The shore icy stones
The waves crashing breaking
And I’m plunged deeper
–bg
The infusing and the plunging have only gone deeper these past few weeks, as God is bringing home to me a depth of His loving that I have only begun to taste. Three appointments in as many weeks, with each one speaking a common theme, will tend to make one listen! (Oh, I am so slow to listen, it seems!)
The first was with an Eye Doctor who told me that I had to stop minimizing my symptoms. The second was with a Thyroid Specialist who did NOT minimize the effects of this Rheumatoid Disease on my body, and the third came as I placed those new glasses in front of my eyes.
Wonder of wonders, I could actually SEE through the new glasses.
For many years, I’ve put up with glasses from an inferior manufacturer that never allowed my eyes to focus correctly. When I asked about it, I was told that the glasses just needed to be bent to my face in a better way. Well, crooked or straight, blurry is blurry. 🙂 But the sad thing is that I accepted that diagnosis as my own deficiency, and berated myself that I could not be sufficient in yet another thing.
Until God allowed the waves and breakers to wash over my frozen heart.
(Photo by Marc Marchal on Unsplash)
HE is my sufficiency–the One who delights to love and rescue me!
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life Psalm 42:7-8 NIV
As my husband and I sat in our parked car and looked out over the cold icy waters of Lake Michigan, I found myself staring at the waves that were crashing over the blocks of ice that had formed at the edges of the shoreline. We were immersed in discussion over the Thyroid Specialist’s kindness to me. So why were the crashing waves capturing my attention?
Have you ever felt yourself being washed in a mercy that felt like it was rescue and falling at the same time?
In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.
3 You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,[b]
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
brought my life up from the pit. Jonah 2:1-6 NIV
It is only in the falling, in the desperation, that we find ourselves crying out for His sufficiency, His compassion. And yet in that very falling is the rescue that He had planned all along.
Where I have discounted the depth of my own stories, my own difficulties, I have held myself apart from receiving His mercy: from seeing how close is the very mercy that can NEVER be cut off.
For it is here that my heart is plunged deeper into His grace and His love.
For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe. Psalm 61:3 NIV
When He plunges us, when He lets us face those waves, He is holding us and plunging in right there with us. He is that strong tower even in the midst of the waves’ heaving.
Oh my friends this is an ocean for me, a place of learning again and again that He is with me at the bottom of the sea just as much as He is with me on the quiet beaches.
Have you been facing the waves of an ocean also? Have you been trying to swim on your own?
Would you join with me in this place of falling and rescue as we cry out to HIM?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Oh, Lord, we come trembling before You here, acknowledging that we are in a place where rescue seems far off. We admit that we have tried to ignore the storm, deny the pain, and minimize the waves. But we are in over our heads. We cry out for YOU today. We need You to be our strong tower once again. Thank You for the mercy that is flowing all around us now, for YOUR eternal compassion. We lay ourselves in Your strong and mighty arms.
In the name of Your son Jesus we pray,
Amen.
This quote from Not by Sight by Jon Bloom has been echoing in my heart for several weeks. May you be blessed as you read as well. It is our need of Jesus that draws Him to call us even still today:
Jesus did not call us because of our righteousness or gifting. He called us when we were dead in our sins (Eph. 2:1) and blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). He called us when all we had was need. And now that we are his disciples, all we redeemed sinners still really have is our need of him. He is the Vine and we are branches; apart from him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). He supplies us with the Spirit (Gal. 3:5) so that we serve only in the strength and grace that he supplies (1 Pet. 4:11).
Bloom, Jon. Not by Sight: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking by Faith . Crossway. Kindle Edition.
I am linking with:
BettieGsRAseasons 
Praying for you Bettie. God bless you!
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Thank you so much! May God bless you and be with you and your family this week, dear brother!
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Oh, those seasons when we need rescue can feel so hard. And sometimes we can’t even see it! So grateful for His grace to always be there, always come through, always save the day in the best possible way — even if it means new glasses 😉
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Oh yes, I am so grateful that His grace is always there and He will “always save the day in the best possible way.” What a beautiful Savior we have! And yes, it’s a treat to have new glasses. 😉
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Beautiful, as always, Bettie! You write from your pain but also share the hope and healing that comes through Jesus. Your poem is lovely and the song you shared fits so well. “When He plunges us, when He lets us face those waves, He is holding us and plunging in right there with us.” Amen. Blessings, love and hugs to you, dear sister! xoxo
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Dear Gayl,
I am so blessed by the way that our Jesus meets us in our pain, and then brings us into His hope and His healing. He is truly with us in every moment, even through the wild waves. I am so grateful that He has brought our paths together to pray for and encourage each other. Blessings, love and hugs to you too dear sister! xoxo
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Bettie, I could see and feel myself under the waves. Your descriptions are life-like. I am rejoicing with you for new eyes, both on your face and in your heart. Love, Julie
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Dear Julie,
Oh what a beautiful parallel you have described here: “new eyes, both on my face and in my heart.” He truly is changing my eyes, and giving me His love-lens to see through. What a difference that new vision brings. Thank you for your precious insights here. You are a blessing! Love & hugs to you dear friend!
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I too have had issues with eye doctors not caring deeply about my issues. And was just talking with someone this weekend in the same boat. I’m about to make an appointment so pray that I find the right doctor. I’m told the R.A. can cause eye issues.
great song. never heard it before.
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Dear Mandy,
Oh yes, I will pray that you can find a good Eye Doctor. It really is important to have them checked out, because RA, and the meds we have to take with it, can cause eye issues. Isn’t it so sad to find doctors that are so uncaring? I guess it makes us all the more grateful when we find one that displays kindness and understanding! Keep me updated on how it works out for you! Love & Hugs!
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Amen.
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Facing the waves of an ocean can certainly tire our bodies and our souls. I am praying for you.
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Yes, Melissa, those waves are so tiring! But praise God for the strength that He carries us with! I appreciate your prayers so much. Blessings and love to you!
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Thanks again for your beautiful words. I need time to reflect on the depths of your thoughts. Your words brought back a word-picture from one of my mother’s letters written by Lake Erie in Conneaut OH 1946. My four older siblings, age 3-6 were “filling the lake with sand and stones.” Yet the water and sky met at the horizon all the time. That picture speaks of the vast, unchanging, unmeasurable love of God stretching beyond our horizons, even when the “sand and stones” or the waves of distress or pain fill our daily lives.
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Dear Lisa,
Oh what beautiful thoughts your Mother shared! His love is so “vast, unchanging, unmeasurable” that we can never fully grasp it, can we? And yet He is here with us, where we see only the sand and stones, and He is pointing us to that beautiful horizon ahead of us where the sea and the sky will finally meet beyond the bounds of this earth. Oh how encouraging is His depth of love for us! Thank you for sharing these precious thoughts. I grew up just a few hours away from Lake Erie, so have visited it many times also! Blessings, love, and hugs to you Sweet Friend!
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Oh Bettie, your heartfelt, soulful words drew me into your experience. I have cried out in much the same way at times in my life. And every day, I pray to cry out to Him just as you have, because I am in over my head in this world, this life and this sinful flesh. I need His rescue now and forever! I rest in these thoughts, “He is with me at the bottom of the sea just as much as He is with me on the quiet beaches.” Beautiful words of hope in Christ! Bless you again and again, Bettie! P.S. I’m so glad the glasses work well!
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Dear Melissa,
Oh, you are so right that we are in over our heads “in this world, this life, and this sinful flesh.” Truly we need Him so much every day! I am so thankful for that precious hope that He brings to us right in the middle of those deep ocean waves. Thank you so much for the encouragement that you always share! May you be blessed this week, my friend!
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Praying much for you, my friend! I am so glad you were able to get glasses that properly correct your vision. I am dealing with something similar and need to finally take care of the situation, also. God bless you abundantly, as you continue to so richly bless all of us who come here!
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Dear Cheryl,
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and encouragement my friend! I am so sorry that you have been dealing with vision problems also. I will surely be praying that God will direct and guide you to the proper treatment. He is so near to help us with every struggle we face! Blessings and love to you dear friend!
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Oh Bettie, I’m so glad you can see better. I am sorry for all your difficulties. And yet, through the depth of the waves that you’re falling in, God has also given you a deeper insight to His grace and love. This post really resonates with me. I find this so true in my life, too – “Where I have discounted the depth of my own stories, my own difficulties, I have held myself apart from receiving His mercy: from seeing how close is the very mercy that can NEVER be cut off. For it is here that my heart is plunged deeper into His grace and His love.” The song is inspiring, too. It gave me a picture of walking into the depths of the waves with Jesus at our sides. Deeper into His love and grace. And the prayer? My heart says “Amen” to every word. Thank you for encouraging me to lay myself into His mighty arms of love and grace today. Love and blessings of deeper revelations of Jesus’ love in the midst of this heavy trial!
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Dear Trudy,
Yes, it is such a gift to be able to see better again! Isn’t that song so beautiful? I had a couple of other songs in mind, but this one would just not leave my mind, as it felt almost like the Lord was singing it for me too. He does call us to fall into His mighty arms in the very midst of those waves. I am so thankful that these words resonated with you dear friend. He really doesn’t want us to discount these hard places that feel so overwhelming, because He is waiting to hold us there! I am so very grateful that we can pray for each other. Jesus has been so faithful to us, calling and pursuing us. Much love and hugs dear friend. xo
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His love is deeper still…
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Oh, amen! Always deeper! xo
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In the middle of the ocean now. I appreciate these verses as I paddle. Thank you!
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I am praying for you now, Amber! It’s comforting to know that we are not alone in this ocean. Thank you for your sweet comments.
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Bettie, hi! I love your story of how He’s meeting you in this time and place, connecting you with the right people who will help you care for your body … and that you’re seeing His hand at work in sweet yet powerful ways.
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Hi Linda! Yes, He is so sweet as He meets me here, and brings such beautiful connections that show me His care and love. What a precious Savior we have, so concerned over body, soul, and spirit, all of us! Blessings to you!
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This is such a deep and beautiful heart reflection. You have been pulled through many stormy waters and have drowned in pain, desperate for relief. What a hope we have when we see the way that nothing can separate us from God’s mercy and grace! We are held by God even as the waves and breakers crash over us, and we are led deeper into the wonder of His oceans of love as we relax and trust. I see this so much in you, Bettie: “For it is here that my heart is plunged deeper into His grace and His love.” Yes, it is happening and it is glorious to behold! We mourn with you in your pain but we also rejoice as God enlarges your spiritual insight and vision in every way. Thank you for your openness and the gracious way you write. It touches my heart time and again. I love the song you have shared as well. It fits beautifully with your post. Blessings, love and hugs to you, dear friend! xoxo
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Dear Joy,
Thank you my friend for having such an understanding heart and for sharing the comfort that you have been given. You are a true blessing on this path through these waves. He does give us such mercy and grace as He lets us know that we are never separated from Him. And I am so very grateful that He allows us to share that mercy and grace with each other. You have expressed so often those overwhelming feelings of weariness that hit us because of physical, emotional or spiritual burdens. But you also bring a depth of insight to your words that point me back to Jesus, no matter how hard the day might feel. Thank you for your encouragement, to keep writing and to keep sharing. Your words bring tears to my eyes, just when I have needed that inspiration from the Lord’s heart. Blessings, love, and hugs to you my dear heart-friend. xo
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These words are ones I needed to read today. This right here ———>. It is only in the falling, in the desperation, that we find ourselves crying out for His sufficiency, His compassion. And yet in that very falling is the rescue that He had planned all along.
The truth that God always plans a rescue is one I’m taking with me for today and into the future. There is so much more that touched me, but hard to find the words. Thank you for writing because your words matter to many.
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Dear Mary,
Oh I am so very thankful that the Lord touched you here today with His truth. He truly has always planned for our rescue, even when we have felt so far away and overwhelmed. What a precious Savior we have! Thank you for the sweet encouragement that you bring to me also, Dear Friend. This was a hard post to write, and to share, but His Grace is such a sweet gift. Blessings and love to you!
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I’m thankful Bettie, that you can now see with your new glasses. What a struggle that must have been. God does want us to acknowledge our needs fully, doesn’t He? It reminds me that we need to let others in too, the ones God places in our lives to help us, sharpen us, and maybe even provide just the medicine we need.
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Dear Lynn,
Yes, I so glad to be seeing better finally! And you are so right, that God brings people into our lives who are meant to be a help and blessing to us. Even then, we need to acknowledge our needs there, and be open to receive the caring and loving that would be given. I am so thankful for the encouragement and caring that you have brought here to me. Your words are always such a gift. Blessings, love, and hugs to you! xo
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