Brokenness

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: 

a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 

Psalm 51:17

1) to crush, be crushed, be contrite, be broken
1a) to be crushed, collapse
1c) to crush down
1d) to crush to powder

I think having a broken and contrite heart might mean to be crushed! Crushed to powder. Some might think that is a painful thing. It can be, but I don't think it has to be.

Brokenness should be a way of life. Not a "woe is me" thing, but a servant mind set that desires to meet the needs of others. A practice that daily brings you to the throne of God with a willing heart to be used however, whenever He chooses.

Brokenness means He will increase and you will decrease. It means that you are willing to be inconvenienced. It is in those inconveniences of the past two weeks, that I have seen the Lord show Himself in great ways.  Drawing lost souls His way because they didn't have much time left.  I love seeing Him work like that.

It means that you lay your weaknesses and faults out and don't hide behind a "holier than thou" attitude. You are constantly in a state of sacrifice.

Sacrifice. There is that word again. I can not get away from it. It is constantly in front of me like a carrot in front of a horse. (I need to lose weight.)

What it really means is to bring the body and soul under the control of the spirit.   That process is a process of becoming WHOLE!

I am really glad it means crushed to a powder instead of pebbles or rocks. I am glad, because pebbles and rocks are difficult to work with. Powder, on the other hand, can be mixed with Water and kneaded until a lump of clay can be thrown on to the Potter's wheel. The Potter can then begin to turn the wheel and gently mold the vessel to the shape that is most useful.

There is no better place to be than in the Potter's hands. I just can't see how that is a painful thing. It is a beautiful thing.

That, my friend, is what I am learning in pursuit of brokenness.





Linking up with:  Raising Mighty Arrows, Our Simple Country Life

Word for the Year

I was reading a post by Jenifer over at Sweet Blessings and she told of a practice she started a couple of years back where you have a word to focus on for the new year.  It sounded interesting so I began to pray about what word might be good for me this year.  It didn't take long for the word to come to me.  As a matter of fact, I honestly believe He was already having me focus on this word since way before Christmas.


The word straight to my heart was  SACRIFICE.


sacrifice |ˈsakrəˌfīs|


noun
• an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy : we must all be prepared to make sacrifices.
• (also sacrifice bunt or sacrifice hit) Baseball a bunted ball that puts the batter out but allows a base runner or runners to advance.


What does it really mean?  There are some who think this could be our last year on this earth.  Probably not, but what if?  What if at the end of this year we stand before our Judge and He says that every thing we thought was sacrifice was only our duty?


Oh me.


Sacrifice what?  Give up what?


Give up eating too much of the wrong thing for a closer walk with the One Who is Good?
Give up time to listen to a hurting sister?
Give up television or internet to hold sweet daughter?
Give up grudge over someone who mistreated those I love?
Give up feelings of jealousy so I can encourage instead of belittle?


This is not sacrifice ~ it is what I am supposed to do.


Oh me. 


He gave me sacrifice so I would learn sacrifice.  


Really learn sacrifice.  


It's something I must do.  Something I give up.  Something I offer.


There is one sacrifice though, that seems easy enough. 


To offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving is to give honor to the Lord.  


A good one to start off with until I get the hang of what all sacrifice really entails.


 ~ I'm so thankful today for six days of noise because of six days of family,


 ~ for shopping day with all the girls, and


 ~ a clean bedroom after months of being store room for   retreat stuff and Christmas      
     stuff.


~  For new sheets and a


 ~ new word.


 ~ For a hubby who helps me see the doughnut and not the hole.


 ~ For button for the radio on the steering wheel helping to avoid Christmas Shoes.


 ~ For a friend who encourages and helps pray for my kids, and


 ~ new hope for aching arms.


 ~ For the definition of sacrifice that has to do with baseball.