Do You Ever Cry Happy/Sad Tears?

Dwelling In Beulah Land 

Let the stormy breezes blow,

their cry cannot alarm me;

I am safely sheltered here,

 protected by God's hand:

Here the sun is always shining,

here there's naught can harm me,

I am safe forever In Beulah Land. 

The strains of the third verse echo in this beautiful church. 

The words wash over me. 

He is safely sheltered here. . . protected by God's hand. 

The sun is always shining. . . naught can harm him.

He's dwelling in Beulah Land. 

Elijah is safe from harm.

My boy; naught can harm him. 

I want to drop to my knees. 

That is his journey now. 

The sobs come. 

My poor girls. 

How can I tell them these are happy/sad tears. 

Tears of ache and longing. Deep Anguish. 

Yet tears of joy that I will see their brother again. 

That the separating is made bearable because of Christ's work on the cross. 

They hug me. 

I think they know. 

Not in whole. But in part. 

I'm living on the mountain, 

underneath a cloudless sky (Praise God)  

I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry, 

Oh yes, I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply, 

For I am dwelling in Beulah Land.

The fountain Elijah drinks from will never run dry. 

And he's feasting. 

That insatiable appetite; filled. 

I may long for my boy with all my being. 

Long to hear his voice. 

Cook his favorite meal.

See all his dreams and hopes fulfilled. 

I may despise this journey.

But I know. Beyond a shadow of a doubt. 

That he,

 my read headed boy, 

is feasting on the Manna with the King of Glory. 

We will One day all feast at the table of God's goodness, if we confess and call upon His name. 

Some call it religion. 

God calls it relationship. 

Some call is rules and regulations. 

God calls it Mercy and Grace. 

Ephesians 2:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--

and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--

May your walk today be full of the grace and freedom found in a life surrendered to Christ. 

I miss Elijah with all my being. 

I don't know if my farmer will live or die.

But I do know that one day, I too will feast on that banquet. 

I will dwell in Beulah land. 

And the reunion there will be great. 

 An Oldie but Goodie of Dwelling In Beulah Land.

When The Thunder Rolls

The rains came. 

The wind picked up and blew those storm clouds right over this farm;

and the fields where we were haying. 

The gusts strong and the temperature change severe. 

Loose items on the farm blew around. 

The thunder roars.

It is so easy to get discouraged. 

Everything hangs on the quality and the quantity of the feed. 

The rain is not a good part of the equation. 

Bale wrapping equipment can't run in the rain. 

Wet bales will not produce good feed. 

I wallow in the pit for a few minutes. 

I start to count the blessings. 

Really, the only way, is to look up. 

We stumble and fall when our eyes are cast downward.

Psalm 43:5

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?

 Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

My farmer is not alone. 

There are 4 other folks gathered around him. 

Working side by side. 

Standing in this gap.

The storm passes and there are rumors of rainbows all around. 

Not surprising after such a storm.

A reminder. A covenant made. With the covenant people. 

We, the people.

Who are kept. 

Look for the blessing in the day. 

God will provide. He will see us through. 

When The Wind Howls, How Will Your Structure Stand?

The temperatures have warmed. 

The wind howls, creating a recipe for an icy landscape. 

With each gust, shutters pull from the house, the tin loosens on the barn's rafters. 

I wonder just how long it will be before they are torn from their structures. 

The constant berating; weakening the structure unless careful attention is taken. 

These needs have been set aside as flooding, death and cancer cry for the immediate. 

The effects of neglect apparent. 

Integrity of structure compromised. 

Sometimes the end doesn't seem in sight. 

It is the big picture that frightens and causes us to recoil. 

Yet somehow as the focus from the big picture shifts to smaller snapshots; 

life becomes more manageable. 

We map out the plan for the day. 

Just today. 

We approach it bathed in prayer, poised for battle and resting in Christ. 

Ephesians 6:10-12

 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

Each day. 

Each step. 

All for the Father. Not for us. 

Redeemed. 

Ransomed.

Restored. 

"I am, holding on to you. I am holding on to you

In the middle of the storm I am holding on 

I Am'"