About one month ago, Zach brought Dharma home. Dharma is a cute little tabby cat without a home...unil now. She is a kitten and so she is quite the little annoyance. My other cat, Spot, is not one to tolorate such kitten-like behavior. Spot is an indoor-outdoor cat. Then we have Mocha...sticktly an outdoor cat...and now Dharma, our sweet little indoor cat.
On Sunday, we were getting ready to leave for church and I walked out of our bedroom after having gotten ready for the day. The front door was wide open and Dharma was missing. I called her, but she rarely meows and doesn't respond to her name yet when called. I ventured out in my skirt and boots and I could hear a cry from the bushes. As i looked through the thick brush, I couldn't see hear, but she would meow to me whenever I called her name. Dale came out and said, "Hun, she's up there."
"Up there" was 32 feet up in a cedar tree. It was raining, the temperature was dropping and she was frozen in place....cold, wet ad scared. We woke Zach and he spend the next few hours trying to get her to come down. Dale has Sunday school to teach, so we headed to church and went home later only to find her still up in the tree. She was getting tired and had stopped responding when we called her name. She tried a few times to come down, but got scared ad went back up.
Looking at the tree, we knew that we couldn't climb up that far without breaking the truck of the tree. Dale got the 16' ladder from our garage and we attempted to climb up to coax her out. Not gonna happen. She was fronzen in fear and not moving an inch.
Dale got an idea to shake her out of the tree. He leaned the ladder on the tree, climbed up and shoke the truck of the tree. Next thing I know....no Dharma! she was falling through the tree in an elongated manner and fast! She landed on a branch directly in front of Dale and was clinging for her life. She was not about to let go of the branch. Dale reached out to get her, but she was not going to budge. Frozen once again in fear. Dale reached over and tried to grab her, but he was a bit too far away and to stretch any further woul have caused the ladder to give way. He looked at her and said, "Oh...it's ok. Come on Dharma....it's ok." She moved ahead enough on the branch that he was able to reach her.
This little incident got me thinking about those times in my life when I have felt it was best to just cling in fear to the thing that I think is keeping me safe. When in fact, more often than not, the thing I cling to isn't where my true security lies. It is in letting got that I find true security, true help, true rescue. It is much easier to just try to hang on all on my own in fear rather than take the chance to let go an be rescued by the One who cares so deepy for me.
Over the course of these past few years, I feel as though my heart has been through a ringer. It has been pulled in so many painful directions, that I cannot begin to describe the depth of pain I have felt. The knowledge that things I had taken for granted were not to be in the life of my son....at least not now and not at all in the way I pictured them. To feel the fear of not knowing where your child is and whether she is safe or not. These are the things of life that teach you who you really are and most importantly....Who you really serve. Had it not been for the close love of the Lord and the feeling that I really, really, really am not alone in all of this, I am sure I would have gone insane. That He came and died for me is one thing that I have yet to grasp; that He loves me beyond any love I will ever experience is something I will forever ponder; and that He cares about EVERY detail of my life....from the moment I wake up each day until my head hits the pillow in prayer as I fall asleep talking to the only One who 100%, alway "gets" me...these truths of the Lord truelt amaze me.
Not that I have it all together or that I have figured it out....most certainly I have not and will never.....but just to know that at any moment of any day, the Lord is with me because I am His. Not because I have earned it....couldn't if I tried....but just because He is that full of grace! In a life that is full of "if's", "and's" and "but's", I am so very thankful that He is ever stable, constant and trustworthy. He is but a prayer away.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Wondering Where the Time Went
Sitting in my livingroom the other night, I was taken back in time to a moment that in one way seems like decades and in another way seems like yesterday. Zach and Alyssa were actually getting along and for a brief moment I was transported to a time when they were much younger and things were much less complicated. It seems as though at times I can look at them and "see" in their faces the little boy or girl that they once were. At other times, I can "see" in their faces the old man or the old lady they will become.
This got me wondering. Lately, as my mom is getting old (she just had her 72nd birthday) I have looked at her in a different light. Sure, she is a "young" 72, but I see the small little things that are beginning to remind me of her age and it makes me a bit sad. In thinking back, I can remember when my mom celebrated her 35th birthday. That is really the first birthday she had that I can remember. She was different, but in many ways the same.
Then, I got to wondering about myself as this month I will celebrate my 43rd birthday. Do my kids notice the changes in me? Do they look at me from time to time and think...."Wow. My mom is getting older." I believe they do.
Feeling nostalgic and feeling like I need to spend a little more time with the ones I love. Not wanting to let time slip through my fingers, but wanting to treasure the moments that we all have left together. Afterall, no one knows when that last moment will come for one of us and we will no longer have the chance to say or do all of the things we wanted to.
Living life to the fullest and without regrets....that's what I want!
This got me wondering. Lately, as my mom is getting old (she just had her 72nd birthday) I have looked at her in a different light. Sure, she is a "young" 72, but I see the small little things that are beginning to remind me of her age and it makes me a bit sad. In thinking back, I can remember when my mom celebrated her 35th birthday. That is really the first birthday she had that I can remember. She was different, but in many ways the same.
Then, I got to wondering about myself as this month I will celebrate my 43rd birthday. Do my kids notice the changes in me? Do they look at me from time to time and think...."Wow. My mom is getting older." I believe they do.
Feeling nostalgic and feeling like I need to spend a little more time with the ones I love. Not wanting to let time slip through my fingers, but wanting to treasure the moments that we all have left together. Afterall, no one knows when that last moment will come for one of us and we will no longer have the chance to say or do all of the things we wanted to.
Living life to the fullest and without regrets....that's what I want!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
My Drive Home
While driving home the other day from work, I was listening to a CD that had two Todd Agnew songs on it. The Lord brought a line from each mind to my heart and melted them into one thought. As I was driving the most incredible thing happened! There before me, up and to my left a bit, there was a perfect little "movie" going on. Don't worry.....I could still see the road! Anyway, here is the story that came out of hearing those songs and from the mini-movie He gave me.
The Peasant Girl's Gift
The young peasant girl makes her way along a well worn path just outside the city walls. She is alone and is carrying a rather large bundle that she has placed inside the white cotton apron that her mother made for her. This bundle is a secret collection of unmentionable items that she has acquired throughout her life and that have burdened her for quite a long time. As is true with anything secret, she has had to come up with some pretty clever ways in which to keep the contents hidden from the sight of others. Not an easy task, mind you.
As she climbs a small incline in the path, she stumbles and nearly looses some of the items stowed away in her apron. "Oh, no!", she says to herself, "I mustn't let any get away! What would happen should someone come along and see these dreadful tokens?"
Quickly, as she looks around in fear of being discovered, she scoops up the few that have fallen to the ground. "Whew!", she thinks to herself, "That was close! I hope the King's castle is not too far off."
As she reaches the top of the incline, she becomes panicked as she realizes that she is no longer alone. Ahead of her are many, many others lurking and hiding as she is among the trees, bushes and undergrowth. They too have come to risk it all, throw caution to the wind and hold only to the hope of seeing the King. Fear strikes, and the reality that she at any moment may be discovered settles into her mind. Remembering the countless others that have dared to attempt to sneak into a by-invitation- only celebration at the King's castle, she steps back a bit hoping no one saw her. Quietly, she asks herself, "Now what?"
Walking past her is a young woman singing a sing as she walks along the path. The red-hair young woman is grasping something in her left hand. As she slowly approaches the gates of the castle, she is careful to keep her hand clasps tightly as she puts it into the pocket of her cloak.
A few moments later, a castle guard approaches the young woman and asks, "Your invitation, please, my lady?" "Oh, I am a daughter of the King.", she replies, as she reaches into her right apron pocket and pulls out a linen-colored piece of paper. The guard then asks, "Have you brought a gift?" "Yes, right here!", she says, as she pulls her left hand out of her cloak pocket careful not to show him the contents. He smiles, nods at her and says, "You may enter, Lady Helene." , and the guardsman steps aside as Lady Helene begins to step up toward the castle gate. The peasant girl begins to wonder and worries to herself, "Invitation? Oh no! I don't have an invitation. How will I get in to see the King? The invitation must have names on them because he called her by name. Oh, this is terrible, I really must get in to see the King! And a gift? I have no gift to bring. All I have is in my apron and that is not at all a gift. What am I...."
Her thoughts are cut short as she hears a loud knock and suddenly the guard gates slowly come open and the young red-headed woman makes her way into the garden just beyond. The young peasant girl gets a glimpse of the beautiful garden, but not for long as the gates are placed back into position to once again shut her off from the King's castle. "I really must get in there," she whispers to herself with determination and a slight desperation in her voice.
Hearing a twig snap behind her, she looks back to see at least ten or so people....each cautiously carrying a small bundle as they go about hiding in and out of the bushes. "Oh dear....here come some more townspeople! Now we are sure to be discovered and taken to the gallows!"
Looking even further behind her, she sees a group of people approaching and realizes that they too are all carrying something concealed in some way or another. One older man is holding his contents grasped in the palm of his hand closed tightly together in front of him. An older woman walking just a few steps in front of him has the contents rolled up and keeps poking it back up into the sleeve of her coat. Yet another man keeps tugging at his cap as to be sure the contents remain hidden.
One of the older women approaches her and says, "Haven't I seen you before? Aren't you the daughter of ol' Mortimer?" The old man with the hat steps a bit closer to get a good look at the peasant girl. "Yep, your right, Lilith. That be the one.......daughter of that good-for-nothin' . What's your name, girl?"
Before the young peasant girl could answer could answer, one of the other women, this one holding the bundle secretly in her sock, says, "Who cares what 'er name is! We come to see the King, not 'er, right?"
All of the others nod their heads in agreement as the women adds, "Well, let's get on with it then!". She checks to make sure the bundle is secure,tucked tightly down in her sock, straightens her skirt and heads toward the castle gates.
"Invitation, please, Madame." The blood drains from the old woman's face as she pleads, "Sir, please. I must see the King. Please! You don't understand!" Immediately she is surrounded by guardsmen as she lets out a loud scream and is lead to a side door within the castle gate. Once in front of the door, the woman, still making sure her bundle is secure, knocks on the small door and as the door shuts behind her, she lets out a rather loud cry. This makes the young peasant girl even more worried. Quickly she becomes overwhelmed with the magnitude of standing before the King.
Stunned, the young peasant girl turns to run home, as the old man with the hat stops her and bluntly states, "Well, I for one came here to see the King and I will see the King today." Looking around at the rest of the group, he adds," Any of you want to help me come up with a plan?" They all gather in a small circle and begin to whisper out a plan, agreeing that those who get in, get in and those who don't, don't. There is a fifty-fifty chance of being caught, but they all agree that a chance to see the King....even get but a glimpse of him is worth the risk.
As they plan their entry into the King's castle, there are a few people from the group ahead that are being let into through the large open castle gates to the garden beyond...... upon showing their invitation and the gift they have brought to the King. Knowing that without an invitation they will never be allow through the gate, they decide to approach the gate as a group, attempt to sneak in among those with an invitation and take the chance of being one of those taken off through the small guard door within the gate.
As the towns-people approach the gate, the guards sense the desperation among the group and brace for a confrontation! The young peasant girl is careful to avoid the conflict as she scurries to keep her bundle tightly concealed within her apron. Somewhere in the scuffle, the peasant girl sees another young woman drop her invitation and frantically look around for it. The young peasant girl is quick to snatch it up being sure to do so as quietly as possible so as to not draw attention to the fact. She discreetly places the invitation into the opening at the top of her apron.
Suddenly, there is a large number of guardsmen surround the entire group. "Invitation! Invitation! Please show us your invitations! " The young peasant girl takes this as her one and only chance at getting through the gate and into the garden beyond. "I have an invitation," she quietly tells the guard standing near her. "Are you a daughter of the King?, he asks. "Um, well,.....". These are the only sounds she gets out before the guardsman quickly ushers her off toward the small door within the castle wall. "Wait!," the guardsman shouts, "Do you have a gift for the King?" Thinking quickly, she replies,"Um. ..yes!," as she pats her apron a bit. With that, he leads her to the door. Without the guardsman saying a word, the young peasant girl senses that she must knock at this door. She does so, and as the door is opened, she is lead through the door into a small passageway with another gate in front of her.
She thinks to herself, "Now, to just get to the Prince and then to the King!" She sighs at the thought of the task ahead. The guard demands that she closes her eyes and she does so as she sighs to herself, "With the guardsman here, how am I to get to the Prince, let alone the King! I am surely headed for the gallows!" The guardsman leads her through the second gate and tells her to keep her eyes shut. Out of fear, she obeys him completely. He then tells her that she is free to open her eyes if she wishes. She is still frightened about what is taking place but upon opening her eyes, she notices that the guardsman is gone and she is surrounded by a beautiful garden, the likes of which she has never seen.
It is impossible to be in such a place without being in total awe of the beauty that is all around her in this garden, and so she takes a moment to take in the vast array of color and beauty that surround her. Concluding that the guardsman had spared her life, she is careful not to be detected and she quickly finds a bush that is covered in small purple flowers, which makes a perfect hiding place.
Taking in the beauty of the garden, she is careful not to let go of her apron and reveal the contents. Looking out from behind the bush, she suddenly sees the Prince! He is in the garden walking and is, himself, looking around. From behind a small tree, comes Lady Helene and she approaches the Prince. She is still holding the little bundle within her hand and the Prince quietly asks, "May I see that?" "Oh", replies Lady Helene, "You don't want to see that! That has been with me for what seems like forever and it is very dirty. Unfit really for the eyes of a Prince," she states with a nervous laugh. "No, this is what I have brought you." She reaches into her cloak pocket and pulls out a small heart shaped locket. "This represents my heart. It is a symbol of my love for you and a statement that let's everyone know that I give my heart to you completely, Great Prince."
The Price replies, "Dear, Helene, you must give me the contents that you hold in your hands. For then you will surely be giving me all of you. To have your heart is one thing, but to have all of you....the good and the bad....this is my desire. May I see what is in your clenched hand?"
Head hanging low and cowering slightly, slowly, Helene opens her hand to reveal the bundle that she has been holding onto for so many years. Tears stream down her face as she kneels before the Prince. He takes the bundle from her open hands and clasps it within his own closed fist. She turns her head away in shame, as the Prince reaches over, grasping her face below her chin and says, "Look." He opens his hands, and the bundle is gone! The Prince says, "It is done. Go about your life and carry this sin no more. It is mine now and no longer yours to bear. You are forgiven. Remember next time to come to me sooner with the things that burden you." Without hesitation, Helene jumps to her feet and begins to dance with the Prince. She smiles at him as she dances away and the Prince once again begins to walk through the garden.
One by one, the peasant girl watches as each person who has made it into the garden through the large front gate....those with an invitation.. ...come to the Prince and place their bundles at his feet. Each one them sees their sins vanish and each one then dances with the Prince before the next one approaches the Prince.
"Oh....I must go to the Prince!", she thinks to herself. As she rises from behind the bush, a few of the contents from her apron fall to the ground. "Oh, no!", she screams, as she falls to her knees to pick them up and place them back into her apron. "I forgot about all of these! Oh, dear!", she cries out as she places two of them in the apron and another falls to the ground. Finally, she gets all of them safely back into her apron, when she realizes that she has far too many bundles to even think about approaching the Prince.
She rises back to her feet, prepared to run out of the garden, when from behind her see hears the Prince ask her, "May I see what you have there?" Thinking to herself, the young peasant woman says, "I must find the one that is least likely to offend the Prince." She is hiding the contents of her apron from the Prince while trying to find the bundle she feels she could share with him. Quietly he asks her, "Have you ever met my Father?" As she looks at one of her bundles and places it quickly back into her apron, she feels that somehow he knows the answer to the question he has asked her. She replies, "Oh... um...no...this is my first time inside the castle gates."
"Well, then," replies the Prince, "No wonder you don't want to share what you have brought. Come, meet my Father first....then we will take care of the contents of your apron."
"Won't I need to leave these somewhere if I am to approach the King?", she asks. "No," replies the Prince, "The King has seen aprons like your before. Now come.....follow me."
The Prince leads the young peasant woman down a beautiful garden path toward a small clearing. There before her is the King in all his glory. His robe is white and he is shining like the morning star. So bright that she cannot see his face clearly as he says to her, "Come to me, my child for I shall give you rest. Today you will leave here different than when you came, but I must tell you, the road will be hard and the journey will be long. You must give me all of the things that have burdened you for so very long, for I take the burden you carry and I take it in whole....not in part. Are you ready to show me what is in your apron?"
She hesitates for a moment and replies, "I am afraid! What I hold in this apron is of no value, it is dirty and ugly ..........and so am I. Isn't there another way that I may know you?" "No," replies the King. On the contrary, I know all that is in that apron and I personally think that you are beautiful. You have approached the Prince and He has brought you to me for He has sensed that it is your time to be made clean. So I ask you again, 'Are you ready to show me what is in your apron?' As always, the choice is and will always be....yours. "
The peasant woman turns her head to the side as she slowly opens her apron finally revealing the contents to the King. She falls to her knees as the bundles cascade to the ground and surround her at the feet of the King. She begins to cry,"I am sorry! I am so sorry! Forgive me!" The King replies, "Child, dear sweet child of mine....look! " She opens her eyes and as she turns her head back toward Him, she sees the King pick up her bundles....all of them. He places them in the hem of his robe. She throws her head to her knees in shame as He reaches down, lifts her head and says....look! They are gone. ALL of them are gone. You are free....you are clean. Now, go and should you need to see me again....come back often."
"But, how can I enter without an invitation. The guardsman are sure to not spare my life a second time! It is a miracle that I even got in here today!"
The King laughs....those guardsmen work for me. They are there to only allow those into the castle gates that are a child of mine. Next time you come, approach the gate with confidence for you are now a Daughter of the King. But beware. There are some who disguise themselves as guardsmen and will try to tell you that you aren't fit to see Me. Ignore them! Those who are Mine are always fit to see me. After all," laughed the King, "If I waited for my children to be clean on their own, I would never see any of my children!"
"But King, what about a gift? I have no gift to bring. I have been watching and when those who approached the gate meet the guard, they are asked, 'Do you have a gift?' What kind of gift do you desire, King?"
"The gift I desire is a heart that is open to the things I have for you. Bring me an open heart....... dirt and all. Allow me to clean the parts that have become dirty and I will always accept you, my child. And whatever you do, don't try to clean yourself up before you get here! That never works. Also, I prefer that you call me Father from now on.....for that is what I am."
The heart of the young peasant woman is now overflowing with joy and tears of relief are streaming down her face. As she begins to spin around and around in a circle, arms open wide, she tells to the Prince, "I feel like dancing." He replies, "I thought you would never ask!" And the two of them dance together for what seems like a moment....yet seems like eternity at the same time.
Written by: Yvette Quale, January 11, 2010
The Peasant Girl's Gift
The young peasant girl makes her way along a well worn path just outside the city walls. She is alone and is carrying a rather large bundle that she has placed inside the white cotton apron that her mother made for her. This bundle is a secret collection of unmentionable items that she has acquired throughout her life and that have burdened her for quite a long time. As is true with anything secret, she has had to come up with some pretty clever ways in which to keep the contents hidden from the sight of others. Not an easy task, mind you.
As she climbs a small incline in the path, she stumbles and nearly looses some of the items stowed away in her apron. "Oh, no!", she says to herself, "I mustn't let any get away! What would happen should someone come along and see these dreadful tokens?"
Quickly, as she looks around in fear of being discovered, she scoops up the few that have fallen to the ground. "Whew!", she thinks to herself, "That was close! I hope the King's castle is not too far off."
As she reaches the top of the incline, she becomes panicked as she realizes that she is no longer alone. Ahead of her are many, many others lurking and hiding as she is among the trees, bushes and undergrowth. They too have come to risk it all, throw caution to the wind and hold only to the hope of seeing the King. Fear strikes, and the reality that she at any moment may be discovered settles into her mind. Remembering the countless others that have dared to attempt to sneak into a by-invitation- only celebration at the King's castle, she steps back a bit hoping no one saw her. Quietly, she asks herself, "Now what?"
Walking past her is a young woman singing a sing as she walks along the path. The red-hair young woman is grasping something in her left hand. As she slowly approaches the gates of the castle, she is careful to keep her hand clasps tightly as she puts it into the pocket of her cloak.
A few moments later, a castle guard approaches the young woman and asks, "Your invitation, please, my lady?" "Oh, I am a daughter of the King.", she replies, as she reaches into her right apron pocket and pulls out a linen-colored piece of paper. The guard then asks, "Have you brought a gift?" "Yes, right here!", she says, as she pulls her left hand out of her cloak pocket careful not to show him the contents. He smiles, nods at her and says, "You may enter, Lady Helene." , and the guardsman steps aside as Lady Helene begins to step up toward the castle gate. The peasant girl begins to wonder and worries to herself, "Invitation? Oh no! I don't have an invitation. How will I get in to see the King? The invitation must have names on them because he called her by name. Oh, this is terrible, I really must get in to see the King! And a gift? I have no gift to bring. All I have is in my apron and that is not at all a gift. What am I...."
Her thoughts are cut short as she hears a loud knock and suddenly the guard gates slowly come open and the young red-headed woman makes her way into the garden just beyond. The young peasant girl gets a glimpse of the beautiful garden, but not for long as the gates are placed back into position to once again shut her off from the King's castle. "I really must get in there," she whispers to herself with determination and a slight desperation in her voice.
Hearing a twig snap behind her, she looks back to see at least ten or so people....each cautiously carrying a small bundle as they go about hiding in and out of the bushes. "Oh dear....here come some more townspeople! Now we are sure to be discovered and taken to the gallows!"
Looking even further behind her, she sees a group of people approaching and realizes that they too are all carrying something concealed in some way or another. One older man is holding his contents grasped in the palm of his hand closed tightly together in front of him. An older woman walking just a few steps in front of him has the contents rolled up and keeps poking it back up into the sleeve of her coat. Yet another man keeps tugging at his cap as to be sure the contents remain hidden.
One of the older women approaches her and says, "Haven't I seen you before? Aren't you the daughter of ol' Mortimer?" The old man with the hat steps a bit closer to get a good look at the peasant girl. "Yep, your right, Lilith. That be the one.......daughter of that good-for-nothin' . What's your name, girl?"
Before the young peasant girl could answer could answer, one of the other women, this one holding the bundle secretly in her sock, says, "Who cares what 'er name is! We come to see the King, not 'er, right?"
All of the others nod their heads in agreement as the women adds, "Well, let's get on with it then!". She checks to make sure the bundle is secure,tucked tightly down in her sock, straightens her skirt and heads toward the castle gates.
"Invitation, please, Madame." The blood drains from the old woman's face as she pleads, "Sir, please. I must see the King. Please! You don't understand!" Immediately she is surrounded by guardsmen as she lets out a loud scream and is lead to a side door within the castle gate. Once in front of the door, the woman, still making sure her bundle is secure, knocks on the small door and as the door shuts behind her, she lets out a rather loud cry. This makes the young peasant girl even more worried. Quickly she becomes overwhelmed with the magnitude of standing before the King.
Stunned, the young peasant girl turns to run home, as the old man with the hat stops her and bluntly states, "Well, I for one came here to see the King and I will see the King today." Looking around at the rest of the group, he adds," Any of you want to help me come up with a plan?" They all gather in a small circle and begin to whisper out a plan, agreeing that those who get in, get in and those who don't, don't. There is a fifty-fifty chance of being caught, but they all agree that a chance to see the King....even get but a glimpse of him is worth the risk.
As they plan their entry into the King's castle, there are a few people from the group ahead that are being let into through the large open castle gates to the garden beyond...... upon showing their invitation and the gift they have brought to the King. Knowing that without an invitation they will never be allow through the gate, they decide to approach the gate as a group, attempt to sneak in among those with an invitation and take the chance of being one of those taken off through the small guard door within the gate.
As the towns-people approach the gate, the guards sense the desperation among the group and brace for a confrontation! The young peasant girl is careful to avoid the conflict as she scurries to keep her bundle tightly concealed within her apron. Somewhere in the scuffle, the peasant girl sees another young woman drop her invitation and frantically look around for it. The young peasant girl is quick to snatch it up being sure to do so as quietly as possible so as to not draw attention to the fact. She discreetly places the invitation into the opening at the top of her apron.
Suddenly, there is a large number of guardsmen surround the entire group. "Invitation! Invitation! Please show us your invitations! " The young peasant girl takes this as her one and only chance at getting through the gate and into the garden beyond. "I have an invitation," she quietly tells the guard standing near her. "Are you a daughter of the King?, he asks. "Um, well,.....". These are the only sounds she gets out before the guardsman quickly ushers her off toward the small door within the castle wall. "Wait!," the guardsman shouts, "Do you have a gift for the King?" Thinking quickly, she replies,"Um. ..yes!," as she pats her apron a bit. With that, he leads her to the door. Without the guardsman saying a word, the young peasant girl senses that she must knock at this door. She does so, and as the door is opened, she is lead through the door into a small passageway with another gate in front of her.
She thinks to herself, "Now, to just get to the Prince and then to the King!" She sighs at the thought of the task ahead. The guard demands that she closes her eyes and she does so as she sighs to herself, "With the guardsman here, how am I to get to the Prince, let alone the King! I am surely headed for the gallows!" The guardsman leads her through the second gate and tells her to keep her eyes shut. Out of fear, she obeys him completely. He then tells her that she is free to open her eyes if she wishes. She is still frightened about what is taking place but upon opening her eyes, she notices that the guardsman is gone and she is surrounded by a beautiful garden, the likes of which she has never seen.
It is impossible to be in such a place without being in total awe of the beauty that is all around her in this garden, and so she takes a moment to take in the vast array of color and beauty that surround her. Concluding that the guardsman had spared her life, she is careful not to be detected and she quickly finds a bush that is covered in small purple flowers, which makes a perfect hiding place.
Taking in the beauty of the garden, she is careful not to let go of her apron and reveal the contents. Looking out from behind the bush, she suddenly sees the Prince! He is in the garden walking and is, himself, looking around. From behind a small tree, comes Lady Helene and she approaches the Prince. She is still holding the little bundle within her hand and the Prince quietly asks, "May I see that?" "Oh", replies Lady Helene, "You don't want to see that! That has been with me for what seems like forever and it is very dirty. Unfit really for the eyes of a Prince," she states with a nervous laugh. "No, this is what I have brought you." She reaches into her cloak pocket and pulls out a small heart shaped locket. "This represents my heart. It is a symbol of my love for you and a statement that let's everyone know that I give my heart to you completely, Great Prince."
The Price replies, "Dear, Helene, you must give me the contents that you hold in your hands. For then you will surely be giving me all of you. To have your heart is one thing, but to have all of you....the good and the bad....this is my desire. May I see what is in your clenched hand?"
Head hanging low and cowering slightly, slowly, Helene opens her hand to reveal the bundle that she has been holding onto for so many years. Tears stream down her face as she kneels before the Prince. He takes the bundle from her open hands and clasps it within his own closed fist. She turns her head away in shame, as the Prince reaches over, grasping her face below her chin and says, "Look." He opens his hands, and the bundle is gone! The Prince says, "It is done. Go about your life and carry this sin no more. It is mine now and no longer yours to bear. You are forgiven. Remember next time to come to me sooner with the things that burden you." Without hesitation, Helene jumps to her feet and begins to dance with the Prince. She smiles at him as she dances away and the Prince once again begins to walk through the garden.
One by one, the peasant girl watches as each person who has made it into the garden through the large front gate....those with an invitation.. ...come to the Prince and place their bundles at his feet. Each one them sees their sins vanish and each one then dances with the Prince before the next one approaches the Prince.
"Oh....I must go to the Prince!", she thinks to herself. As she rises from behind the bush, a few of the contents from her apron fall to the ground. "Oh, no!", she screams, as she falls to her knees to pick them up and place them back into her apron. "I forgot about all of these! Oh, dear!", she cries out as she places two of them in the apron and another falls to the ground. Finally, she gets all of them safely back into her apron, when she realizes that she has far too many bundles to even think about approaching the Prince.
She rises back to her feet, prepared to run out of the garden, when from behind her see hears the Prince ask her, "May I see what you have there?" Thinking to herself, the young peasant woman says, "I must find the one that is least likely to offend the Prince." She is hiding the contents of her apron from the Prince while trying to find the bundle she feels she could share with him. Quietly he asks her, "Have you ever met my Father?" As she looks at one of her bundles and places it quickly back into her apron, she feels that somehow he knows the answer to the question he has asked her. She replies, "Oh... um...no...this is my first time inside the castle gates."
"Well, then," replies the Prince, "No wonder you don't want to share what you have brought. Come, meet my Father first....then we will take care of the contents of your apron."
"Won't I need to leave these somewhere if I am to approach the King?", she asks. "No," replies the Prince, "The King has seen aprons like your before. Now come.....follow me."
The Prince leads the young peasant woman down a beautiful garden path toward a small clearing. There before her is the King in all his glory. His robe is white and he is shining like the morning star. So bright that she cannot see his face clearly as he says to her, "Come to me, my child for I shall give you rest. Today you will leave here different than when you came, but I must tell you, the road will be hard and the journey will be long. You must give me all of the things that have burdened you for so very long, for I take the burden you carry and I take it in whole....not in part. Are you ready to show me what is in your apron?"
She hesitates for a moment and replies, "I am afraid! What I hold in this apron is of no value, it is dirty and ugly ..........and so am I. Isn't there another way that I may know you?" "No," replies the King. On the contrary, I know all that is in that apron and I personally think that you are beautiful. You have approached the Prince and He has brought you to me for He has sensed that it is your time to be made clean. So I ask you again, 'Are you ready to show me what is in your apron?' As always, the choice is and will always be....yours. "
The peasant woman turns her head to the side as she slowly opens her apron finally revealing the contents to the King. She falls to her knees as the bundles cascade to the ground and surround her at the feet of the King. She begins to cry,"I am sorry! I am so sorry! Forgive me!" The King replies, "Child, dear sweet child of mine....look! " She opens her eyes and as she turns her head back toward Him, she sees the King pick up her bundles....all of them. He places them in the hem of his robe. She throws her head to her knees in shame as He reaches down, lifts her head and says....look! They are gone. ALL of them are gone. You are free....you are clean. Now, go and should you need to see me again....come back often."
"But, how can I enter without an invitation. The guardsman are sure to not spare my life a second time! It is a miracle that I even got in here today!"
The King laughs....those guardsmen work for me. They are there to only allow those into the castle gates that are a child of mine. Next time you come, approach the gate with confidence for you are now a Daughter of the King. But beware. There are some who disguise themselves as guardsmen and will try to tell you that you aren't fit to see Me. Ignore them! Those who are Mine are always fit to see me. After all," laughed the King, "If I waited for my children to be clean on their own, I would never see any of my children!"
"But King, what about a gift? I have no gift to bring. I have been watching and when those who approached the gate meet the guard, they are asked, 'Do you have a gift?' What kind of gift do you desire, King?"
"The gift I desire is a heart that is open to the things I have for you. Bring me an open heart....... dirt and all. Allow me to clean the parts that have become dirty and I will always accept you, my child. And whatever you do, don't try to clean yourself up before you get here! That never works. Also, I prefer that you call me Father from now on.....for that is what I am."
The heart of the young peasant woman is now overflowing with joy and tears of relief are streaming down her face. As she begins to spin around and around in a circle, arms open wide, she tells to the Prince, "I feel like dancing." He replies, "I thought you would never ask!" And the two of them dance together for what seems like a moment....yet seems like eternity at the same time.
Written by: Yvette Quale, January 11, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Why am I here, Lord?
After many confirmations and a night or two of staying awake and begging the Lord to assign me a new task, I have given in to the fact that He is wiser than I am, His sees the big picture and therefore I have submitted to Him and have started this blog. Not sure where to start or what He has in store for me, I humbly submit to His authority in my life and pray that my words be His words. Waiting until the next prompting......
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