As many of us have experienced, my life has filled with troubles in recent years.
The husband remains unemployed, repairs are needed, and friends and family have lost their homes and financial stability. The old body nudges me more often as well. It says, “You are aging.” To top it all off, I have been elected The Steadfast Smiling Rock, so it seems, for a number of loved ones. Are the burdens heavy? No. They are not.
Something beautiful has happened. No, the problems have not faded away.
I have changed. I am stronger.
Picture a toy. A plastic wand filled with water and sparkling colorful confetti.
When the water is still the confetti floats to the top.
When the wand is shaken vigorously, the confetti moves about. The water sloshes, making it not so crystal clear.
I am like the wand. When faced with a worry, the wand begins to tumble about. The vision blurs.
Then the most beautiful thing happens. I pray. I feel peace. I feel calm.
The water settles. The sparkles rise. And I feel the glimmer of hope floating on top, reflecting God’s love and strength.
Beautiful! Awesome!
I want to share my glimmer, my hope, and my strength.
With all of my love, Mary.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 
That was a beautiful post and that book of Psalm is one of my favorites. The first I ever memorized.
Thanks for sharing. Deb
Debbie, talking about faith calls me from time to time. It actually calls me very often. When I do discuss it, it feels like weight has been lifted. I need to make comments on your blog. I looked at the photos that you posted several days ago and thought to myself, “I forgot about the beautiful overlooks!”
I know exactly how that feels. God made it possible for us to leave the large metropolis of Dallas, Texas and move here. I miss it sometimes and the beautiful places I know there are indelibly stamped into my memory. But I have no doubt that this is where He wants us and I’m content in His will. I hope you do get to go back one day. I believe that you will. I thought of you when I visited the ‘nut house’. (That sounds incriminating!) I had a bag of warm toasted cashews at your suggestion. Yum! I visited ‘Village Candle’ and ‘Ruth’s Garden’. I think we visited every shop in Antique Alley. It was delightful; but my favorite thing was the beautiful scenery. My friend wants to make it an annual trip:)
Debbie
Beautiful. True.
Mary, beautiful post. One I can so wholeheartedly relate to.
Most days, my wand stays shaken. And just when I get it to settle, someone shakes it up again. Wears me down.
Thank you for reminding me of the beauty of the 23rd Psalm. The last year or so has been a time of great loss for me financially and things haven’t gotten any easier. I woke this morning to the season’s first hard frost and just wasn’t ready for it. Wisconsin winters are brutal and it is fast approaching. Re-reading Psalm 23 slowed my anxiousness and made me remember the old saying, “It is in winter that we know ourselves.” God bless you and may winter be kind to you. Thank you for being here.
wonderful post Mary – one study the husband and I did recently talked about the line “I shall not want” – not being a statement of being filled with everything so you want nothing – but being filled with God so you are commanded not to want – your wants are filled by Him. Obscure way to look at it but as you say – once we have Him all burdens are carried on stronger shoulders than ours. Walking with you in faith!
Linda Sue
Mary, we did notice a lot of wood shingles there AND the moss growing in a lot of places. I didn’t think it was too commercialized at all. It was quaint and charming, and the prices were good. People were so nice to us and seemed to enjoy finding out where we were from and how far we’d traveled. I visited the old historic jail and got some beautiful pictures of a simple red berry tree, which I used on my header. I understand your moist eyes. I get the same way when I see pictures of Texas or something on TV that reminds me of my family or home. It’s a good sad.
Deb
Such an open heart you have Mary, to share with us your innermost thoughts. Thank you for that. I love your analogy to the confetti and the wand. Isn’t it weird how faith increases and peace grows when we go through life’s trials. As for you being the strong anchor for your family, Mary, that’s because they must see strength in you and see your strong faith in the Lord. That is a good witness for them. And it’s a blessing to them that you can find and demonstrate peace and calm in the storms of life to them. I love that Psalm, too. The Psalms are just about my favorite book. There are so many passages that have brought faith and strength and healing to me. Have a wonderful, worshipful Sunday, my friend.
I found you blog this morning from Debbie’s blog. What a beautiful post. I am going through much the same thing as I lost my job in May 2008. I call on God to give me peace every single day. Thank you for posting the 23rd Psalm. That is the first think I ever memorized. My sweet granny taught it to me. God bless you!!!
Kay
What a wonderfull concept!!!
Mary, what a heart-touching post. You are so right about the wand analogy. Things in our lives get all stirred up, but really…through the chaos of swirling , whirling glitter and gloss, He is the true constant and the compass. And He does not change or waver. With encouragement from one another towards Godliness it is so much easier to carry on with life….in spite of all the hardships and tragedies. Thank-you for this post.
I have been reading all of these comments, busy with the goat herd, rolling about everything that has been said. Soaking it all in.
Lylah, it is amazingly true! I cannot imagine being without it.
Becky, I have those days, when I feel “shaken” to the point of drained. We, as humans that love God, sometimes forget to hand it all over almost as quickly as the bullets start firing at us.
Martha Ann, I am going to say it right back at you…thank YOU for being here. I mean that! Finding the good in the bad, in difficult times, comes a little easier when we share it with friends, and with reminders that we are loved in this world together.
Linda Sue, perfect breaking down of “I shall not want.”
Wow…as I said, I have been reading here and there, thinking here and there. I love this discussion. I could write another blog post just to reply…I want to, but I won’t just yet, we’ll pick back up somewhere!
Debbie, “A good sad,” I agree! Fond memories are a wonderful part of being human, aren’t they?
Vickie, regarding “strengthened faith,” can you imagine becoming bitter, angry, or so frustrated that you could no longer see the light? No! It is wonderful. Some say a person that has faith is weak, but I say immense strength and ability.
“I call on God to give me peace every single day,” Kay, it never ceases to amaze me how the peace washes over.
Stacey, wonderful!
Speaking of encouragement from others, Kathy, I remember your words that I tossed around a number of times. Your perfect words that I found myself breaking down, thinking, “That is where I should be today.” We are never far, we just feel off the path from time to time. People are priceless, fellowship wherever we are at.