I've had trouble with istock photo not being able to process a payment this weekend, so for now, the artwork will have the istock watermark in it. I will upload a clean copy asap!
Psalm 90:17 is the Theme Verse of Home Sanctuary. It's been a whole year since it was featured as the verse of the month, so I thought it would be a good time to bring it back to mind as we start another year. It's my hope that this would become a foundational prayer to each Small Thing we undertake together!
I love to meditate on the beauty of the Lord. I often get lost in the Psalms as David tries to describe God: riding on the wings of the wind, sitting above the circle of the earth, a fountain of life, the maker of light, the good Shepherd. His majesty is seen in the mountains, His spirit is felt in the pastures, His righteousness in the law.
What if we could catch a tiny glimpse of our God? In my mind, I imagine light shooting forth from His being in a million prisms of liquid color. The warmth of his glorious life would saturate every molecule of our selves, melting away our earthly stains and drawing us into a rushing stream of holiness and purity.
But oh, His beauty seems so removed from my world of laundry and carpools and burnt dinners. It seems a far cry from my pathetic attempts at home decorating and child rearing.
And yet, if we believe that in Him we live and move and have our being, there is something in me that dares to hope that it might be possible to experience His beauty in our everyday life. In the mundane. In this home filled with second-hand furniture and thrift store clothes.
Perhaps I've been looking for God's everyday beauty in the wrong places. It surely is not found in a Pottery Barn catalog or on HG TV. Instead, it is found here, in the sound of children's voices, the hum of a wash machine, and the turning of storybook pages at bedtime. His glory is found in how we serve one another, in speaking kindly to each other, and in helping a child with his homework. His majesty is in sleepy eyelashes resting on a soft cheek, hair sticking out of a ponytail and fingers learning to tie shoelaces. The toys and backpacks that never seem to get put away, and the dishes piled in the sink are testament to a life being lived, together, in all its colorful, beautiful chaos.
And there is beauty in making something work, even when it's hard. There are times that we must turn to each other and decide to stick it out, no matter what. There are days of uncertainty, dysfunction and imperfection that make us rely completely on His strength, or we could not bear it. It is in those times that His beauty can find US, astound us, and rest upon us when we least expect it. Like a soft cloud nestling in the deep valleys, His loveliness will settle on our hearts and cover the harsh edges with a blanket of grace.
Will you make Psalm 90:17 your prayer this year? Yes, I want the work of my hands to be established by Him. And more than anything, I want His beauty to permeate my life and home with a sweetness that is palpable. I want to see his glory in the small things and his greatness in the mundane. I want to be aware of His presence as I love and serve the family that He has given me.
POINTS: 50 for printing off January's verse and posting it somewhere.
Where will you post Psalm 90:17? Let us know in a comment, or better yet, take a picture of where it's posted, and put it on your blog (then invite us with a link so we can see!)