on my team and there is supposed to be 8. I could feel the affects of this at the meeting. Some of my team showed up late. We were not 100% prepared. None of us were entirely graceful in our speech, but at least we didn't stutter or say "um" a lot.

Yet, despite less team, less than perfect or eloquent speech, and oh, my paper that explains a game I didn't memorize is in a folder that I have to get at the back of the room GRACE came through. GOD came through.

Despite what the team knew was not flawless, the women laughed. They were smiling. The atmosphere was warm, calm, relaxed. Human. Like me, like them. 

Grace came through and I am smiling (this is how it was supposed to go in God's eyes and I am more than lucky to serve these women!

This is one of our decorations for this year's MOPS theme: PLUNGE. My heart felt as calm as this scene because of God's grace.