Family Update-Farm Life: Never Dull

Among my regular posts, I want to begin posting pictures from everyday life. Just randoms of my life with my family.

We had a calf missing yesterday and so we gathered a "search party".

We didn't find the calf at that time, but he was found later right with his mother. :)

A Quiet Spirit-Abiding With the Master

I enjoy listening to audio books. I download from Librivox.org and enjoy moving around the house doing my daily work with an audio book playing on my Mp3 player.

One of my favorite authors wrote back in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Isabella Alden was an amazing woman with an incredible gift of writing. Her books are uplifting, encouraging and convicting. My favorite books written by Mrs. Alden are "Ester Ried", "Ester Ried's Namesake", and "From Different Standpoints", but this is a topic for another post.

A few months ago, I deviated from one of Mrs. Alden's books to try another author who wrote in the middle to late 1800s. Susan Warner was also a gifted author and writing must have been a family trait as Susan's sister Anna wrote one of the most well known songs, "Jesus Loves Me".

I picked one of Susan's books, downloaded it and began. It was one of the longest books I have ever read/listened to! 54 chapters and one was almost an hour long reading! Despite the length, I finished the book in just a few days, albeit I was listening to it almost all day.

The main character of this book was a wonderful young woman, both in character and appearance. Throughout the story, the quality that struck me the most in the heroine was her quiet spirit. A quality I admired and contrasted it sadly with its lack in myself.

I pondered the quality of a quiet spirit as I so greatly long for the Lord to develop it in my own life and I asked the Lord for insight.

I can often mistake a quiet spirit for a quiet person. If a person is more quiet natured, they must have a quiet spirit. Or if an individual is more outgoing, then they must not have a quiet spirit.

This is obviously false. A person can be bubbly and outgoing and have a beautiful quiet spirit or someone can be very quiet and lack any kind of a quiet spirit.

I began my study in 1 Peter 3:3-4

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting hair, and of wearing gold or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

A meek and quiet spirit.

I went to Strong's Concordance and did a word search for quiet spirit. It has the connotation of staying seated, not being easily moved, being still, or undisturbed. One of the notes in Strong's said this "This word indicates tranquility arising from within, causing no disturbance to others."

As I continued to ponder all this, I thought of one of my Bible heroines. Her story is found in Luke 10:38-42

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a a certain village: and a certain women named Martha received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and sad unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary that chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Mary showed the example of a quiet spirit that I was looking for. She was focused on the one needful thing: sitting at Jesus' feet.

The essence of a quiet spirit is exactly that.

Sitting at Jesus' feet and not moving away no matter what "Marthas" call for us. 

I am not picking on Martha in any way. I sympathize with Martha. I understand Martha and I am afraid that sadly, I can too often stand right next to Martha and echo her words. Instead of taking the time to sit with Jesus, to have the personal one-on-one time that is vital to the Christian life, I can be too worried about my "list" and I ask Jesus to wait on the sidelines so that I can accomplish what I think is the most important to the success of my day.

"Marthas" can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. For me it is housework. I can judge my success when I get to the end of the day and I am satisfied with the amount of work I accomplished. To my shame, I don't judge it by the amount of time I spent in prayer, whether I had a fruitful time studying God's Word, or if I had sweet communion with the Lord throughout the day.

Oh, Lord, give me more of the spirit of Mary. Nothing and no one can move me from the side of my Savior. Nothing. At. All.

 

This post has taken several months to finish and I know this is a very raw and real post. Thank you for bearing with me. This has been written for me more than anyone else. I started this back in May while driving in the car to Florida, and have worked on it in little segments (or just stared at the screen) several times in the last several weeks, but as I am sitting here today, I know that this article needed to wait until now for me to finish. I am in a season of life right now where I struggle to keep a quiet spirit and where the Holy Spirit has been convicting me of apathy that I have developed for Him and His word. 

If I was living at my Savior's feet, would I ever want to leave?

I am in a season where I have questions.I am almost 21 years old. No job. No boyfriend. No college. No nothing.  I have insecurities when people as "Do you have a boyfriend?" "Do you have any prospects?" "What do you do?" "Are you in college?" 

If I was living at the Savior's feet, would I even care about what other people think of me?

I am emotional right now. I could cry or laugh at the same thing and sometimes at the drop of a hat. I fall into my work like I have something to prove. I am struggling to keep my eyes on my Savior. 

If I was living at the feet of my Father, wouldn't His comfort be all satisfying? 

 "...when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." 
Psalm 61:2b

I was sitting on my younger sister's bed yesterday sympathizing and comforting her in the midst of a disappointment. She was expressing some feelings and the conversation led me to ask her a question. Could she not trust that the God who raised Jesus from the dead, and who saw the bird who fell out of it's nest and the God who knew the number of hairs on her head had something better for her than what she had hoped for? In many ways, I have to ask the question back at myself.When I become anxious and stressed, isn't it doubting God's goodness? His sovereignty? I wouldn't say it in words, but isn't it obvious in my actions? I have taken my eyes off my Savior? I am no longer sitting at His feet. Mary had the quiet spirit of trust that no matter what, her Jesus could take care of it all. That He was in control.

Am I trusting that I am happier right now, right where I am in life, with all it's challenges and surprises, than I would be if I was living my "dream life?" 

If it was best for me, my Father would have given it to me.

"If ye then, being evil, know ho to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?"

Matthew 7:11 

Isn't at my Father's feet the absolute best place to be?

My heart's desire is that I would stay at the feet of Jesus, that I would live at the feet of Jesus. Abiding at the Master's side? Looking to Him alone. It is when the I begin to look back at the world and desire the praise it offers, that is when I become a "Martha" again; cumbered with many things. 

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me."

John 15:4

A quiet spirit. Dear sisters, this is my prayer. That I may always, always be abiding right at the feet of Jesus. Safe at His side. Looking to Him alone for my affirmation, my worth, my purpose and my marching orders.

Live at the Master's feet.