Challenges come that pierce the marrow of the bones of me. The vitality, the strength of myself seeps out. Like one losing too much blood, I find myself dazed, confused, wounded. For a moment, or is it hours, I turn in circles, spending myself – until I call His name and He is there, Jehovah Shammah:
“But me he caught—reached all the way
from sky to sea; he pulled me out”
Like the shells broken in the surf, He knows all the pieces of me to put me back together. I am awed that He reaches from the sky to the sea to pull me out. Out of all those shell pieces – only He knows the pattern of who I am, how I am designed to be. There are no missing pieces of me that He cannot find. Yes – He pulls me out
“Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,”
On our recent trip to the beach, my husband and I enjoyed a few hours each day bobbing around in the ocean, each with our own inner tubes. It all seemed so delightful until a wave crashed me and my nose into my husband’s brawny arm, resulting in a nose bleed, sore nose, lost glasses – and a lot of wobbly. My foot landed on my glasses only for the next wave to haul me up and forward – and pull the shades out right from under me. It took me about 30 minutes to rally back – and tease my husband about popping me in the nose.
There are days that feel just like that – beat up and missing something- but instead of ocean waves and my husband’s brawny arm, it’s when nobody seems to like you. Those days when my boys don’t like me, when the driver behind me is impatient, when hospitality isn’t extended but hurt is, when everything just seems to go wrong. It’s like Chaos showed up on my day-step, like unplanned waves, show up, , shoving, crashing, stirring the pot. Chaos is like an uninvited guest who turns everything upside down, instigating shenanigans designed to beat-up your heart.
God reaches down into the ocean of all that, tosses chaos out – and in the midst of the broken shell I am, He is right there, helping me find all the pieces of myself
“but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!”
(2 Samuel 22: 17-20)
He sticks by me, stands me up, dusts me off, on a wide-open field. A wide open field – a place of nurturing goodness given. Yes – I am still surprised to be loved like that! It’s in those drowning moments where the evidence of His love never fails to surprise me – not in a faithless way but in a whispered wow kind-of-way.
I don’t know about you, but I want to walk each day this week, wowed to my soul toes as I face these challenges, my heart wide-open to His possibilities.
Bless your dear heart! I am so sorry to hear of your mishap at the beach! Hope you are feeling much better by now. 🙂 God bless you.
It took about 3 days to feel much better – but God gives us something beautiful inside the challenge, doesn’t he!
I’ve had those mishaps in the ocean and I totally understand how it feels! I, too, want to walk this week “wowed to my soul toes!”
I came over from Laura’s playdates link-up. So glad I did. I see many familiar faces in your FB page sidebar! I’m subscribing to your blog!
I’m still trying to decide which is worse: an inadvertent punch to the nose cause by a wave or being stung by baby jelly fish. So glad God gives us extra special care and loves us like that! Trying to live this week along with you wowed to my soul toes! Wishing you blessing!
[…] Maryleigh’s Bio: Maryleigh is a wife of 30 years, a mom of 5 sons ranging in ages from 27 to 13. She is a seeker of solutions to challenges, the perfect white cake recipe, the washer of the Blue Cotton Blanket, trying to raise sons to be strong, manly men who love God and show the love of Jesus Christ to others through their words and actions. Trying to live grace and joy through the journey, she writes at her blog Blue Cotton Memory. […]
While I have visited your site before, I had to come after Lyli’s introduction & I am so glad I did this morning. I want to live this week “wowed to my soul toes!” I am so grateful our Savior lives to delight us down to our very soul toes! Have a blessed week!
Lyli was so gracious and generous! It was a hug at just the right time. We all need encouragement:) Trying to live this week wowed to my toes with you! So glad you came by – an extra hug in the day!
~Maryleigh
The evidence of His love still surrounds us — what a beautiful and comforting thought. And truth! I’ve had those days too, when I feel that I’m not a likable person even to my own family (maybe especially to my own family?). But so thankful that God breaks through with grace every time. Hope your nose is all better. 🙂
It took a few days for my nose to get better, Lisa! I felt like I’d been in a brawl – I guess raising these sons taught me to take it. I think it’s hard to be likable 24/7 – because others are a variable we cannot control – all we can do is just love the best we can – and God will fill in where we cannot! I am so glad of this community – that we lift each other up, encourage each other – and it allows us each to share how God encourages us – glad to be doing that with you!
~Maryleigh
Oh such a beautiful word picture of him picking us up, dusting us off, and standing us in an open field. And how it is there I want to stand, and stay, and walk with Him each and all of my days! So good getting to stop by and to be encouraged by your hopeful words today friend!
Thanks for coming by Jen – standing in that field with you. It’s amazing how when we’re children, we don’t want to be dusted off after we fall – but as grown-ups – that is such a ministering action. Wishing you joy-catching moments in the week!
~Maryleigh
Wow, oceans are wonderful and beautiful, but they can toss us around too. Great life analogy . . . and yes the way He reaches down and picks us up. Oh, I think there would have been several times when I would have stayed down were it not for my Heavenly Father and His grace. Hugs to you.
I’m right there with you – without Him I don’t think I could have gotten back up on too many occasions. Those oceans, like life can sure toss us around – so glad we’re living it with Him. Hugs back at you, Deb!
~Maryleigh
I think that phrase, “wowed to my soul toes” will stick with me. There are days God picks me up and i’m surprised by His love. Certainly undeserving and unworthy but still, He dusts me off and again I find myself amazed by His love–wowed to my soul toes! ~Pamela
I still don’t think I know the depth of my soul – but the toes of it seems as deep as possible. How can we not expect to be surprised by His love when He is so much more than we can wrap our brains and hearts about? Wishing you blessing this week! Thank you for coming by!
~Maryleigh
2 things: 1) I loved how you personified chaos because it makes me realize that I am not powerless against “him.” If he is a guest, I can ask him to leave. Good stuff. 2) The verse you pulled out of Samuel really touched my heart: “surprised to be loved.” This will be my quiet time verse to meditate on tomorrow. Thank you for that.
Jen, God brought me to this verse and its translation in the face of 2 overwhelming challenges at once. Like you, the word choice seems to identify chaos almost like a person directing discord. Yes! We can ask chaos to leave and God boots him out! – and the translation says so perfectly how my heart often feels: surprised to be loved! Wishing you sweet blessing in the surprise of it all tomorrow!
Hi Blue Cotton,
Your family’s time at the beach sounds relaxing up until the bumped nose and wave tumble. 🙂
Thank you for being real about the hurts and dazed times that come. Your version of 2 Samuel 22:17-20 so caught my attention that I googled it on a side bar just to see it. Where is this one from? Is that the Message? It’s neat to hear it a new way sometimes, huh?
Thanks,
Jennifer Dougan
http://www.jenniferdougan.com
Thank you, Jennifer – The translation is from the Message. The translation caught my attention during a challenge – the daily is full of them, isn’t it – and it’s all about seeing them with Faith!. So glad you came by!
Maryleigh
“God reaches down into the ocean of all that- tosses chaos out.” He does reach down and toss out everything that doesn’t belong. Delicious words and images here. Lyli does indeed have good taste in encourages.
The Message translation provided the delicious words and images – and it just went straight to my heart! Challenges do that – kind of rip our souls open for God to drop something valuable inside! I feel like Lyli invited us to lunch, we sat around a table and made good friends this week!
Love this: “I want to walk each day this week, wowed to my soul toes as I face these challenges, my heart wide-open to His possibilities.” A great prayer for life! I’m stopping by from Beauty Observed. Blessings!
Thank you, Renee! Praying you and I live heart wide-open to His possibilities!
This post is a reminder to me that I need to come here more frequently. Loved this so much. Me too >>> “I want to walk each day this week, wowed to my soul toes as I face these challenges, my heart wide-open to His possibilities.”
Blessings.
Oh yes! Me too! So much!
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He lifts us up and makes us whole. A lovely post my friend xo