My Wedding Ring

I often would look at my left hand and the empty place on my ring finger would fill my heart with longing. What is this longing? A longing to belong to someone? A longing to love and to be loved? I'm not quite sure exactly but whatever it is makes my heart quicken. One day a woman will place a ring on that finger but I feel like God spoke to me clearly a word of His own about this. When he spoke to me, He wanted me to know that before any woman would ever think of placing a ring on my finger, He placed his own ring on my finger, marking me as His. Though I can't see this ring, I can feel it on my finger, burning with love, reminding me of my identity and to whom I belong. It is the ring a lover gives in commitment, it is the ring a father puts on his child, and it is the ring that defines the very core of who I am. Thank you Lord for this very real image you have given me as a gift. Only you are truly worth belonging to and being loved by. Continue to teach me and show me that I am your beloved.

A Dark Morning

I'm sitting in the car in the parking lot by my ship. It's 6:30 in the morning. I just had this wonderful thought of people and angels worshipping in heaven right now. Even in my darkest hours this worship is going on. This fills me with joy and it would be a good thing if I would think on this more often. I look at the lights of the shipping cranes, lights from ships, lights from buildings and it is beautiful to look at them in light of heaven. All of these lights speak of importance and yet in truth they have none. It will all pass away in such a short time. The worshipping of God in heaven will never pass away though and the light that shines in heaven outshines these beyond compare.

A dark morning, yes, but when I close my eyes...

Traffic, A Blessing

I was stuck in traffic yesterday for probably two hours. I was tempted to get stressed out and I did a little but I had a thought as I sat there, not moving at all. I was surrouned by all these other cars, all stopped just like me and I imagined the thousand people stuck in this one traffic jam alone. Not to mention all the other traffic jams going on at that very second. Every single one of us sitting in our cars were likely reacting selfishly, if only in thought, to the fact that we are sitting in a car and not moving. Sitting in car and not moving. That's not such a bad predicament. It dawned on me in that moment the silliness of it all. meanwhile God was putting on a show in his creation. A rainbow cloud, beautiful trees, and the sun that was just beginning its evening descent. Thank you Lord, for slowing me down so I could actually appreciate it all. I look up and pull my car up three feet before stopping again. I look outside the window again at the trees, the sun, and the clouds. It's very beautiful and it makes me smile.