Continued Conversation

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continued conversation with God." ~Brother Lawrence

Continued conversation.

When I was very little, I developed a habit that has never left me. I noticed that prayers were to be ended with amen (as well they should, since the Model Prayer in God's Word ends in this way). But I began to distinctly dislike this tradition in my personal prayer life. One night I pondered my dislike and discovered the reason for it. 
Amen had begun to mean to me an ending. Once the amen was uttered, the prayer was done. Communication with the Father had ended, almost as a telephone is placed back into its receiver. 

Of course, this is not what the word represents in actuality. It does not mean, "Now it's time to eat" or "We can go home from church now" (though too often, I fear, we all view it that way). Rather, amen means "so be it" or "Thy will be done."
However, at ten or eleven years old, I had not completed a single Biblical word study, and I simply did not like this abrupt ending of a conversation with God. I knew, I had been taught, that I needed God. Constantly. I wanted to be always mid-conversation. And so, I decided that I would not end my prayers with amen. I began to leave off any ending at all. I would whisper, "In Jesus' name," at the conclusion of my prayer, and then stop. 
In reality, I was still ending my prayer, but in my mind, this left the line of communication open. I let God know that I was not ending my prayer or "hanging up." The conversation was ongoing. He could communicate at any time, as could I.

It may seem childish, but even now, though I end many prayers with amen, I often remember that great dislike for the concept of a prayer ended, and I leave off the term, ending instead with "Thank You" or "I love You."

Continued conversation. 

A life of continued conversation does not necessarily mean leaving off your amen. Indeed, praying for the will of God to be done (or "so be it") is necessary and an outflow of the Christian's heart. 

Continued conversation is what God's Word titles "praying without ceasing." It's this daily, this moment-by-moment communication with the Father of Lights. That's what transforms the whole outlook. It's the whispering of thank you as we go about our hours. It's this stopping to count blessings; it's even counting them as we go sometimes, rushing about to complete our tasks for the day.  

The small becomes unbelievably large when we remember from Whom it comes.

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow" (James 1:17).

It's this constant thank you as we "live and move and have our being" in HIM. 

Thank you, Father, for my food and the ability to eat and enjoy it. Thank you for books and words and my eyes and the ability to read . . . for chapters I can read at bedtime . . . for my exciting new stack of thrift store books. Thank you for my window and the summer rain against the pane . . . for old movies and the pleasure of being with my family to watch them. Thank you for chocolate and my engagement ring and the wonderful man who loves me.  Thank you for Your grace and Your sacrifice and for flitting fireflies at twilight.

Yes, these feeble thanks can sound humorous when strung together so childishly. Aren't chocolate and family and God's sacrifice such vastly different things? Doesn't God find it silly to hear such prayers throughout the day? 
No. Living in light of thanksgiving all the year round is never silly to the Father. Are not all of these marvelous blessings from HIM? Are they not all a manifestation of His love, His grace? 
Suddenly, this square of dark chocolate becomes special gift from our Maker. This clearance rack shirt becomes priceless provision from Him Who has redeemed us. 

Continued conversation. 

Brother Lawrence called it delightful. Oh yes, it is delightful. When the ordinary becomes extraordinary, when the being feels truly alive, it is always delightful. He makes us live. Constant communication with Him invites Him in. It acknowledges His presence, and it expresses a dependence on, a desire for HIM.
  
It transforms dark, terrifying situations into hope. 
God, I don't understand this. I don't understand why this is happening; but I'm trusting You, because You're sovereign and know what is best. Please give me some answers. Please hold me and help me. 

It adjusts the eyes to see beauty.
Father, that sunset. It's gorgeous. You're the greatest Artist of all time. 

And to be beauty.
Father, I'm truly beautiful, because I'm created uniquely by You. Father, I have a purpose, and it's all because of You.

Continued conversation. Recognizing that this--all this--points to God. 
The good and lovely show His goodness and loveliness. 
The dark and terrible remind of His holiness in contrast to sin, which causes all ugliness. They remind of His sovereignty, as all is in His control. They remind that His righteousness will triumph once and for all on a blessed coming day.

Continued conversation. Sweet and delightful. It is the ONLY way to truly live.

~Miss Emily Elizabeth

Soul Food

I am a person. Therefore, I eat to live. 
I eat to enjoy. Food is a daily part of my life. I cannot go through a day without food and not notice or care. I care a great deal.
If necessary, I could survive for a little while without food, though it would be a terrible, painful ordeal. I know this to be true.

I am a Christian . . . but do I eat to live? Do I eat to enjoy?
What of soul-food? What of hearty, thick spiritual stew that sticks to bones? What of sweet, rich feasts that revive the barren soul? What of cool, clean water . . . living water?

Can I go through the motions of living out my day and enjoy it without soul-food? Sadly, I find that I can, far more easily than I can without food for the physical. 
I can choose to live on tiny snacks and grow anemic and thin and weak. I can choose to try living without. But it will not last for long. Soon, I will waste away. The enemy that rises up against me hour by hour will gain the victory . . . again and again. For I will be weak, far too weak to fight. I will starve.

Yes, it is that important, this day by day communion with the Father. It is necessary for life.

And so, like the Israelites, we go out. We gather manna, our sustenance. We take only what we can for this day. We do not eat an enormous feast and expect it to last us. It cannot be stored inside to last us longer. It runs out. We need more. Day by day, we need more. And day by day, as we go out to the place of food and stretch forth our arms to gather, HE gives. He delights in hungry souls, open and waiting, ready for the Father's sustenance.

I am a Christian. Therefore, I eat to live. I eat to enjoy. Soul-food is a daily part of my life. I cannot go through a day without soul-food and not notice or care. I care a great deal.

Eat, hungry Christians! Open souls to Him and feast.

"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him" (Psalm 34:8).

~Miss Emily Elizabeth

My Very Own Love Story

Attention, please, everyone! This is a message I would like to share with the whole, beautiful world :)

On Saturday, July 12, 2014, a special man of God knelt in front of me and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. And I said YES. :) God is so good. I am blessed beyond measure.

Tyler and Emily. Forever. 

Pray for us as we prepare to begin our new adventure together, always seeking God first and growing in His grace. :)

He's so cute ;)

~Miss Emily Elizabeth

Liebster Award

It is high time, if you ask me, for a purely fun post. Thank you, Madison at A Wanderer's Journey, for nominating me for the Liebster blog award! Do you know that is the first blog award nomination I have ever received? I am thrilled to complete this fun post and to nominate some other inspiring blogs for the same special award. 

Liebster, a charming word with German origins, means such beautiful things as "dearest, sweetest,  lovely, pleasant, valued, endearing, and welcome." What an honor to be bestowed upon The Tansy Patch.

Even purely fun posts must follow proper rules. The rules of the Liebster award are as follows: I, the honored nominee, must list eleven facts about myself, then answer eleven questions posed to me by Madison, the nominator. In turn, I present eleven original questions to nine bloggers of my choice who have fewer than 200 followers (these will be the ones I nominate for the Liebster award). I will share a link to these nine blogs at the end of this post, and they will, I hope, do the same on their own respective blogs. I must also let these nominees know that they have been selected for the Liebster award. In addition, I must share a link to the blog of the one who nominated me, which I did in the beginning :)

Time for the fun part!

About me:

1. I have a whole collection of paint-stained cups and mugs from my crafty projects (not to mention drawers and boxes filled with snippets of paper and ribbon, stickers, stamps, fabric, sketchbooks, crayons, markers, and more).

2. Sometimes I write on my to-do list something I’ve already finished, simply to experience the pleasure of marking it off.

3. I named my computer Gilligan and our piano Rochester (Think Gilligan's Island and Jane Eyre).

4. My favorite snack is chocolate milk and cheddar goldfish crackers. Yes, together. No, not mixed.

5. I am absolutely, undoubtedly stuck in the past. I adore television shows, movies, radio programs, music, magazines, photographs, sheet music, clothes, and stories from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. 

6. I carry at least one book with me everywhere I go (usually a stack or two on overnight trips).

7. I love t-shirts that commemorate events/memories. Especially free ones.

8. I sing loudly in the shower. Usually happy songs from old musicals.

9. I am known in my household and among friends as the caretaker/collector of old, forgotten books who need a home and love. Yes, I am one of those who digs through every scattered box of dusty thrift store books in search of hidden treasures.

10. On my wall are framed pictures of Bing Crosby, Shirley Temple, and The Lone Ranger.

11. I enjoy reading tombstones in old, tree-enshrouded graveyards. Those people had stories once.

Now, I get to answer Madison's questions!

1. What are your favorite names?
Avonlea, Eden-Grace, Adam, Levi, and Rowan

2. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
 Ireland. Then Prince Edward Island.

3. Do you like to read, and what is your favorite book or genre?
Do I like to read? Hahahahahahahahahaha. Ahem. Yes, you could say that. Favorite genre is probably historical fiction. Favorite books are the Emily of New Moon trilogy by L. M. Montgomery.

4. What is your favorite movie?
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Runners-up are the 1949 Little Women and Disney's 1965 That Darn Cat (scrupulously referred to in our household as D.C.) ;) . . . For a heartbreaking, serious true story, A Man Called Peter is the best. And in a superior category of their own, Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea cannot be left out.

5. Country or city girl?
Oh my. Country. For sure.
 
6. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
 More of an introvert

7. What is your favorite verse or quote?
Quote: "God's in His heaven; all's right with the world." (Robert Browning) 
Verse: Too many to choose, but I love John 1:16, "For of His fullness, we have all received, and grace upon grace." (NASB)

8. Early bird or night owl?
Night Owl. Without a doubt.

9. What was your first "job" or business endeavor?
My very first? "Secret Spy Services," my detective agency begun with two friends at age 8. We solved the case of the missing white-out bottle. Even had homemade business cards. Boy, were we good.

10. How tall are you?
Practically 5 feet. I try not to brag.

11. What was one thing you were terrified to do but did anyway?
Go away to college. A small Bible college two and a half hours from home. It was a grand adventure.

I  nominate Kristin at Sew Technicolor, Tarissa at In the Bookcase, Shannon Ashley at A Bright Light in a Dark World, Jessica at Soli Deo Gloria, Samantha at All Things Beautiful, Rachel at Real Girls, Real Faith, Rebecca Jane at Sewing in the Past, Shannon at Thoughts and Thimbles, and and Atlanta at The Story of a Seamstress. 

My questions for these ladies are:
1. What do you collect?
2. Who is your favorite literary hero? Heroine?
3. What is your favorite game?
4. Would you rather ride in a hot air balloon or skydive?
5. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
6. What movie do you watch the most often?
7. What would you like to build or create one day?
8. What one item do you most desire to have in your future home? 
9. Where is your favorite fictional place?
10. What was your favorite toy when you were little?
11. If you could meet one person from the past, who would it be?

Now, wasn't that fun? :)

~Miss Emily Elizabeth

When Life Gets Tough

Why is trust so hard? Why do the fears, the stress, the worries overwhelm and completely engulf? Why do the promises I know in my heart to be true suddenly seem like a weak, flimsy cord to which I must cling for dear life? Why do I fear that the cord will snap, and I will plummet? Down, down, down . . . into the grip of my worst fears-come-to-life.

My happy existence tumbles and crashes, and I stare dazedly at the rhyme-less and reason-less mess. I try to place one foot in front of the other—to eat, to chew, to swallow . . . to read, to escape, to hide . . . to smile, to talk, to breathe . . . to pray. I try to live as if life carries on and reprieve will soon be blessedly encountered. But as I turn, frail and frightened, to face the thoughts of my own heart, I wonder—do I truly believe? Do I believe with all of my being that everything will be okay? That God is in control and knows what is best for me and for those I love who suffer? Do I cling fiercely to the promises that He will never leave us, that He will provide, that He is all-sufficient? 

I realize. . . This is when life gets tough. This is when faith and God’s Word are tested. When answers are not yet revealed and just day-to-day living becomes complicated. This is when I look at the tragic problems of others and wonder—Why do I fall apart in the midst of troubles far less daunting than their circumstances? My faith is weak. It is anemic and fragile, and I am ashamed to go before God.
But, oh, when I do. When I sit up straight in my bed in the darkness and stillness of the night, sobbing and broken, and envision Christ’s sitting in front of me . . . When I achingly, ashamedly hand Him my fears, my doubts, my frustration, and my weak faith . . . He listens. He smiles. He reaches out. He takes my pitiful offering, and He treasures it. This, He says, this is what I want. I want your weaknesses, Emily. “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 
The troubles do not disappear. My faith does not miraculously grow strong. The hurt and confusion remain. But I find myself taking a deep breath. I let it out slowly. My tears subside, and I smile through their lingering traces--a small, firm smile that appears involuntarily. It cannot help but appear. "My grace is sufficient for thee." Watch and see, Emily. Pray, watch, and see. 

 

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

~II Corinthians 12:9-10