My firm foundation

Ephesians 3:17 NIV .... so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love .....

Psalm 16:8 NIV ... I keep my eyes always on the Lord.   With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 46:10 NIV ... He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

This morning as our family enjoyed online worship together, I was refilling my water bottle and I walked over to my two house plants near the dining space window.  I am no plant or gardening expert by any means, but I have found a few plants here and there over the years that have made it.  I have kept them with the care they need, a rhythm of watering every few days, pruning as needed, and re-potting as they have outgrown their  original containers.  I adopted these 2 plants from memorial services for our loved ones over the last few years.  The first one is a peace lily I named 'Floyd', and the second one is a mixed plant I named 'Clementine'.  I have heard and read about how plants thrive when you treat them with great care, as if they are another living person in your home.  So honestly, it didn't seem odd to me to do this, and over time I found myself day to day, reaching out to them in my coming and going in the kitchen and dining space through the day.  I have had a moment here and there, throughout this season of living with grief and joy intermingled, when I stopped to consider what has kept me grounded.  What is my firm foundation?  Without hesitation, God.  He is my foundation.  Father, Son, Holy Spirit....He has met me without fail in my moments of absolute crushing, and in my moments of full on delight.  He has provided a grounded and firm place in my soul to land every time I have needed it.  I can't describe it, it's not anything specific, no audible voice, no shining light moment, just an indescribable peace through my entire being assuring me He's got me.  I am held in His loving hands at all times.

So I was exploring a life cycle approach to this today as well, to somehow connect  the spiritual and the human experience of grounding, of acknowiledging our foundation.  Consider this:  God created it all, our great big beautiful world, and the extraordinary nature surrounding us.  It's not by accident when we connect through things as simple as plants, and even the surfaces of the earth we experience like a grassy meadow, and a warm sandy beach.  Since I was a child, I can recall moments running through a field, or squishing my toes in the sand on the beach as waves rush up around my feet and ankles, just feeling a sense of Ahhhhhh.   Not sure the right word for it honestly, but my mind just thinks about these moments in my life and I go, 'Ahhhhh...'.   Can you relate?  Well, call it odd if you like but I find my mind doing this when I look at my plants.  They have become a daily physical reminder and grounding comfort of God's faithfulness in my life.   The consistent ritual I have adopted with these plants has become a part of my journey toward healing after immense loss, but it is not a substitute for my foundation in Christ.  Consider the 3 scriptures I shared at the top of this blog.  Key terminology that point to our foundation in Christ:

Ephesians 3:17 - Rooted, Established

Psalm 16:8 - Keep my eyes always on the Lord, my right hand, not shaken

Psalm 46:10 - Be still, know that I am God

I am rooted, established in Him and as I keep my eyes on Him I will not be shaken and so I will choose to be still, know Him more every single day because He is my firm foundation.  

I want to encourage  you and challenge you as you enter this next  week, to set time first of the day to meditate upon this scripture trio and say this over yourself believing that God is your firm foundation.  Always.  No matter your human condition or mood, even when you don't feel motivated, simply choose to do and say this for yourself to set your posture for  the day ahead.  Fix your mind, your heart, your soul upon Father  God and your firm foundation in His Son Jesus Christ.  Holy Spirit will enter in, and you will know His entire peace and comfort to carry you into your next steps as the day unfolds.

I will admit to you, I have days I miss it.  I stumble out of bed and into a half hearted moment with the Lord.  But every time, He still meets me there.  He does not shake his head and sigh and say, 'I wondered when you'd actually get around to some time with me today.'  He's just there, and the same loving comforting God I need in every moment of my life, the good and the bad.  I am so grateful for this.  I am so thankful for his unconditional love and unwavering faithfulness to me.  I am praying you will find this too as you step into the week ahead.