Needs and Wants

Coming quietly to the still waters to find strength and peace, I could not help but share my burden with one who could carry my load much better than I.  As I sit and listen amidst this beautiful artistry picture in my mind of a babbling brook, the rustling leaves amidst a warm spring day, and the birds singing beautiful music my mind wonders to the place of how God uses these things he created to meet needs and wants.

In my reflection I am reminded of Philippians 4:19 which says, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."(NIV)   He said ALL my needs.  Then I am reminded of Psalm 37:4 where he says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." (NIV)  

Sitting amongst the picture I have created full of color and wonderful sounds, I could not help but reflect on the needs and wants of my life right now and how he so meticulously brought so many things together to supply our needs as well as our wants.  Those wants, when I once sit back to appreciate the bigger picture, bring music to a trouble heart.

Yes, my needs may seem big and garbled and my wants maybe out of context amidst the distractions of life, but he promises that when I trust and seek him and come to the quiet waters he will meet not just my needs but my desires.  It is there that I have come to find the real desires of my heart, in the picture that he so beautifully painted.

Calm Eyes

As I have pondered and weighed this topic so heavy, I began to realize how much I need to learn from the calmness of eyes.  I have always know that I could not change the circumstances which may arise or surround me, but I can certainly change how I look at it or my attitude in how I deal with it.

There seems to be so many tornadoes and hurricanes to life sometimes and we seem to feel like we are spinning and being thrown out of control.  But somehow in the center of every tornado and hurricane the eye is always calm.  As I have often found myself crying out to God begging and pleading to bring the storms of life to a stop he reminds me it is all part of the refining process.  I came to realize through those quiet moments I was searching for peace and serenity he was reminding me to keep my eyes focused on him.  Come to the center of the storms where it is calm.  Yes, I can certainly see all that goes on around me from the center, but the center in his eyes and arms is that place of safety, peace, calmness, and serenity that can be found no where else.

If my eyes lose focus and become distracted from the circumstances of life then I can expect to lose site of the prize to which he is calling me to.  My prize my calm eyes in the storm can only be continuously focused toward him.  Eyes that feel pain with such great love and yet bring an uncanny sense of indescribable peace.