“See, LORD, how distressed
I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been
most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death.”
Lamentations 1:20
I was home alone. It was a quiet Saturday morning—except
for the clamoring thoughts inside my mind.
Unable to contain them any longer, I cried aloud to
the One Who hears me. Agitated, I paced the cold kitchen floor and then stopped
to gaze out of the storm door to the fenced back yard. I continued to call out to
God in anguish.
“Why, Lord, isn’t it okay for me to be angry and
express myself like everyone else does?” I blubbered through hot tears.
“Because
when you do, you harm others; your words cut and inflict deep pain.”
Silence.
Meekly, I responded, “Lord, I want to release and
express anger without wounding others.”
Suddenly, a magnificent form, much too large for
our backyard, caught my attention. A flash of bright gray swiftly came and went.
Then another. Again, gone. I rushed to the window in the adjoining room.
Two regal doves serenely gleaned fallen seeds
beneath our hanging bird feeder, oblivious to the noisy, flitting finches above
their heads.
Calm. God was near.
Peace glided into my troubled heart as God’s Spirit
quieted the storm within.
Then the doves took silent flight. No evidence
remained outside of the presence of the two uncommon visitors.
The proof of their presence, however, saturated my
mind and heart as a warm, fragrant, sealing oil. God’s precious gift to me left
a lasting imprint.
Wounds healed.
Thank You,
Holy Spirit, for Your gentle, merciful, and beautiful intervention in our hearts.
You show Yourself to us in the midst of the storms that rage within us. You
hear us. You answer our cries. You are our safe place where our souls take
refuge. Your answers are unexpected, unpredictable, and creatively tailored for
each of us.
Karen Sims
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