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In This Blog Post:
Here Is My Story of Beauty and Grace
Since I was young girl, I wanted to be a teacher among other things, but I never pursued any formal education.
So when I was offered a teaching position at a local Christian school I was shocked.
A week before school was to start, this local Christian school was desperately in need of a kindergarten teacher.
When I heard of their need, the Lord spoke clearly, "Apply for the position."
“What! Me!?”
“But I have no degree, I said!”
I reminded the Lord that you need a master’s degree in education to teach at a school in New York State.
He said, “Go, and I will be with you.”
I applied for the position, was interviewed, and offered the job on the spot. They hired me as a permanent substitute teacher for the kindergarten class. Apparently this school didn't have to follow strict state guidelines like the public schools.
I scurried and hurried to clean the classroom in preparation for the first day of school! It was a crazy busy time and the more I was at the school the more I felt inadequate for the position because I held no degree like all the other teachers.
Then one morning during that week of preparing the classroom, a lady on the school board came into my room to meet me.
She said, “Oh hello! I want to introduce myself and let you know I am here if you need assistance with anything.”
Then she said something amazing to me as she pointed her finger at me, she said, “YOU are the answer to our prayers. Do not forget this. We have been praying SO hard, and YOU are our answer.”
Such grace and peace flooded my soul in that moment and confidence soared through me.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Philippians 4:13, NJKV.
Grace Covered Everything At First
That first week of school was a whirlwind of excitement and confusion! LOL! There was so much to learn and adjust too, but there was grace.
The Lord was right there giving me the grace I needed to do a good job.
I quickly realized the importance of setting time aside for prayer. If I didn't allot myself special time to recharge in the Lord's presence, I would all apart.
Before too long I fell into a vortex of a busy life without even realizing it, and the beauty of grace was slipping away.
Before the start of the school year, I was little ‘ole me working at my full-time job as an administrative assistant.
Lovin’ QuickBooks, and lovin’ my office work… but sensing the Lord was drawing me on to other things…
Low and behold, along came this teaching opportunity at a Christian school!
So, there I was, holding down two jobs: An administrative assistant position at a local contractor’s office and a kindergarten teacher at a local Christian school.
I was still doin’ laundry, cookin’, cleanin’, and supportin’ my men at home.
Still playing the piano at church, grocery shoppin’, visitin’ with family and friends on the weekends, exercising when I could, and walking side-by-side with my pastor/husband every day of the week.
Only the Lord could have designed this action-packed life of mine! And I loved it!
But one thing was missing from my very busy life of two jobs…
And that was grace.
Grace Is Poise Under Pressure.
Yes, I was getting everything done day by day, meeting all my goals, fulfilling all my duties - but not under grace.
Grace has a way of making a woman beautiful by the sheer elegance and good manners that emanate from her being.
A woman can be dressed to the nines in the latest fashion looking stunning but missing this important trait of grace.
To me, when a woman is functioning under grace, she has reached her full potential. She has tapped into a holy anointed power enabling her to tackle anything that comes her way with strength and dignity.
Grace Is Lovely To Behold
Our husbands love us for this divine ability from above because we compliment their masculinity.
Our children rise and bless us for loving them under such grace.
Grace covers us as women and allows His light to shine through us in all manner of situations.
When we function under His grace, it enables us to do things, become things, and speak things under a divine spiritual power – which blesses other people and glorifies the Lord.
Void Of Grace In A Time Of Need
Towards the end of the first month of school I hit rock bottom, and realized I had fallen into the trap of a busy life with zero alone time.
I did not realize my dilemma at first, but I knew something was amiss.
“What could it be? Why am I losing my composure?
It was evident I could not feel the Lord’s presence with me.
I thought maybe I had made a misstep in my life somewhere… but where?
“Did I not hear from the Lord? Didn’t He tell me clearly to teach kindergarten."
"So, what is wrong? What am I missing?”
Throughout the whole month of September while I was learning to juggle both jobs, there was this ache in my spirit, and I did not know why it was there.
I would ask the Lord about it, but there was no answer.
In hind’s sight I did not give the Lord much time to direct my thoughts...
As I rushed to the Christian school in the early hours of the morning, I would call out to the Lord, “Where are you?”
Before He could answer me, I was pulling into the school parking lot, gathering up my lunch bag and rushing to my classroom to look over the curriculum for that day.
After school was over, I jumped in my car again and headed to job #2, with little energy to spare, I wiped my brow, pulled back my hair and dug into bookwork for the next few hours.
Still searching for the Lord in my heart and wondering where He might be, I put my earbuds in and listened to music while I did bookwork… thinking... maybe He is in the music….
On the way home, there was no spare energy left to lift my voice to the Lord… so I stared out the window like a zombie, hoping that no one pulled out in front of me, for goodness sake! “Didn’t everyone know I was on my way home to make dinner after a long day!!”
Then I realized this was becoming a continual problem. I was losing my temper, my cool, my peace and my grace.
I was fried.
And tired.
And tomorrow I would have to get up and do this all over again.
“Where is the Lord?” I need His presence! And His peace! Right now!
When I finally settled down to hear from the Lord, it was at the most perfect time.
A divine appointment.
How To Find The Beauty Of Grace
There was one answer to all my questions and prayers, and it was clear as day.
So perfectly accurate was this answer that it went straight to my heart like an arrow to the center of a target.
Many of you know about the daily devotional book titled, Streams in the Desert, by L.B. Cowman, and I’m sure many of you read these devotions on a daily basis. I have for years.
My mom gave this devotional book to me in 2008, along with a cross-stitched bookmark and I fell in love with the sweet messages of hope and faith.
On Friday morning, October 2nd, I determined to get up a little earlier than usual to see if I could squeeze in some Bible reading before getting ready for work.
Upon waking up, I turned over in bed, grabbed my cellphone to open my Bible App, when I noticed a new email had come in.
Finding it was from Streams in the Desert, I decided to open the devotional for that day and have a read.
Friday, October 2nd, "Alone in the Desert."
And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place, Luke 9:10, KJV.
In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone.
I stopped. Then read that line over again.
In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone.
I knew the Lord was answering my questions and my prayers right then and there and I didn't have to read any further to know He was speaking directly to my spirit.
I sat in bed stunned. The answer was so simple.
“Much alone”
We must be much alone in order to grow in grace!
This was for me!!
How did I know? Because my spirit was quickened with life.
I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me, and answered me out of His holy hill, Psalm 3:4, KJV.
Grow In Grace And Beauty
I had only read two sentences in this sweet devotional and the Lord had quickened me with such power --Clear as day.
Grace was missing from my life because I was too busy.
Too busy to meet with the Lord, too busy to slow down and be kind to others, too busy to hear counsel from the Lord, and too busy to be a good testimony to my friends and family.
The Lord was calling me to be alone. To be much alone with Him. Where I could grow in grace.
(I included the link to the devotional at the bottom of this post.)
Come to me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls, Matthew 11:28-29, KJV.
Elijah Waits For The Lord To Visit Him
I was reminded of the story of Elijah from 1 Kings 19, He was waiting for the presence of the Lord to visit him while on a mountain. The Lord told Elijah to go out and stand on the mountain for His presence was about to pass by.
A great and powerful wind came, but the Lord was not in the wind.
An earthquake shook the mountain, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After that, a fire came, but the Lord was not in the fire either.
After the fire came a gentle whisper... When Elijah heard it, he covered his face and stood at the mouth of the cave on the mountain… then the Lord spoke to Him.
We must remove ourselves from the turbulence of our everyday lives in order to hear from the Lord.
To receive answers to our questions, and guidance for our lives, we need to get much alone.
I was so blessed to receive this precious answer from the Lord, and I set in my heart to do that over the following weekend – to get much alone.
It is interesting how the Lord works because He divinely orchestrated for me to become sick by the end of that day.
By that Friday evening, I was home with a fever and a sore throat, laying on the couch – much alone.
Throughout that whole weekend, I was much alone.
The Lord’s spirit was at work in my heart, churning things over, bringing issues to the surface and setting my feet on the right path again.
That Sunday, my family went to church without me, and I stayed behind – much alone.
Kindergarten class had to be canceled on Monday, because there was no substitute teacher to take my place. I was still home sick and much alone.
Throughout that whole weekend, while I was healing physically, the Lord was restoring me spiritually.
When I returned to teaching on Tuesday, the kids were so happy to see me, and the parents were happy too 😊
The Anointing Power of Grace is Beautiful
There was this undeniable covering of grace about me, and I was radiating with happiness. For the Lord had filled my dry well with His anointing power once again!
He graciously allowed a time of illness to be the means of restoring order in my life.
A time of separation from the wind, earthquake and fire, brought my vision into focus once again.
Now I am reaching my full potential because I am functioning under grace.
I have tapped into that holy anointed power enabling me to tackle anything with strength and dignity!
This is the only way I want to operate from now on.
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I NEED to meet with the Lord daily. I MUST make time for Him.
When I was a young bride, I read Proverbs 31 repeatedly. Trying to infuse every verse into my heart because I wanted to be a good wife.
I wanted to be this Virtuous Woman! And I still do!
There were a couple of verses I have always cherished from this chapter, and I have listed them below.
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates, Proverbs 31:25-31, KJV.
My life continues to be a busy one, but I have learned a great lesson.
"A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."
The Lord Desires to Give You Grace
The Lord desires to meet with you and me. He wants to provide our daily bread – which is everything we would need for the day at hand. Be it grace, wisdom, guidance, or peace. He wants to be the source of these fruits in our life.
Oh, that we would be more careful with our time!
Let us seek the kingdom of God first!
Let us find time to be much alone with Him!
Let us wait long enough to hear that gentle whisper.
Only then will our dry well be filled with that beautiful anointing of grace.
Then we can bless all of our loved ones with kindness and fulfill all of our responsibilities with strength and dignity.
Pull away from the busyness of life. Sit and wait for the Lord to give you grace, and let the beauty of God's light shine through all you do!
Here is the link to the devotional that helped me get back on track:
The Lord bless you!
Thank you!
Blessings ~
My Sun & Shade
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