OF STRANGERS AND FRUITFULNESS_ Part 2_ Ears that Hear

Ex 2:23-25; Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, AND GOD ACKNOWLEDGED THEM ~ NKJV

These three verses closely grip my attention because of how they seem to appear in the Middle of the Life of Moses. For those who have followed the life of Moses, you will ably tell that the cry of the children of Israel was closely knit to the destiny of this “Egyptian now dwelling in Midian.”

Quite a number of things come to my attention through these verses, the first being the process of Time which points me to the fact that certain aspects are brought to light or fulfilled only after a given period of time. They aren’t delayed but are rather allowed to mature that they may yield to the exact Measure. 
Secondly, the death of the King of Egypt seems to be a crucial event in the bigger picture because we see that though some would have expected the burden of the Israelites to become less, there is an increase in the bondage. This shows that the Israelites were not victim to something Physical but rather spiritual. We ourselves need to learn to approach the challenges we go through as more than what we see or hear with the physical senses because the solutions are not merely the death or destruction of “Kings on the earthly” but rather fulfillment of timing in the Heavenly.

It’s always amazing how God steps in and is somewhat depicted to have been initially "oblivious" to what was happening. One of the biggest challenges most Christians have is learning to trust God that when he seems to be so far away he actually still cares. To know that what you are going through isn’t meant to destroy you and in the fullness of time, your answer awaits you. I am not blind to the fact that some of the setbacks we have as children of God are due to our ignorance of what he says in his word, I, however, would like to consider those times when you have done all you need to do and yet there seems to be no shift. What do you always do when this happens?

Our God doesn’t leave us as orphans, He “Fathers” us through His Holy Spirit as he says in his word John 14:16-18; And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 

So we are always aware of his work in our lives and we continuously press on to that mark of a higher calling in Christ Jesus, Knowing that our present sufferings are not worthy compared to future glory which shall be revealed in us. This doesn’t only point to the time after men have died but rather when they have overcome that which seemed to be an immovable obstacle before them and yet now lies behind them.

We are aware of God’s work in our Lives and we acknowledge that all things are working together for our Good because He loves us and has called us according to His purpose.

OF STRANGERS AND FRUITFULNESS_ Part 1_ Eyes that See

Ex 2:21-22; Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land." NKJV

Been quite a while since I put my mind to task regarding the Life of Moses and what treasures lie hidden from the text written about his life. For those of us who follow closely, I pick up from where we left off….

To be content doesn’t entirely point to Ultimate satisfaction. I believe one can be content with the present situation yet inwardly carries a certain longing for far greater things than are availed in one’s current state. In the previous Vs. 20, Reuel the father to Zipporah says to his daughters to call Moses that he may eat Bread with them. The very act of eating bread points to a temporary period of stay more so to a man who knows that his Bread is something bigger than what he partakes with his mouth. Which reminds me of what Jesus tells his disciples’ in John 4:31 when they urged him to eat and he responded "I have food to eat of which you do not know."

How well we are nourished in a foreign land is entirely dependent on the mind we maintain regarding our temporary stay in this land. When we are aware of the Truth that though we are fruitful here, we are still strangers and thus can’t afford to fully give ourselves to the “satisfactions” of the present day. As children of God, we learn to discern the times and seasons knowing that though we be fruitful, this is entirely because it is weaved within our fabric to be fruitful in all we do BUT it doesn’t point to us having arrived to the place we ought to be. We multiply, we subdue the earth, we are fruitful in and out of season BUT our eyes remain fixed on the bigger picture, the ultimate prize for which we run the race.

The mind of Reuel the Father to Zipporah is yet also an interesting one to pick a few lessons from. To know that a certain man has come to your life at a time such as this and carries a defining moment in your life is divine. He offers bread to Moses but seemingly carries a more detailed agenda than that which he presents on his first encounter. To welcome a stranger into your house for bread and later on give your daughter to him isn’t something ordinary men do. I am awake to the truth that Reuel saw something beyond what was physical and he must have perceived that this “Egyptian” carried a certain glory that would not leave his household the same. Oh! How I pray that the eyes of my understanding be enlightened to the things that I see.

Hebrews 13:2; Do not forget or neglect or refuse to extend hospitality to strangers [in the brotherhood — being friendly, cordial, and gracious, sharing the comforts of your home and doing your part generously], for through it some have entertained angels without knowing it. ~AMP

OF... TIME, TIMES & TIMING... WE-MEN & WAITING

Exodus 2:18-20; When they came to Reuel their father, he said, "How is it that you have come so soon today?" 

Doesn't the bible often excite you with the particular pattern it singles out when identifying people? The 7 daughters are not named but the father's name is clearly put out in this particular portion of scripture... Just thinking about that makes me smile at the thought of the purpose and power of Identity. Hopefully i will be led to write on that soon...

This portion of scripture points to me the fact that sometimes the only reason we spend longer where we are could be because someone at the well hasn't chosen to fight the shepherds and help us water our flocks. Could you be at the well seeking a man to help us fight off the shepherds?? Could you be the man who ought to stand up and fight the shepherds that others may water their flock?? I am in constant belief that TIME presents us the opportunity to be the one or the other. Nothing is left to chance.

We-men & waiting is an inspiration in line with the choices we make as we wait. Sometimes the reason we wait is because some one hasn't yet identified with the part they ought to play in helping us progress. Or could it be that we also haven't identified the part we have to play in helping others progress?

Oh! how easy it is to talk about waiting and how challenging it is to actually tarry through the process. Most times we wait for a thing then we wait for the maturity of the fruit of that thing then we also await the Harvest from that very thing. Isn't life almost  all about waiting?! I believe waiting is not only watching to see what happens next but also what you do as you watch. Often, my ability to wait is cultivated in what i hold onto as i wait... The picture of the Disciples in Acts 1:4 brings life to me in this regard;  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them NOT TO DEPART from Jerusalem, BUT TO WAIT for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” and if you continued a few verses further, he tells them
“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority..."

So many scriptures running through my head but the one that seals it all for me is Pslams 90:12;SO TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS, THAT WE MAY GAIN A HEART OF WISDOM. As you wait through whatever it is you may be sailing through may you develop mighty inner strength that yo may wait and therein find wisdom. God Bless You.


“Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it whenever it intrudes upon one's thoughts.”
                                                                                                                    ― Elisabeth Elliot

OF.... TIME, TIMES & TIMING ..... Battles My Size II

Ex 2:17; Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. ~ NKJV

How the site of a woman gives strength to a desolate man ONLY GOD is able to tell. So here goes Moses sited by the well, seeking refreshment from a journey traveled so far, distant from the privileges of royalty he shared in the palace all his life and yet appearing to gather strength at the sight of ladies in a time of weakness. Perhaps, the shepherds had seen him and underestimated his ability to do a thing OR maybe they had listened to his story and pitied the poor man. Could the Shepherds have been accustomed to fighting these ladies at the well? Well, quite a number of questions at the WELL.

Are there things in your life that make you get up and pick a battle irrespective of the fresh scars you have from your most recent battles. Do you, as Moses, sit by the well till the shepherds around you begin to push away that which seems to bring life in you? As i read this verse, i am pointed to the truth that Life always guarantees us battles no matter where we are BUT what inspires us to pick these battles is often the light that flickers on the inside of us. 

BUT MOSES STOOD UP AND HELPED THEM... I read an interesting quote that said, When men lay down, sit up. When they sit up, stand up. When they stand up, stand firm and when they stand firm, Stand out. I often believe that standing Up is a place of decision making. Where one decides to make a choice and accept the consequences there after. I, however, believe that when you stand up is often as important as why you do. Could Moses have only been attracted to the beauty of one of the ladies? Was he merely disturbed by the conduct of the shepherds towards the women at the well OR could this have been Destiny, a light that flickered in the heart of the Man who understood the time and seized the chance....... 

The ability within us to discern the battles we ought to fight seems to have the aspect of TIME attached to it. More often than not, chances are availed to us amidst times of confusion, or when others underestimate us  or even when we seem like we don't really know what lies ahead of us. It is in these moments that we pick up the strength to STAND UP and unknowingly begin to put the seemingly fuzzy pictures of life's puzzle together. You are not sited at the well ONLY to mourn and seek refreshment BY YOURSELF. You are there for such a time as that because there is a connection to the next path of your life. MAY THE EYES OF OUR UNDERSTANDING BE ENLIGHTENED TO KNOW THE TIME, TIMES AND THE TIMING, knowing that there are no occasions of "JUST".......For OUR GOD leaves nothing to chance.

"You cannot choose a battlefield, God does that for you: BUT you can plant a standard where a standard never flew." ~ Nathalia Crane

OF.... TIME, TIMES & TIMING .... "Battles My Size" ... PART 1

Ex 2:15-17; But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock. Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 

NKJV

Oh! How i admire the life of Moses and how he quickly adapted to the life around him. When from being the beloved son to the pharaoh who had everything at his disposal, he quickly becomes the lonely man in a far off land. Of TIME... because Time as much as may heal has the ability to kill, Of TIMES.... because i am certain that, appointed unto every man are particular periods of activity and habitation (No things for Just) and Of TIMING... because i believe that what we do, how we do it and when we do it are often the difference between where we are and where we desire to be.. 

So you have just left one struggle for your life, run away from the place you called home almost all your life and here you are in a strange place seated by a well. Isn't amazing that no matter what struggles we go through, we are always looking for a well to sit by, an oasis in the dry place of uncertainty, lack, conflict, broken relationships or even confusion ... BUT does it occur to you that no matter how refreshing this well could be, sometimes you may not be accustomed to consumption of the water there in?? So you have to adapt and be able to deal with the thirst you have had for days knowing that the return journey home isn't happening anytime soon. I came to rest and be refreshed but even as i do so, i have to adapt..... No moment is free from lessons. May my eyes be Open and my heart ready to learn.

Psalms 42:1 

Everyone talks about "LEAVING YOUR COMFORT ZONE" but do we really leave our comfort zones?? its one thing to know you could return and its another thing to depart knowing that your life is at risk. Its amazing though, to know that there is no happening that "JUST OCCURS".... but whenever things happen am i able to sit and watch?? maybe for a few minutes or so... Sometimes we sit not looking for the next step but maybe because we believe this could be the end of the journey... I know as you read this you could be in a place, bewildered and debilitated by your previous journey... When the days of old seem to cast brighter reflections from the past than the future you so heavily dread......... Why not find a well, and take a seat...... Wells to me are place of refreshment...... No one knows you by the well, Not many are interested in your story at the well.... We are all at the well for a different reason..... and Just like Moses, i believe at the well, a chance will soon present itself for yet another encounter with destiny....

"A crust of bread and a corner to sleep in. A minute to smile and an hour to weep in. A pint of joy to a peck of trouble, And never a laugh but the moans come double. And that is life. A crust and a corner that makes love precious. With a smile to warm and tears to refresh us, And joy seems sweeter when cares come after, And a moan is the finest of foils for laughter. And that is life." ~ Paul Laurence Dunbar

OF.... MEN and MIS-TAKES (Finale) ... Buried Alive

Ex 2:13-15; And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, "Why are you striking your companion?" 14 Then he said,"Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" So Moses feared and said, "Surely this thing is known!" ~ NKJV

I like to sort out things and hope that somewhat when am done, I will be safe and resting soundly not having to EVER deal with them AGAIN. Have you ever wondered how what you were sure was done and dusted seems far from over? You deal secretly with your addiction and hope that when you come out to meet men, you will smile and carry on with your usual dealings like nothing ever happened..? Does everything we bury deep inside the sands of our hearts die?? Buried Alive, an understanding of how we wrestle secretly with weakness and yet it often gets a chance to sneak through the deep sands seeking placement in our daily lives.

So the Prince, Moses, walks out the very next day and sees a fight, this time different from the previous one, the burden in his heart is even greater and so he tries to sort out the mess on the outside while struggling with a similar mess on the inside... Oh, how i encounter this on a daily!! When some one moves to you and asks you how everyone in your family seemed happy and points out that you are the ideal family - haha!! OR when you are ever smiling and thus appear to be free from all forms of weakness and DIS-EASE. Isn't it ironic that what one group of people may soundly know you for the other group finds the inadequate within you..? At home, you're the lazy, quarrelsome and noisy child yet among your friends your the "coolest person they know - because you're hardworking and calm." A friend of mine recently referred to it as 'MULTI-PERSONALITY'. Of course, I think we all find a comfortable place to settle within the English language hahaha.

"Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" The kind of questions that bring all that is buried underneath, alive again. When your present situation demands an explanation of your past indulgences... One that I often hear within the corridors is when the one you are dating points to your past relationships as a reason for your current behavior. Every once in a while, your past stretches out an arm to get a hold of you and when it does, its that which was buried alive that keeps coming back to haunt you. The royalty in you is then put to the ultimate test, one that we so often fail and are left in regret not because of the current state in which we are but often because of that which we did in the past... That you may teach me to make the most of my time that I may apply my heart unto wisdom. I often refer to this wisdom that awakens you to the truth that TODAY is the YESTERDAY that TOMORROW will refer to..

So Moses feared and said, "Surely this thing is known!" It always surprises me that after all the time we put into burying the Egyptians in our lives, the Israelite has been watching us all along. Surely the things we think are hidden are KNOWN... most certainly before God and, assuredly too, before men. WHAT DO YOU HAVE BURIED in the sands of your life...? 

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

OF... MEN and MIS-TAKES... Thoughts and Things PART 2

Ex 2:12-13

 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.~ NKJV

As i read this verse, a quick question that came to mind was,,, WHAT ARE YOU BURYING IN THE SAND? As i posed to meditate and reflect on this, many more questions kept coming... When i am trying to sort things out on my own and they turn out in a different way from what i expected, Do i bury them somewhere??The Moses Scene looks simple to some but join me as i try to expound on this very word and see it come to life, The word made Flesh...

Was it easy for a prince to dig up a hole and hide some one in the sand?? I pictured it like one of the movie scenes ... Couldn't he have been sweating?  Could he have kept watching how many people passed by the scene just in case some one passed by and noticed something strange? what about the people with whom this Egyptian lived, didn't they wonder where he was that time they didn't see him?? .... However the biggest thought that comes to mind is what did Moses think after this?? Maybe he thought it was Over, he would slowly deal with all the Egyptians and bury them one at a time....So many questions but seemingly different answers to them all.

Do u ever bury things in the sands to hide them or perhaps to get rid of them? Do you ever make mistakes and when you realize no one but you knows it, you dig a hole in the sand and just shovel them away. Too much work in the relationships around you and so in the confines of your mind you kill them, dig pits, throw them in and silently re-echo the phrase... "THAT PERSON IS DEAD TO ME?" .... So much happens in the mind. I often cant help but thank God all that "kavuyo" (raucous) is only availed to him to search out as he deals with us.... BUT what happens when that very thought we had, matures into a thing..... We had our plan straight and thought dealing with one thought and hiding it in the sand would solve the crises we had before and here we are CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE.

As i read through this scripture i realized that Moses actually gave time to this thought, he seemed to have planned it at a certain point and ensured that he seized the opportunity when the Egyptian was left alone .... What was a thought became a thing and perhaps by burying him away, what started as simple seed was now manifested as complex fruit

Do you have dead men walking around you? Men that you could have killed in your mind maybe because of the hurt and pain they caused you.... OR could they be weaknesses that you hate to admit and yet slowly the stench of the corpses buried in the sands of your mind continues to haunt you... Often times i catch myself walking away like nothing happened because I believe i am strong enough BUT am I?? ....... When thoughts are given a fertile environment, they take root in the soils of our minds and these eventually become the fruit that later on manifest as Things...... How i pray that these things be ones that build and not destroy, ones that shade abroad light  and not deepen the darkness around me..... God remains faithful to his work in you and I..... Patience!! 

Gen 4:6-7; So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?IF YOU DO WELL, will you not be accepted? And IF YOU DO NOT DO WELL, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." ~NKJV

OF... MEN and MIS-TAKES... Thoughts and Things PART 1

    

Ex 2:12-13; so he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

Over and Over again, I keep hearing the chorus “the greatest battlefield is in the mind.” Seldom does it occur to me what exactly this battle is about and who exactly wins. Some say we often lose the battles but the greater cause is the War, the war for your SOUL… your Mind, will and Emotions…… YOUR SOUL: the greatest contributor to the things you do eventually….. Of thoughts and things….. Of seed and fruit….. When thoughts become things.

It’s amazing how a prince who is often looked after by the royal guard is convinced that at this opportune moment he may be all alone. Was his search to see if any one saw him only an outward one? Or could it be that he wondered internally, looking one way and the other desiring that he find a better way to deal with the fierce battle that raved on the inside. Haven’t you been in a place where despite the multitudes all around you, No one seems to be with you? You look this way to your Facebook and that way to your WhasApp and not one seems to resonate with you….

Don’t we often look this way internally (thoughts) and that way externally (things) when we are faced with the daily battles of life…You will catch me sited silently in one place yet often times I will be looking one way or the other seeking what next step I ought to take. It’s a very common point that life’s battles throw us in, the point where we search for the quickest way out, not because we picture the end in mind but rather consider it the best way to put the battle to and end so we could move on with OUR LIVES……

AND WHEN HE SAW NO ONE………. oh! What a common place this is that men arrive to when we look all around us. It is one thing to look around and it is another not to see any one… I am often convinced that my way is the right way AND surely!!! how many times I’ve been wrong on that. Do we see NO ONE because we have our minds made up already? Do we see no one because we think we can handle it all by ourselves? Are we in a rush to deal with it and MOVE ON? OR do we always think that our present situation is the 1st of it kind and No one will be of help...... 

What was a thought is now presented the chance to become a thing….. That very moment in our lives when we feel trapped in this Web and believe that only by ourselves do we have the capacity to make decisions……… after seeing no one, .......... HE KILLED THE EGYPTIAN AND HID HIM IN THE SAND….

To be continued……. 

OF... MEN and MIS-TAKES... Stranger in my house

Ex 2:11-12; Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. ~ NKJV

Its amazing how when we are all grown, the story of our birth seems a little bit funny or at times sounds more miraculous than the life we seem to live. Have you ever wondered how Moses knew he didn't belong? Or did he ever go searching for his mother again? Growth in a strange place often carries within it a mark of "mis-identity". When in school and you are in a Physics class and History seems to be shouting your name from across the room, a part of you wishes you would just get out and live out that for which you have a common language, yet there you are stuck...

A friend of mine who happens to be a Gifted teacher of the word brought to my knowledge the interesting truth that the battle on the inside of Moses is the exact battle he found outside; The Egyptian beating The Hebrew... Interesting, no?

Have you seen something on the outside that seems to be one that you struggle with on the inside? It may stir up anger so often but what if it pushes you to more than just anger? IDENTITY... 
Identity makes you realize that there is a stranger in your own house, one that looks like you but seems more like "just the voice in your head"... Could this be God rightly positioning you right before what he desires for you? You enter a room and see only what needs to be re-organised and you fight the thought off saying "maybe am just picky" OR could it be that you have the gift to organize? You read this article and realize maybe my punctuation is a little bit off? or rather more than off... haha! MAYBE UR AN ENGLISH TEACHER *wink*....Well its interesting how what is chaos to one is an opportunity of ministry to another.

Often, when I listen to those that have gone before me in whose footsteps I would like to follow along certain lines (mentors, role models, my secret admirations, call them what you may), I discover that it was in those moments when they realized a situation wasn't right and sought a solution tirelessly on the outside that they eventually realized they carried within themselves the very solution they looked for... This wont happen for us all BUT shall we take a minute and meditate on what exactly appears as crisis around us? And it's not usually the BIG THING, it's the small things too. Perhaps as we do this, we shall find the strangers that have lived with us all this time...

Most men I meet at one point or another tell me of a stranger that was in them all along, something they never knew was them (or should i say in them)  or maybe that they could do.... As i write this piece, i see a clear reflection of one in me ........ Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown............ GROWTH......That's it...... I believe somethings get clearer as we grow and even better how we grow.... The beauty of process. 

Do we change? or Do we Grow? Could it one leading to the other?... Too many questions seemingly few answers....

OF..... BEAUTY IN BASKETS (Finale).... Wisdom in Wording

Exodus 2:7-8; Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" And Pharaoh's daughter said to her "Go." so the maiden went and called the child's mother.

How I wish that as this series comes to and end, a certain light be shone abroad in your heart concerning more than ordinary men shall comprehend. To God be the Glory now and forever more Amen.

Hardly does the bible say that the Pharaoh's daughter had discovered the baby's identity when  we see the girl speaking to her regarding who would best fit to nurse the baby. Was it that simple to get to one of Royal lineage? Could she have been so close that she had Pharaoh's daughter ask? Did she see from a far off where she was and heard wisdom in her speak that then was the time? Are you made to believe that to seek audience with Royalty was so simple a thing let alone by one of Hebrew blood?

I've been in several situations and places where nothing qualifies me to speak.... not my position, not my name nor my title, neither my skill nor my proficiency with the English language and all i could do was ask that favor be availed. If you have been in situations of similar nature, often times despite the cause at heart, you will be forced to back down, weighing yourself a little lighter than those from whom you seek audience. I believe, though this little girl may not have been told what exactly she ought to do if such an occurrence were presented, through observation she learned what she ought to say and when she ought to say it... "shall i go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" Does the Bible leave out the preliminary stages of this conversation?? May be? Maybe Not?

To speak may be simple, and to speak the right words maybe rather challenging. However, to speak the right words at the right time - That is divine, i would refer to it as Wisdom being availed to a man from the Life giver. That I may learn to speak what is timely is my prayer every morning. Often times, when I listen to those that have gone before me that have met success or rather excellence in a field  in which I desire to grow, I hear the re-echoed phrases... WATCH WHAT YOU SAY.. DON'T BE CARELESS WITH YOUR WORDS.. For the most part, I am left in sadness from the thought of a time when I could have spoken right but I didn't. For the lesser part though, I am held in the thought of whether what I said ought to have been said when I said it. But to know that where I am heading could be one right word away spins a wheel within my mind. How I hope in yours too...
Teach me, oh Lord, that I may speak.. For when you do, it will be according to the right time.

LET THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATIONS OF MY HEART 

BE ACCEPTABLE IN THY SIGHT, OH LORD, 

MY STRENGTH AND MY REDEEMER.

OF..... BEAUTY IN BASKETS 3.... Timing, Tears and Tenderness

Ex 2:5-6; Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." ~ NKJV

If you have been following the BEAUTY IN BASKETS sequel, I'm sure by now you know that each episode takes a new line .... I hope that in one way or the other you may see what is intended to be different verses with a same chorus to One song.. Shall we, now, proceed with this one?

Couldn't the maidens have seen the baby before Pharaohs daughter? Was she unknowingly directed to that point of the river at that time? Wasn't the Timing beyond one of a coincidental nature? Do you ever wonder if why you are where you are is as important as what you are there for? Or do certain things happen "FOR JUST"?

TIMING more often than not means everything as we walk in pursuit of the different things that define who we are. I often ask God to guide me that I may know why I'm at a place when I am at that place. However, the even greater prayer is that to those by whom I should be seen and those I ought to see, I may be as a Basket that can't be ignored. One of beauty that doesn't only meet the eye with satisfaction but also ignites a passion in the hearts demanding more than sight from afar off. I speak of Partner-ships, Friend-ships, mentor-ships and other ships that sail as baskets of beauty in the rivers of our lives, sometimes hidden within the reeds... Oh teach me to make the most of my TIME that I may apply my heart to wisdom.

TEARS.. Is to cry is to be weak? Could the baby  have spoken in a language beyond Human comprehension? ...and Behold the baby wept... Isn't it amazing that speech goes beyond words? Aren't there moments in life when tears speak louder than the clearest of words? Couldn't it be that when we seem lost in the pain and misery of the never ending whips of life that maybe we learn to speak the most amazing of words? NOT with the clearest of voices but rather with the finest of consciences. Isn't he in whose arms we lay able to discern the language where in we make the silent expressions of the heart known? when my heart grows faint and my mind screams pain, teach me.. that I may speak in languages so plain.

TENDERNESS.. Come to think of it, how often do the tears of others build compassion in me? I was wondering if such was with the daughter of the Pharaoh. In her arms, the baby lay but in her her heart he came to stay. Could this tenderness in her heart be the soil upon which his identity was sown? "This is one of the Hebrews' children." Didn't she know the decree her father had passed, that all infant sons maybe killed? HE prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies...

As we wait, we wait on you, Oh Lord, often not knowing what to say and what turns we ought to take amidst the multitudes of crossroads on our Journey here on Earth. When Time goes by with Tears often nigh, may your Tenderness often bring that Sigh...

Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it may depart from me. And he said to me... "My Grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

OF..... BEAUTY IN BASKETS 2....: Sister in waiting

Ex 2:4; And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. NKJV

You are just getting a hold of the idea of MUMMY's new baby and the fact that you are now a Big sister. Filled with the promises of what kind of big sister you will be to your younger brother, you follow mummy to the river, perhaps holding Baby's new basket that you closely watched mummy make. As you reach the river, mummy starts to cry and you have no clue as to why.....Then to climax it all, Mummy asks you to watch after the baby as she places him in the river, at the bank within the reeds.. Mummy, didn't baby bathe already?!!

Have you ever wondered what went through this girl's head? Have you ever been in the place where you were learning to get a hold of something new and now it has to go... Fine let it go BUT can't i at the least Know why?... Mummy in tears, Daddy probably in fear and you just a "seer"..... So many questions.. seemingly distant answers..

The birth of something new always brings joy BUT when the time of its departure appears sooner than you were ready for, most times you won't comprehend why it had to be so. Have you been left in charge of something that seemed to be failing, falling or getting out of hand and all you can do is stand a far off to see what will become of it? Could it be a relationship recently started, a business recently commissioned, an idea infant in its birth?.... Now you have to remember always going to "feed it while it was in Hiding"...... or telling all those around you about it... Perhaps changing your status and display picture too........ Now mummy can't explain and daddy looks on in vain yet all you can do is STAND AND LOOK FROM AFAR OFF.....

With so many questions and seemingly but a few answers we journey into the uncharted territories that the life under the sun offers us. Not knowing what we ought to do nor what direction we need to take..Are we patient enough to Stand and look from a far off whether we be in Pain, sadness, anger, despair.."add one".. for the beauty that lies in the basket has one that watches over it and He desires a greater end..... Waiting comes with its own challenges... but how we wait is root deep.. we can only continuously grow there in.

Whine or Dine, Myth or Wish... Find rest My soul ... There is one greater than all and none stands tall, The Great I am.

Coming Soon...... Oasis 3

OF..... BEAUTY IN BASKETS.... Fineness In Hiding

Ex 2:1-3; Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

I love to meditate on scripture with particular reference to the stories of the Patriarchs paying so much attention to their birth, their weaknesses, inadequacies and How God chose to use them. 

This morning I consider Moses, Does his Birth relate to anything i can resonate with??.... yes, Beauty in a basket...... The excerpt from exodus tells us that When his mother saw he was a Fine child... she chose to hide him..... Could the mother have been opened up to more than met the eye? or was this Fineness of an ordinary kind?.... So many Questions so few answers. True?

Everything in its infant stage is vulnerable. Right from a relationship to a business, an idea, a ministry name it.. However, it gets even worse when the external environment demands that the infant be killed. Have you ever been a part of something new? Whether or not you can see the end of that thing, it has a form of beauty and looks like the finest piece you will be apart of...... BUT what happens when you cant let it out because the life therein won't be sustained?!

I picture a young man whose business idea feels ripe in his head and yet raw as he goes to bed, a young lady who has recently encountered love and feels of a gentle dove... There is Beauty in the thought and yet we all know that this may be but a quote. So we go into hiding, we hide it all away from the roughness of the external world because its longevity seems more certain where we can see it and less certain in the place where it actually is meant to be.

When fineness wont be hidden no more, Shall we make a basket? Shall we prep ourselves to let the vulnerabilities of infancy be the seed that springs forth into the ever abounding fruit of growth and continuous improvement? ...... So she picks up her papyrus and  coats it (i like the NKJV which says she daubed it... " as in a carelessly rough or liberal way").... Yes she was scared, No she didn't want to let go.... This is Moses we are talking about just so you remember. .... and PUT the child in that basket and laid it in the reeds by the river bank... If i would share in what she felt, perhaps my mind runs to failure, fear...... When you have to let go of that which you love and held onto for so long..... BEAUTY IN THE BASKET... What was in my arms, now by the river bank....

If i could keep you, i would BUT to have you die in my arms, i rather that fate decide your way.

To be continued........