"Once we clearly acknowledge the soul, we can learn to hear it's cries. - Dallas Willard, Renovation Of The Heart."

It takes courage to pursue our dreams. It takes time and patience to unearth buried treasure. But I believe with all my heart that we must do both.

11.25.2008

Good Soil

I am still reading Ken Gire's book "Seeing What is Sacred". There is so much in it to digest. I would encourage you to get a copy. It would be fun to be able to discuss it and maybe share what it is saying to our hearts. Part III is titled "The Soil of the Reflective Life". He speaks of the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:1-23). Remember, the condition of the soil determines the crop.
A seed may fall on hard soil from feet too hurried to stop, or on a heart that is shallow in its understanding, and so the roots can't penetrate deeply enough for the plant to survive the inevitable scorch of difficult days ahead, or the seed may fall into a heart that is overgrown with distractions, which seem harmless enough in the beginning but in the end choke out the growth. Or it falls into a heart that has been prepared, which will yield a harvest. Now I know I want a prepared heart, but I'm not sure I can say with all honesty that I want what it takes to have a prepared heart. Think about a garden that yields a great harvest, what it takes to have good soil.
It has to be plowed, its clods broken up, rocks removed, weeds pulled out, things added to nourish the soil. Certain things surrender their lives to nourish the soil, leaves, twigs bark, all of it turned into compost to nourish the soil. Will I allow certain things to die in me to enable my heart to be ready???? There is a line in one of Margaret Becker's songs that says........ be ground be crumbled - nothing grows on rock and steel so lets just yield to surrender....... This is so interesting to me, the organic stuff that is broken down to give the soil its richness is called "humus." Humble is related to it, meaning "to be brought low." That is the process God uses to make us receptive to His word. We as a society I think have a very bad view of that word. But if our Lord himself is called humble, why is that???? Even Jesus being himself God, new on earth he had to be dependent on God the Father. So again, though I don't understand it all, I know that God has my best in mind, that whatever comes into my life is sifted through his hands, and it will be used for my good. Not that everything that happens is necessarily good, but it will be used for my good. I think I am finally coming to a place in my life that I truly want a humble heart, a fertile place where the seeds can really take root and grow and to produce a harvest. It's not all about me!!!!! Part of me thinks, don't speak these words out loud, just keep them in your head, your heart, maybe think about them a little longer. But I am putting them out there, for all to see, because I want them to be real. It is still a scary place for me, because I know that what it will take is more dying to myself - dying to what I think life should be like, exchanging it for what God wants my life to be about. But again, if HE is the one who loves me best, and HE does, I am really in a safe place.

Blessings to you all!!!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

thank you for these words...i am excited for you!!! i'm so glad you put these words of battle out there. our humble warrior King is sure to avail. love you!

Unknown said...

Yes, your willingness to put it out there for all to see speaks volumns sis. Some of us speak, but don't act, meaning we haven't reached out in all aspects of our lives to become totally humble...I want that, so many things must change for me!