I recently learned something interesting – something I had never pondered before but now find intriguing -the secret of pearls. Oh, I don’t mean where they are found or in what sea creature. It is how pearls come to be, that is the mystery so recently revealed to me. Now for those of you who already know, perhaps you are thinking to yourselves, “how could anyone not know this?” Well, I have no excuse, I just never knew the whole story or secret of pearls until now.

I knew that pearls are found in oysters and clams and in other mollusks, but I was unaware of the process that brings pearls into being. I thought they just occurred naturally in nature. As it turns out, as Tom Hughes says in his book, “Down to Earth”, “A pearl . . . is the only precious stone that is created through pain.” He is referring to the pain of the oyster or clam when a grain of sand gets in and acts as an irritant, causing the organism pain. So the oyster or clam responds to their pain by secreting a fluid which hardens around the grain of sand. Under pressure inside the organism, a pearl is eventually formed.

Hughes says, “When we see a pearl, we see something that has been made lovely through the process of pain.” Who knew? Pain as a beauty treatment. But truth is stranger than fiction. And pain does perfect us if we let it. In Isaiah I read that God intends to –

“to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,” (Isaiah 61:3) Job knew his pain was perfecting him. He said this –

“But He (God) knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) Paul says this about pain and suffering in Corinthians –

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Seems counterintuitive, but pain and pressure, trials and trouble, produce beauty and strength – not ugliness and weakness. James even says to count it all joy when pain enters into my life and I suffer. He says –

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2)

Imagine that – testing, painful trials, will leave me “complete, not lacking anything.” I just have to stay the course and endure the pain, allowing the process to do its work. Producing a pearl of great price takes time. God’s timing is always perfect. These words in Ecclesiastes reassure me there is a purpose in my pain. God is at work producing a pearl from a grain of sand, using the process of pressure and pain.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

This gives me hope. I won’t be in the oyster forever. So many I know are dealing with very painful things everyday. But we can be assured God is perfecting us in our pain and making us more and more like His Son Jesus. Hebrews tells me this –

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus endured the pain of the cross for you and for me. His pain paid my sin price, so that I could be reconciled to God, my Creator. He paid your price, too, dear readers. Something so good, eternal life, came from something so unspeakably painful, Jesus’s death on the cross. A lovely pearl is the result of a painful process. God will bring beauty out of my pain and suffering and out of yours, too. This is the hope that sustains during darkest times.

“You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever.” (Psalm 30:11-12)

sincerely, Grace Day

Dorothy may have been right – that may be true, but this statement begs the question – “Where is home?” Oh sure we have the bumper sticker/cross-stitch answers such as “home is where the heart is” or “home is where you hang your hat” or “home is a shelter from the storm” or “home is where you are” or even “you can’t go home again.” All this speculation calls me to consider the question – is home a place or a person? or perhaps both?

Jesus said this – “In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

Seems to me, according to those words, home is both a place and a person. Jesus is preparing a place for me, but not just any old place – it is a place where He is, a place where I can be with Him. There are a lot of homeless people in the world today, not just in the U.S. but around the globe. This is true literally, but I think the number of homeless people figuratively is much higher. Many of us spend our lives searching for a place to call home or trying to find our way home. Whether it’s where our heart is, or our hat is, or a loved one is – we long to find that place where we belong, that place where we are accepted just as we are, for who we are – that place where we don’t have to pretend in order to fit in – that place where we are valued – that place where we are loved unconditionally without measure – that place where we are sheltered from life’s storms.

Doesn’t that sound like heaven? I meant that as a rhetorical question figuratively, but it is actually true literally. All those things will be true in our heavenly home. Maybe that’s why it is so hard to feel at home here – because this world is not my home. God’s own word confirms this.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

So, I have the promise of a new, permanent, eternal home and of a new, improved and glorious body to go with it? This is really good news! To all the homeless of the earth, whether our search for a home is literal or figurative, we have hope. We have God’s promise to all who believe on His Son, Jesus, that He is preparing a place for us. Then Peter writes these words –

“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” (1 Peter 2:11-12)

No wonder I never feel completely at home in this world – I am actually an alien and a stranger – my forever home and my forever family are waiting for me in heaven. This is the hope that sustains during darkest days and toughest times – there is a place being prepared for me – a place that I will call home forever. My search will be over and I will be home! It is an unshakeable inheritance, kept secure, as Peter explains –

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Abraham understood this whole homeless/searching for a home thing – he lived it. In Hebrews eleven I read his story –

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. . . . All these people were still living by faith when they died. . . . And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:8-16)

Imagine it – a city whose architect and builder is God! Remember it was Jesus who said -“I am going to prepare a place for you.” This is the home I have been searching for – a shelter from life’s storms, built on a firm foundation of faith. I realize now that –

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

Now I live as an alien in a foreign land. But my forever home is being prepared for me even now. I will not be homeless in eternity. I am headed for my forever home. In this home there will be room for my hat, my heart and everyone I love. I will have a large family of brothers and sisters dwelling with me. We will have no need of shelter, for there will be no more storms. Nevertheless, we will have a home in which to live together with great joy in the presence of Almighty God, the builder of our eternal home.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:2-3)

“One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:4-5)

“Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

sincerely, Grace Day ps. (related post – “headed home” at “mtothe5th”)

On second thought that’s the wrong title. The title should be “getting to the root of it” because the question asked is “how far back can you go in your family tree?” So I am looking for my roots, which will take some digging, so to speak. The branches of my family tree are in plain sight, but its roots are hidden from view and from memory as well. Finding my family tree’s roots will require uncovering what is hidden. Or will it?

It occurs to me I have known the answer to this question all along. I’m going to go out on a limb (pun intended) and say my family tree goes back to Adam and Eve. Then I realize this branch is long gone and I’m going to need to find another limb upon which to stand. You see, there was this flood and everyone died – except for this man named Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives. Noah had believed God and been brave enough and obedient enough to build a huge boat on dry land with no water in sight and no memory of it ever having rained upon the earth previously. That’s either foolishness or faithfulness. Turns out it was the latter.

At this point I want to claim victory and say I’ve won the tree climbing or root digging or tree tracing contest. I can trace my family tree all the way back to Noah! Then I realize, so can everyone else alive today. There is one race – the human race. Saying we are all brothers and sisters is more than just a metaphor or sappy song lyrics. It’s actually true! Time and geographical distance have produced many languages, customs of dress and food, nationalities as countries came into being and differences in physical characteristics – but we are all fruit of the same tree.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27)

Wow! My roots are right there in plain sight. I am created in God’s image. He is my Heavenly Father. Today, many are engaged in a search for their roots, hoping that when they learn where they came from, this knowledge will guide them to where they are going and give them a sense of meaning and purpose along the way. Knowing whose I am, does provide me that sense of belonging and identity that we all seek. It is important for each of us to know that we were created on purpose, for a purpose. These words from Psalm 139 remind me that this is true.

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13-16)

As a child of God, I am part of a living, growing family tree that reaches into eternity. I belong to this eternal family – I have a place in it. Psalm 68:4-6 tells me,

“His name is the Lord – and rejoice before Him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families,”

Is it surprising or even shocking to discover that we are all related? If we have been focusing solely on our differences to the exclusion of all our similarities, we might be surprised to discover we share the same roots and are created in the same image – God’s. Each one of us is God’s “handiwork” or “masterpiece” as Ephesians 2:10 says. Seems ironic, that many today are searching, hoping to discover through genetics, family members they might be missing – while our family tree is all around us. Culture wants us to focus on our differences. Christ came to call us together as His dearly beloved children, whom He gave His life to redeem.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)

“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (Colossians 3:11)

In tracing our what we think are individual trees, we discover we share our roots with everyone. They are roots common to us all – we are human beings created in God’s image from the dust of the earth. If only we could see each other the way our Creator God sees us.

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

And our hearts are all the same – all created by God, for God.

“He has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Searches for one’s roots are at their root searches for connection and belonging. Writing this has reminded me once again that we are all inextricably connected, whether we want to be or not. I am surrounded by brothers and sisters who are more like me than I will ever know if I never look beyond the outward appearance of the people I come in contact with every day. Other countries, other cultures, those that speak a different language? We all have the same Heavenly Father whose image we bear. If only we could recognize that image in each other. We are related for eternity! Might as well get to know each other now.

Surprisingly, it turns out there is only one family tree – the family of humankind. Lots of different branches – but all fed from the same root – the Root of Jesse – who is the Messiah – who is Jesus. Jesus, is also called the True Vine – we are the branches on this Vine – producing fruit as we live connected to the eternal, living Vine. But that’s a post for another day. Whether a tree or a vine, we are all connected to each other in more ways than we could ever imagine. Guess I’ll spend what time I have left looking for those commonalities and connections rather than the divisions forced upon us by culture or convention.

“You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26)

sincerely, Grace Day

torrents of tears, pellets of pain pounding the pavement, pouring forth as God weeps over the world –

God’s tears – raining down over earth’s barren brownness -turning to green, bringing back to life all once believed to be beyond hope

“the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” (Romans 4:17)

rain – teardrops of the Creator falling fearlessly, faithfully to the ground washing away dead debris, letting new life grow up in once forsaken spaces

rain – filling our rivers and our streams, our lakes and our ponds, our oceans and our inlets, our marshes and our bayous to overflowing with life giving liquid

rain – gentle, torrential, refreshing, terrifying, comforting, cleansing teardrops from heaven

rain – falls silently with deafening drumbeat – followed by mysterious mists rising, revealing sparkling jewels in droplets of water adorning everything in sight – earth bathed and renewed, rejoicing under the rainbow revealed when raindrops ceased to fall

the rainbow – exquisite beauty designed to make glad the heart after the storm – a reward, a reminder – a reminder of the promise of a faithful Creator God to me and to you – the rainbow, the sign of God’s covenant with all mankind stretching across the sky – inescapable, unexpected, unexplainable – the promise of life everlasting

“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.’ ” (Genesis 9:12-16)

the rainbow – a promise kept, hope – life after the storm, the rain will not destroy – the rain will bring life, renewal, cleansing, refreshing

“”Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” (Deuteronomy 7:9)

rain – rain is water, water sustains all life – God’s own tears falling from the sky, bring life to me and to you!

Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:37-38)

“I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor Me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to My people, My chosen, the people I formed for Myself that they may proclaim My praise.” (Isaiah 43:19-21)

rain – without it we perish. I grieve God a thousand times a day and yet as He weeps over me, out of His grief He sustains my life with His tears

my Heavenly Father rains down His mercy, forgiveness, compassion, protection, provision, His manna, unceasingly from heaven

“for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

the Lord weeps and the earth is brought back to life again and again – food grows, thirsty people are refreshed

rain – water used to baptize – a symbol of the old being washed away and of new life in Christ

the Lord weeps and the earth is washed clean for a new beginning

Lord, when it rains, when Your tears fall on me, may they be tears of Your mercy, compassion, forgiveness – tears that will wash away my sin and heal my soul – let Your rain restore and redeem me – reign in my life, Lord – rain on me! reign over me!

“The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity.” (Psalm 93:1-2)

“The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.” (Psalm 97:1)

the Lord reigns! the Lord in His mercy sends the rain and the rainbow – a reminder of His everlasting covenant with all mankind

sincerely, Grace Day

The question posed to me – “Why do you write?” My response? Because I can’t paint or draw. It’s as simple as that. After all, isn’t a picture worth one thousand words? If I could paint a picture to express what I desire to communicate, I certainly would. Unfortunately, I can’t. So I am forced to take the longer, more laborious route of searching for the words that will say eventually what a painting says in an instant, in the blink of an eye, in that moment when the beholder first lays eyes on it. In that moment, the painting puts its entire message forth to be received by the viewer. The reader, however, will need time to read and time to process the one thousand words written on the page.

My grandmother was a painter. She painted landscapes and still-lifes in oils mostly. I loved her landscapes because most were of sand dunes, lakes and boats and such, reminding me of time spent as a child on a lake I loved. Paintings can do that – bring memories and feelings to life, making you feel you are right there once again. But since I can’t paint, putting my heart on canvas, I write, pouring my heart into words. Often words don’t seem enough or don’t seem adequate – but that’s all I’ve got, so I persist in pursuing meaning through writing, which can be shared with others.

Which is another reason why I write, actually – to connect with other people. Words are the building blocks of language. Language allows us to share information and experiences with others. Words are the bridge that binds us together. Unfortunately, words are also the bombs that blow those carefully crafted bridges up and tear us apart.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue (words) of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18)

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)

That’s why I write – to encourage and inspire whoever might be reading at the moment, to bring healing and hope to someone who might be having an especially tough day. I write to point others to the source of my comfort, peace, purpose, identity, joy and hope – the Living God, Creator of the universe, who coincidentally is also known as the Living Word!

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Moses said this to the Israelites, reminding them just how vital God’s words are –

“They are not just idle words for you – they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” (Deuteronomy 32:47)

Words are important – that’s why I write. Some might even say words are life itself.

“Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:4)

God’s words are life giving, life sustaining words. I write to share His words with others. The challenge as a writer is always to find the “right” words to write (pun intended) with my goal being to uplift the reader, to fill them with hope or comfort or peace or whatever they might be in need of at the time they would chance to read my words and more importantly, to read God’s living, eternal words. I write because words matter and words make a difference.

“A word aptly spoken (or written) is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)

As a writer, I guess I’m always searching for the perfect words to express what I can’t paint, to say what my heart longs to make known. Words are the bridges I put out there, hoping someone will walk across one of them, making it possible to share in life’s journey together if even for the briefest of moments of connection.

my words may not long be remembered – however, not so with God’s words – they last and they have power –

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

“so is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

I will continue to write, with this prayer my plea to God every day –

“May the words of my mouth (and of my pen) and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

sincerely, Grace Day