I found this verse at a time in my life when God was silent, and my prayers seemed only to reach the ceiling. The word seal caught my attention. As an artist, I have often used seals or other objects to create impressions in clay and wax. I began to wonder, if the clay or wax could see or feel, what would it be like to receive the impression? Clay would be resistant and need more pressure. Wax would be softer and yield more easily. But either way, once the impression began, nothing would be seen but darkness. My ready prayer came, “God, may the mark of Your ownership be what is left in this darkness when it lifts.” The darkness lifted that very moment.

Life leaves marks on all of us. Many become wounds that affect how we live. We can cling to our wounds because they are familiar or we can learn to write a new story. New stories involve risk, and writing them can be the hardest thing we ever do. Thirty years beyond that darkness I’m still writing a new story, and each time I feel overwhelmed Jesus meets me with encouragement and strength.  

Psalm 46 says that though earth’s waters roar and foam, the Lord of hosts is with us, our stronghold. As I read this, I see Jesus standing calmly in that roaring water, holding out His hand of invitation and saying, “I’m already here. I want to be your Savior in a new way.” And, when I am spent and laying limp before an insurmountable wall, He bends to pick me up, holds me securely, and then whispers in my ear — 

The Holy Spirit makes the Word alive to each of us, and a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

Our stories are written as we live our lives. They become a part of our lives through the choices others make, through the choices we make ourselves, and through what we experience. No two are ever alike.

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We view life and the world outside us through the lens of our own life story; this can complicate communication and create frequent misunderstandings.

Coded Prayer is a method of prayer that keeps prayers in the closet and alone with God where they were prayed. No one misunderstands what cannot be deciphered.

The four-book set is offered for individual sale, as well as for groups, workshops, and seminars. For more information, CONTACT ME using the form below.