The Road Atlas on my Arms

Greetings Everybody,
This morning I want to visit with you about a phenomenon that has been occurring in my body: Transparency

Those of you who read this blog faithfully will recall that I am a severe asthmatic and that I have mentioned that there is a really long list of medications that I take daily, just to be able to breathe in and out.

Among those medications are several respiratory sterioids.

And these meds have some fairly significant potential side effects that can impact eyes, bone density, joints, weight, and even skin thickness.

I have dealt with several of those impacts.

-Yes I have had 3 eye surgeries in each eye.
-Yes I have dealt with the joint pain.
-Yes I have dealt with the weight gain.

-No, thus far I have not had the osteoporosis issue, but my doctors anticipate that I will inevitably contend with this as well.

-However, this morning, I really want to focus on the skin impacts.

These meds are really thinning my skin.

Little by little I am becoming transparent.

I am not kidding with you when I say that my arms look like somebody drew a road atlas on them.

Even my husband has noticed it.

At first he was too polite to mention it, but when I talked with him about it, he said that he had been wondering what was happening to my skin.

Both of us can see this intricate blood vessel highway system all over them.

It's actually kind of amazing to look at:
-The Big Blue ones are like the major highways.
-The Medium ones are like streets. 
-And the Small ones are like small alleys.

Yep the ARM edition of Grace's Circulatory Sytem Road Atlas seems to be very intricate and well charted.

But I must admit that it's a little bit weird.
And slightly disconcerting.

To be truthful, initially I was really "ooked out" by this.

I mean, this is NOT what a 53 year old woman's skin is supposed to be like.
-I don't have wrinkles.
-I am not decrepit.
-I am vibrant and energetic.
And wowzers, people don't generally get transparent until they are way up in their 90's... right?

And then it hit me.

This glorious, epiphany of insight went off like the 4th of July inside my brain.

That's RIGHT...people DON'T generally become Transparent until they are Nearly Done With This Life.

Think back...
We have all seen elderly people who have bruises and 
band-aids and purple blotches on their arms & legs because their skin is so thin that it tears easily.

This condition occurs in those who have lived long lives.
And It generally means that they are approaching the relative end of their allotted time here on this earth. 

Right?

I do not think that it is an accident that the closer you are to the end of your long life, the less solid and more transparent you become.

I think it is a signal that humans are about to "shed their skin "and become Made NEW!

Christians await that day with rejoicing in their hearts.

We yearn for Heaven.
The only way to get there is to finish this time here.
And if we live long enough, we get to see ourselves begin to change.

So there ya have it.

I nearly danced at the thought.
I am getting to see the metamorphosis.
I am cheering at the process.

It's Symbolic.

I know that this transparency phenomenon that is going on with my body, is actually beng caused pre-maturely. I get that.
But still...
it is a very Literal reminder to me of a very Spiritual truth.

I am going to be made New!
-One day I will be be with Christ.
-One day this body will be gone.
-One day I will not have asthma any more!!!

I may not be able to do a thing about this current Road Atlas on my arms, but I CAN rejoice in my newfound Spiritual Perspective.

What is happening on my arms, is only a preview of what willone day happen to the rest of me.

I am daily becoming Less and Less an Earthly being and More and More a Child of God who belongs in Heaven.

It's true that I could sit around and whine about all the blue lines on my arms.  

And I know that there will most likely come a day when I will have all the bruises and band-aids and the purple blotches so common to the elderly. 

(Because of the respiratory steroids side effects, I will probably get to that point long before my friends do.)

But I choose to rejoice at this very physical reminder that as I am becoming more and more transparent it means that I am getting closer and closer to they day when I get to go Heaven.

Less of Me.
More of YOU Oh God.
Transform Me Oh LORD!

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12: 2

AMEN!

In Him,
Grace 

We Must Choose

Greetings Everybody,
Got a Photo I want to discuss with you.  Take a Look.

View of Daytona Beach taken from the Ocean Walk Promenade

When you look at this picture you can clearly see the clouds, the patch of blue in a winter sky, and a staircase leading down to the sandy beach.


and btw the date on that photo is wrong...it was taken on February 18th not December 18th. My camera ran out of batteries and when I reloaded them, I set the date incorrectly by accident.


Anyway, lets take a look at the symbolism here.


Let's discuss the fact that as Christians,  Every Day We Must Decide If We Want to Stay in the Relative Isolation and Sanctuary of the Promenade or Trust God and become Involved in Peoples Lives.


As I have said before, People Are Messy...physically, spiritually, emotionally and every other "lly".


We contemplate our willingness to become involved knowing that we too will get messy.


Once we go down those steps there will be gritty sand (people will irritate us).


Once we go down those steps there will be scattered seaweed (people will tell us their troubles).


Once we go down those steps we will be face to face with a power much stronger than ourselves (we will experience a loss of personal control).


But how do you get this close to the clash between Ocean and Land (or if we are talking about saving souls, then Heaven & Earth) and NOT go down those steps?


Every day we reflect on The Promenade.
It is clean and it is pretty. 
It is comfortable.
It is appealing.  
On the "Promenade of Life" everything and everybody is safe and secure.


But OUT THERE lurk things and people who are undoubtedly unsafe and insecure.


And yet time after time we descend those steps.


Yes Time and Time again we continually descend those steps.


Because we are supposed to.


WHY?


Because Christians are called to live as Jesus did...and HE didn't stay on the Promenade of Life.

He walked the Sea Shore (both literally and figuratively).

And we know that he did, because scripture says he called some of his disciples who were fishermen (and who later became apostles) by saying:

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19


So then, if we are to model our lives after Jesus, we must choose daily to whether or not to descend those metaphorical steps and encounter other people. 


We must daily choose whether or not to get involved in the grittiness of other peoples lives and hardships.


We must daily choose whether or not to go where there are people who may need us because just like washed up seaweed, their lives are in a state of decay.


We must daily choose whether or not to put ourselves in GOD's hands and in His Name confront powers that are stronger than we are.

It is a daily decision.

And It is not always an easy decision, because it often seems a whole lot less complicated to just stay out of other peoples lives. 

Afterall, it is impossible deal with situations that are messy and gritty and not get some of that mess and grit on ya.  

As for me?


I am never more alive than when I am close to the sea.


In Him
Grace

Let's Talk Lighthouses

Greetings Everybody,

Let's Talk Lighthouses...I LOVE LIGHTHOUSES!!!

The Ponce DeLeon Lighthouse in Daytona Florida...the tallest lighthouse in the state.
And yes...we did climb each step of that spiral staircase to the top.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida.
And yes we climbed each step of this one too.
And yes I was downing Arthritis Strength Tylenol after climbing 2 lighthouses in 2 consecutive days.

Taken  while we were on a Ferry headed to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse in the Carolina Outer Banks.

I Believe That There is Great Symbolism in Lighthouses:

-they Light the way for others

-they Point the way to the safe areas

-they Shine light on the hazardous places

-they are Sentinels that actively Wage War against the darkness

Christians (and Christian Teachers) are supposed to be like Lighthouses.

We are called to be steadfast and trustworthy and to fight against The Darkness.

Shine on folks, SHINE ON!

In Him,

Grace

Friends

Greetings Everybody,
Got something on my heart today.

Do you remember these song lyrics by Michael W. Smith? 


         "Friends are friends forever if The Lord's the LORD of them."
             
There is wisdom in those words, real wisdom.

I recently visited with a friend whom I haven't spent time with in a long while.
We met and talked for many hours.
We are both Christians, and because we are, we have common bonds that connect us.
We play by the same rules.
We live by the same standards.
We understand each other.
We laughed and cried and hugged and shared and were keenly aware that despite the time of absence from each other, the friendship is still very much alive.

Her path has been difficult in recent years.

Have you noticed that some folks seem to get the "gentle scenic drive" in life, while others get a life path that is more like a "slippery mountain road with dangerous curves and sheer-cliff edges"?

Interestingly enough, she doesn't ask "Why Me?"

It does not matter to my friend that some people don't seem to have struggles (while her life is so difficult), because she knows that she has access to Strength and Power beyond her own comprehension.

God is her strong right hand.

Psalm 118:16-17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;
   the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”
¹⁷ I will not die but live,
   and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

I can not tell you why some folks get the easy path and some folks get the hard one.

But I can tell you that when Christians endure hardship, and in so doing, turn to God's Strong Right Hand for their strength,... they grow.
Their faith gets stronger.
They sink deeper spiritual roots.
They begin to personify The Fruits of the Spirit.
They increase in wisdom and stature in The Lord.

And they become equipped to help other people.

If mountains are created by deep earth pressure pushing techtonic plates around...
If diamonds are created by intense heat...
Then we can see that in nature, pressure and intensity can create great beauty and value.

It's the same in the life of a Christian.

I have known many Christians who have endured great spiritual pressure and intensity.
And those who turned completely to God seemed to gain a beautiful and valuable patina on their souls.

They became wise.
They became gentle.
They drew closer to God and in the process were transformed.

My friend is already spiritually beautiful and spiritually valuable.
And I for one, can't wait to see how God will use her "spiritually spit-shined self"
in His Kingdom and to His Glory!

In Him,
Grace