Manifest Mercies

I've had an exhausting, busy week. Hence the reason for my lack of posts! I actually have four drafts just taunting me for completion - ideas or thoughts I've had in the past several days for which I lacked the time or stamina to develop.

One theme that has continued to resonate this past week, though, is God's manifest mercies. Dictionary.com defines manifest like this: "readily perceived by the eye or the understanding; evident; obvious; apparent."

Even through the busyness, sometimes true chaos, migraine headache fighting, priority juggling, and just general living each day, one thing has been obvious and apparent: God's manifest mercies.

One of the many blessings in my life is my deck. It has always been a place of peace, laughter, gathering, solitude, spirituality and prayer for our family and friends. This stunningly beautiful fall morning I sit here on the glider, marveling at the unspeakable beauty in nature.  The trees surrounding our yard represent so many shades of green I couldn't begin to count them! The sky--there really isn't only one color of sky blue! Cotton ball clouds appear out of nowhere. The breeze blows the tree branches, like paint brushes against the sky. The church bell windchimes my husband has loving repaired and maintained sound off with the geeese-in-flight chimes my brother and youngest sister gave us many years ago.  I am breathing . . . just breathing . . .

God's mercy is most physically apparent in nature, but I have experienced, felt, been aware of it all week:  Realizing a potentially devastating situation that could have negatively impacted our business  if not for my decision to investigate-not my own idea, but true divine intervention. Using the knowledge I've gained in my job and benefit of my "maturity" in dealing with several situations. Having the confidence and trust of my manager to confide in me and ask for my assistance in a challenging personnel situation. Juggling a hundred different activities, staff calendars and schedules, priorities and staff needs to assure our business succeeds.

God has been there through each moment . . . even when I didn't really feel Him--or honestly even think of Him.  As I relax on my deck this morning, I feel the migraine that has threatened to flare up for a couple of days begin to subside. I lift a prayer of thankgiving, gratitude, humility and awe that God, through the Holy Spirit, has sustained, guided, uplifted, reassured, protected and blessed me in more ways than I describe - or frankly recall!

When God revealed the pattern of the tabernacle and the way to approach Him He also declared exactly where He would meet Moses: Exod 25:22 "And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel."  So the outstretched wings of the cherubim were to provide a throne for the God where He would mediate His rule on the earth as a representation of the real throne in heaven.

I'm so grateful that God speaks to me - and all of us who believe - from the Mercy Seat of His grace  which is everywhere, all the time, because of the Holy Spirit. Those outstretched cherubim wings cover us all and we are blessed to have so many earthly glimpses of heaven that awaits us.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary