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| The full moon in Roxas City, Capiz. Taken in October of 2009. |
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world...
What beauty they have!!! No words, yet they resound the Lord's glory down to the crevices of this fallen world. If only half of that beauty can be ascribed to me, I would have already lived a life worthy of my maker.
No speech. No words. No Sound! How powerful!!! Oh, the beauty that silence magnifies!
It is silence that reveals how much peace we hold in our hearts. It is when God is silent that we reveal how much of our heart is really surrendered to Him.
In the month that went by, I had my quiet moments with God. It is amazing (and embarrassing at the same time) - the things he brings to my attention! I now live in the school compound where most nights are spent listening to the crickets and the startling sounds of mangoes falling on the roof. My mind wanders between scary thoughts and how I hate sleeping alone. Thankfully, I doze off to the thoughts of "I am with you always" on repeat.
God is encouraging me in my job. I am surprised at how much I could learn new things, new protocols, new routines! Indeed, when God calls you, He will enable you. I have a wonderful team of co-workers too. And well, entertainment is out of question --- we have three adorable kids living in the same compound!
Tomorrow is the first day of our academic year. As I am writing this paragraph, I can hear the chatter and the laugh-screams of the girls above my room. ( I am housed in a small room on the ground floor of the dormitory.) That, alternated with the croaking of the frogs. Silence is slowly becoming a luxury.
Here are some scenes in my new 'home'.
~ x ~
Here are some scenes in my new 'home'.
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| The school building that houses the library and classrooms. |
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| That 'rocky road' from the building you see on top to the dorms. |
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| Three of the men who are training to be pastors. Happy, aren't they? |
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| The usual afternoon feast of sour mangoes under the, well, mango tree :D Again, thank you for including me in your prayers. The Lord bless you! :D |
I almost teared up while reading this piece.
ReplyDelete"It is silence that reveals how much peace we hold in our hearts. It is when God is silent that we reveal how much of our heart is really surrendered to Him."
You know that song by Natalie Grant (Held) that says 'if hope was born of suffering. . .can we not wait for one hour watching for our saviour'. It's playing as I type this. I want to know God. I want to know God in the silence. I don't want to wake up to an half empty bed on a cold morning to find out my lover all along was the noise or happiness that shows up on the surface.
This last week, I heard a preacher say if we know and have our joy as christians, nothing would be able to take it away from us.
Happiness is what leaves when a friend let's us down and the new iPhone we just bought at the store the other day broke as we are locking the doorway to our apartment.
Thanks for this post friend, it really touched a deep place. I pray you come to know Joy more even in this that God has called you to. As I read this, I saw a flower blossoming in your front yard, it wasn't just the shrubs of happiness around the house He's building, I saw JOY. Thanks once again Jabs :)
I praise God that this has touched you, Ayo! And thank you for blessing me with joy. I will fight for it anytime...with all that i have! :D
Delete*love*
What though in solemn silence all
ReplyDeleteMove round the dark terrestrial ball?
What though no real voice nor sound
Amid the radiant orbs be found?
In reason’s ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing as they shine,
“The hand that made us is divine.”
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/p/spacious.htm