"Dear Jesus,
help me to spread Your fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Your Spirit and Life.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly
that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.
Shine through me and be so in me
that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul.
Let them look up, and see no longer me, but only Jesus!
Stay with me and then I will begin to shine as You shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from You;
none of it will be mine.
It will be You, shining on others through me.
Let me thus praise You in the way You love best,
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching,
not by words but by example,
by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for You.
Amen."
Thank You, gracious Lord, for
, p.391
~thwarting our attempts to find satisfaction or security anywhere but in You
~the grace amidst the dismal record of the kings of Judah and Israel
~Isaiah 12
~mysterious resurgence of interest in a January post, reminding me that "the wind blows where it [He] will" in the blogosphere
~you delightful readers!
~eating humble pie for breakfast
~gentle, if uncomfortable, reminder to trust the Giver, not the gift
~confession of sins
~forgiveness and grace
~spilling an entire Earl Grey latte on the floor of the car
~car wash next door to the corner coffee shop
~more grace
~themes of stillness and God's fullness for our emptiness weaving themselves through my reading this week
~2.5" needed rain
~Speed Racer bringing his whole family to the feeder (first time we've seen more than one at once)
~professional encouragement for a sister
~another medication adjustment, working toward better pain management
~lupus stabilized except for the costochondritis factor
~God's sovereignty over efficacy, side effects, and interactions
~pharmacy and medical staff who know me well
~morning with Mom going to lupus doc and back, her help pushing the grocery cart and loading/unloading purchases
~healthy, happy Ebony dog
~sharing book recommendations with the other sister
(from the gratitude journal #641-63)
