Our 2nd week's study is on being Vulnerable.
“To keep me from becoming conceited because of
these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a
messenger from Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to
take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why,
for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions,
in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
For me, the key question from the study was:
"Like Paul, will spiritual growth - growing deeper in
our relationship with Christ – be enough of a prize for you to risk being
vulnerable, so that in your weakness, Christ’s power may rest on you?"
Will I risk being vulnerable - risk being able to be hurt - to grow deeper?
This became my focus for my journal page. I used Google to find a heart that looked like it had been armor-plated. The original image was entirely covered with "metal."
Then I searched for a zipper image and layered the two. I added paint over the "exposed" portion to indicate vulnerability.
I added the heart to a background of book paper and one of my favorite stencils. These are Apple Barrel acrylic paints - my new favorite trio: Kiwi, Key West & Tropic Orange.
I put "My grace is enough" in the top right corner. God gave me this verse late last year as my focus verse - before I got involved with HKC and TMD. I love how God works.
I want access to His power.
Daily.
Therefore, I must open myself up.
But here's the lesson: If I will open my heart, God has a more tender surface on which to write.
Bam!
Prayer: Dear Father, Open my heart to you. Give me a fearless openness so that You can mold me and use me for Your kingdom.
I remember seeing this on the site and commenting. I love how each little leaf is different. I love how God works too! Things come together! What a great prayer. It does bring the verse and many others together into one simple word: mold.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking making all these new Godly friends are going to help protect a tender heart! Hugs my new cyber friend!!
ReplyDelete