Today's post originally appeared on Phyllis Keels' blog. I enjoyed it and wanted to share it with the readers of the Seriously Write blog. (By the way, the photo of the stream was taken by my pastor's wife. Kim Lance is an awesome photographer. Check her out! -- Sandy
“If it weren’t for the rocks in its bed, the stream would have no song.” Carl Perkins
Phyllis: I grew up playing in places like this. Both my mom and dad were raised in the mountains of North Carolina and we visited there a lot. I was raised in the Piedmont. Throughout my childhood, rocky streams were plentiful.
Even now, when I look at a photo like the one below, tears come to my eyes because my memories of these streams are so sweet. Solitude, the sounds of the water, the birds, the wind in the trees… Oh, what lovely times of daydreaming!
When I had a friend with me, we practiced our “catch and release” program for crawdads. Yep, crawdads.
We trekked across giant fallen logs over the stream – the stream that transformed into a cavernous ravine as we tried not to fall off.
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| Photo by Kim Lance, used by permission |
We marveled at the tiny “handprints” in the mud – handprints we were convinced were made by the Little People (the Leprechauns, certainly not raccoons).
We dreamed up great adventures, true love, and the ability to fly like Peter Pan. Fairies and elves, unicorns and tree houses. You name it. We could imagine it.
Looking back, I can see where my love of writing began. It began with the song of the stream. Even today, the sound of that water flowing over the rocks calls to me.
And yes, the quote above is true: without the rocks the stream would have no song. Without the obstacles, our lives would have no depth, no beauty.
It is only through the broken heart that our gifts are made perfect. Paul said it best, I can have all these abilities, resources, talents, but if I do not have love, I am nothing.
Paul had learned that to allow the love of God to flow through you is the greatest gift you can have and give. And it’s done by allowing it to happen. It’s done by changing our focus from the hurt to the source of all love: our Heavenly Father.
If you’ve had a hard life, if you’ve had adversity, and heartbreak, then my friend you are most blessed. You are in a position to possess the most beautiful song. A song that will comfort someone else as you comfort your own heart.
Let your heart sing the song of the highly favored, and deeply loved: the brokenhearted. After all, we can sing because He is always near to the brokenhearted.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear (worship) the Lord and put their trust in him. (Psalm 40:3, NIV)
(For more photos by Kim Lance, please visit her Facebook page called “Aperture of the Soul”.)
In addition to being a writer, Phyllis is a speaker, the illustrator of an Amazon Bestseller written by Kimberly Rae, a Bible study teacher, and a woman after God’s own heart. Through her books, classes, and blog, she brings the tender words of our Heavenly Father to those who are crushed in spirit.
Phyllis shares honestly about her own experiences with loss, specifically the loss of her adult daughter Julie in 2011, and how compassionately the Lord has comforted her. She gives the call to women who long for a deeper level of honesty in their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as they learn to cling to Him in life’s valleys.
Her passion is that others may also know that the Lord is faithful, and that Jesus is intimately aware of our suffering. She helps others allow the Holy Spirit to carry them by the peace that comes from receiving Jesus’ love for us.
A full-time author, speaker, and business owner of The Gifted Writer, LLC, Phyllis lives in Salisbury, North Carolina with her faithful yellow Lab named Emma.
You can read more about Phyllis, find out about her books, and follow her at:
· Website: www.PhyllisKeels.com
· Twitter: @PhyllisKeels
· Facebook Author Page: www.Facebook.com/AuthorPhyllisKeels
· Goodreads: Phyllis Keels
· Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/PhyllisKeels
· Blog: www.TheGiftedWriterLLC.com
We dreamed up great adventures, true love, and the ability to fly like Peter Pan. Fairies and elves, unicorns and tree houses. You name it. We could imagine it.
Looking back, I can see where my love of writing began. It began with the song of the stream. Even today, the sound of that water flowing over the rocks calls to me.
And yes, the quote above is true: without the rocks the stream would have no song. Without the obstacles, our lives would have no depth, no beauty.
It is only through the broken heart that our gifts are made perfect. Paul said it best, I can have all these abilities, resources, talents, but if I do not have love, I am nothing.
Paul had learned that to allow the love of God to flow through you is the greatest gift you can have and give. And it’s done by allowing it to happen. It’s done by changing our focus from the hurt to the source of all love: our Heavenly Father.
If you’ve had a hard life, if you’ve had adversity, and heartbreak, then my friend you are most blessed. You are in a position to possess the most beautiful song. A song that will comfort someone else as you comfort your own heart.
Let your heart sing the song of the highly favored, and deeply loved: the brokenhearted. After all, we can sing because He is always near to the brokenhearted.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear (worship) the Lord and put their trust in him. (Psalm 40:3, NIV)
(For more photos by Kim Lance, please visit her Facebook page called “Aperture of the Soul”.)
~~~~~
Author Phyllis Keels (a two-time award winner for her Christian fiction) is a woman who is always wondering why she has too many irons in the fire.In addition to being a writer, Phyllis is a speaker, the illustrator of an Amazon Bestseller written by Kimberly Rae, a Bible study teacher, and a woman after God’s own heart. Through her books, classes, and blog, she brings the tender words of our Heavenly Father to those who are crushed in spirit.
Phyllis shares honestly about her own experiences with loss, specifically the loss of her adult daughter Julie in 2011, and how compassionately the Lord has comforted her. She gives the call to women who long for a deeper level of honesty in their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as they learn to cling to Him in life’s valleys.
Her passion is that others may also know that the Lord is faithful, and that Jesus is intimately aware of our suffering. She helps others allow the Holy Spirit to carry them by the peace that comes from receiving Jesus’ love for us.
A full-time author, speaker, and business owner of The Gifted Writer, LLC, Phyllis lives in Salisbury, North Carolina with her faithful yellow Lab named Emma.
You can read more about Phyllis, find out about her books, and follow her at:
· Website: www.PhyllisKeels.com
· Twitter: @PhyllisKeels
· Facebook Author Page: www.Facebook.com/AuthorPhyllisKeels
· Goodreads: Phyllis Keels
· Pinterest: www.Pinterest.com/PhyllisKeels
· Blog: www.TheGiftedWriterLLC.com
