stubborn lists & word women wednesday

Welcome to Word Woman Wednesday! I love having you all here. You presence is a gift to me…really:) A day where we share the hearts of women. Leaving words of encouragement and wrap our arms around the one opening herself up to you.

I think we all are trying to find our place in the world don’t you? Some of you have already met Joybird and you know her heart. How she writes with raw vulnerability from deep places. For YOU who are reading her for the first time you are in for a treat. Upon my first visit I felt an immediate kindred spirit. She has visited some of the places I have. Wading through a ” whole lotta hard “ can make for tough going. This is where I am finding the value in blog friends. It is a gift. We can pray-encourage-listen-inspire and grieve each other through a whole lotta hard. And then rejoice when we make it to the other side.

I love this sweet soul …

*********

The holy LORD God of Israel has told all of you,

“I will keep you safe if you turn back to me and calm down.

I will make you strong if you quietly trust me.”

Then you stubbornly

Isaiah 30:15 CEV

I’m memorizing scripture with the Beth Moore’s Siestaville this year. This is the first time I’ve systematically committed the bible to heart since I was a little VBS’er. Interesting experience. I’ve never found scripture to be so vital or challenging. In a year when my feelings and interpretation of events say some pretty harsh things about God these verses have been freedom filled correction: guardrails in this steeply winding portion of my journey.

Isaiah 30:15 drew me because of the words safety, strength and comfort. I was attracted to the translations that talked about resting and quietness, those are messages I often like. But there was something about the straightforward directions in the Contemporary English Version that captured my attention: turn back, calm down, quietly trust. When I was searching for this last verse I felt as if my whole life was being shaken and possibly turned upside down. This was not a moment for gentle as much as it was for clear and direct.

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But then there was that weird half sentence at the end. Then you stubbornly I don’t like things that are interrupted, unfinished. I like packages tied up with pretty bows and this string is irritatingly determined to dangle. But I went ahead and added this verse to my SSMT sidebar and index cards. Determined to ignore or rush over those three annoying words with no punctuation. But they would not be ignored. They just sat there day after day waiting for me to complete the sentence. When I could resist no longer I began to fill in the blanks.

The holy LORD God of Israel has told all of you, “I will keep you safe if you turn back to me and calm down. I will make you strong if you quietly trust me.” Then you stubbornly

• whined and moaned and grumbled.

• worried yourself sick.

• accused God of betraying you when you haven’t read the end of the story and He has.

• scrabbled to find a way out.

• collapsed into self-loathing.

• lashed out in anger.

Over and over my stubborn reactions poured out, not just from the present but from my past.

• became paralyzed by depression.

• manipulated people hoping they would like you enough to keep you safe.

• pretended wounds were gone that were only hidden away while you were silently bleeding to death.

• borrowed lavishly hoping that stuff would equal stability.

• used sex to bandage a broken heart.

• refused to believe God could mend your heart.

• determined God was only being poetic when He said He loved you. He didn’t mean it.

On and on the list went. Please don’t get me wrong, I revel in His forgiveness. I don’t feel condemnation or shame as I write this, only clarity. When I discard His comforting directions, when I try to go around Him to save myself, I always end up mired in sin and in a worse mess than before. It all became so apparent when I took the time to reflect on those three pesky words.

And then another list begins to build like a triumphant anthem. I am not the only stubborn one. For then God stubbornly

• daydreamed about me. Jeremiah 29:11

• pursued me. Luke 15:4

• wooed me. Jeremiah 31:3

• rescued me. 2 Samuel 22:20

• took care of me. 1 Peter 5:7

• protected me. Psalm 91:2

• tattooed my name on His flesh. Isaiah 49:16

• forgave me. Psalm 32:5

• welcomed me home. Luke 15:20

• healed me. Psalm 30:2

• calls me beautiful. Ecclesiastes 3:11

• restored all I lost. Job 42:10

• empowered me. Acts 2:17

• established me. Isaiah 61:3

• died for me. 1 Peter 3:18

• loved me. 1 John 4:10

And really, isn’t this the stubborn list that counts?

Please give Joybird a visit and your just in time for her series…7 days of silly

Keep singing…all my love,

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Comments

Mrs.B says:

May 24, 2011 at 7:57 PM

Beautiful!

happygirl says:

May 25, 2011 at 3:09 AM

I adore Joybird and the way she reminds me how much I am loved by God. I love the stubborn list. I'm copying to my desktop.

Abby says:

May 25, 2011 at 3:14 AM

oh two kindred spirits for me! so happy when you all find each other…and this is wonderful and I've loved Isaiah 30:15 for a long time and knew of the abrupt change at the end…thank you, Joybird, for bringing clarity and speaking into it…and thank you Tiffini for hosting and for always being you:-) {off to pack with lots of love left behind!}

Becky @ Farmgirl Pai says:

May 25, 2011 at 4:41 AM

love this post! i read that scripture and was confused by the last dangling sentence too. your thoughts on it were just beautiful. i am so guilty of alot of your stubborn list. thank you girls for sharing.

Jodi says:

May 25, 2011 at 5:38 AM

I love you, Miss Joybird. The End.

Cindy says:

May 25, 2011 at 5:57 AM

Such a beautiful post – I already follow Joybird, so I was delighted to see her featured…she truly knows how to pour out pain and make room for Grace! Joybird, you always reach through my heart and into my spirit, pulling forth more of Him!

Bristol says:

May 25, 2011 at 6:58 AM

I love this, Joybird! I love that you completed the verse with your own specific struggles of stubbornness. I'm glad your journey of scripture memorization has been so full!

Tiffini, I'm so glad you chose to invite Joybird. It's nice to stop by your lovely blog!

kendal says:

May 25, 2011 at 1:31 PM

i. love. this.

kendra says:

May 25, 2011 at 6:44 PM

WOW! I was supposed to read this today. I am new to Joybird. Thank you, LORD for being more stubborn than me!!!

misty says:

May 26, 2011 at 4:25 AM

Amen… It absolutely is…

Go you… my brain doesn't have it in it to memorize a phone number, much less scripture!

lori says:

May 26, 2011 at 6:21 AM

This is perfect. I love the honesty in your writing. I am always drawn to genuine writers because I feel it is much more beneficial when we don't hide from each other. Perfect…

Kati says:

May 26, 2011 at 7:29 AM

That 'then you stubbornly' is so random! Wow! I love how it had more application for you than the sentences that actually made sense. That in and of itself is a lesson to me…

Rachel says:

May 26, 2011 at 9:26 AM

OMG, I needed this today, sometimes these are the things we know but we need each other to be reminded. Thank you for reminding me of Gods goodness and love, Grace and peace to you!

Joybird says:

May 26, 2011 at 11:34 AM

You guys are so kind. I'm all melty now.

emily wierenga says:

May 26, 2011 at 3:59 PM

oh joy… oh wow. that second list, how you turned stubbornness on its head and showed its divine attributes…. you are beautiful friend. stunning, really. tiffini, thank you for your lovely place here. i always find such rest…

Brandee says:

May 26, 2011 at 4:27 PM

God's IS the stubborn list that counts. Thank you for this reminder. Bless you. *hugs*

Midwest Magnolia - M says:

May 27, 2011 at 4:13 AM

Very encouraging!

Bev says:

May 27, 2011 at 6:46 AM

thanks for sharing your heart, love this! i can be stubborn at times, but god can be even more so in his love for us…thank you for his stubborn list and scripture references…

xo

Privet and Holly says:

May 28, 2011 at 3:19 AM

Thank you for sharing

your heart. At first I

thought that sentence

was a typo….It's so

amazing the way that

He works : )

xx Suzanne

stubborn lists & word women wednesday

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