Casa Grace

Silent Lives

Shirley Open hands , 0 Comment
Shirley"s Pen

DSC_1349

‘Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God’.

(Jim Elliott)

This evening as I watched the shadows deepen, my thoughts turned to those who live silent lives of suffering in the Shadows of Life.  Shadows are silent, yet possess a beauty, differing in shape and size.  The summer sun can create a shadow, as can the pale beam of the moon, yet all bring a distinct silence.  The words of C.H. Spurgeon: ‘There are some of your graces, which would never be discovered, if it were not for your trial’.  I have known the silence of shadows but I came to know through personal experience that in the darkness of night when the silence was deafening ‘Standing Somewhere In The Shadows’ was One who could enter the depth of despair.  I had to learn to ‘dwell,’ to remain close at all times in all situations of life.  Psalm 91:1 ‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow ……’  What need I more ? Read more

Hearing, Seeing, Loving!

Shirley Open hands , 0 Comment
Shirley"s Pen

IMG_5706reduced

‘They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes’. Rev: 7: 16-17.

Walking back to Campus after attending an evening in Emanuel Chapel hosted by the Moody Bible Institute Chorale, my husband and I spoke of the excellence and perfection of the arrangements. The anointed ministry portraying precious pearls of Promise, Peace, Assurance and Love. The strains of a much loved hymn by George Matheson filled my heart: ‘O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go’   I immediately thought of the teenage orphan girls I had visited earlier in the day who could certainly ‘trace the rainbow through the rain’. Rejected pearls, cast aside but chosen, loved and rescued and all because someone cared. Read more

ULTIMATE LONELINESS

Shirley Open hands , , 0 Comment
Shirley"s Pen

How can we grasp the true definition of ‘Ultimate Loneliness’ unless our hearts have been captured by the graphic picture of intense pain, suffering, extreme poverty, abandonment, unloved, lost souls. The dangerous reefs of life have caused shipwreck in many lives whose only hope is to be found in God.

I ask myself ‘What is the value of my relationship, my first love; do I want to snatch such from the wild waves of life’s restless sea?’ Can I be a bridge builder? Offering a bridge of hope ‘For God so loved the world that He gave ……….’ My words must be washed in His love; the Word of God must be relevant to individual searching souls.

If someone had told me I would have encountered such a pool of despair … but one thing I have learned through ministering in this role of Tell Romania is that I must not question or become disillusioned. Although this week in particular I could have found myself like the prophet Elijah saying ‘Lord, I have had enough’. The pain was real as I visited the lost and dying, terminally ill, climbing many stairs where I found a mother nursing her daughter (48) caring for her granddaughter and great grandchildren. Another humble home once joyful now silenced by pain, yet a smile of memory filled her face as she clutched a photograph of her husband, then displayed her cross stitch work which I must confess is amazing.   ‘Daria, why so much pain?’ We both were silent!

Lord, I want to feel Thy love, caress these hearts of pain. Melt my heart, help me pierce the gloom. I find myself repeating the prayer of Jabez ‘oh that you would bless me…’

Read more

A SPECIAL SEASON

Shirley Open hands ,
Shirley"s Pen

‘Give With Your Heart’, reminds me, I am a vessel, a servant.   I am also aware that one who has nothing, has nothing to give.

‘Create in me a clean heart, O God ……..’ Psalm 51: 10. Do I possess a heart of diligence for the hungry, desperately poor and terminally ill and am I touched, challenged?   Is my heart one of duty, submission, willing to say ‘Yes’? Do I desire to grow deeper in my love, my passion for the lost and dying?

In my own private devotion this morning, I read the parable of ‘The Good Samaritan’ who when he ‘SAW’ him, went back, bandaged his wounds… A few days ago I received the following quote from my friend Barbara. The first question the priest and Levite asked was ‘If I stop to help the man what will happen to me?’ The Good Samaritan reversed the question. ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’ (Martin Luther King). A discerning heart!

As I unlocked the door of room 205 very late on Monday evening, in the darkness, there on our hall table, beautiful pink roses had been placed; attached was a little note: ‘Welcome Home, we have missed you, you are loved …..’ My heart was so moved by this expression of love. As I write, there are nine bunches of Roses, Tulips, Lilies, Orchids, Snowdrops, all lovingly brought by my girls from their heart to mine.   Why am I sharing this with you? I am so blessed, so privileged to have these Jewels grace my life. They fill my heart and give me so much joy. BUT GOD, God knew I would need to feel their heart beat, the week ahead would be emotional as I would come face to face with the reality that not everyone knows the joy of being loved or wanted! Others are weighed down by the heat of the day. Read more