For My Good

My name is Leslie and I am a closet voyeur. I thoroughly enjoy reading others blogs.   I receive encouragement and thoughts for pondering. I find myself nodding and smiling. I am so thankful at this stage in my life I am still not raising children, ( I read a lot of mother’s blogs).

One of my favorite authors is Ann Voskamp  at A Holy Experience. to me her writing is poetry and I think if we were to meet we would become friends if I could get over being in awe of her.  I didn’t note in which post she wrote the following.    It is my springboard for my thoughts today.

“Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Enemies have driven me into your embrace more than friends have.
Enemies have loosed me from earth more than friends have…
Enemies have made me a hunted animal, finding safer shelter than an unhunted animal does.

I found safest sanctuary in You…may too my enemies-made-grace.
I found greatest grace in You…
may my enemies-made-grace find Your generous grace alive and radical in me.
I found fullest forgiveness in You…
may my enemies-made-grace find faith and freedom in You
and Your forgiveness working surprising ways in me.

The longer I walk with you, Lord,
I find I have no enemies: only your gift of chisels etching me deep.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.”

I am intrigued by Ann’s wording in the second paragraph ‘enemies made grace’.

Those people that seem enemies,
That situation that seems to be working so hard against me,
The illness that has lasted so long,
That word that pierced my heart,
That slight that stung,

As I accept it as from you, Lord,
As I surrender what My ideas and My ways  are about the situation,
As I commit the keeping of my body into His hands,
As I pray for the one who spoke,
As I extend kindness to the one that slighted

God covers each ‘enemy of my soul’ with grace
And it becomes what is needed for my good through God’s working.

Oh, to look beyond what I see on the surface and let God work in all things in me.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:43-45

Published in: on July 9, 2011 at 11:35 am  Leave a Comment