My Garden of Exotic Thoughts

Through what the Lord allows to come my way, He strengthens me to remain steadfast.  The “valley of the shadow of death” into which I have been mercilessly cast is the valley of debt. 

Ever since I learned that debt is contrary to God’s will, I have done everything in my power to distance myself from it— as much as is humanly possible. 

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And, knowing that God detests usury, I, too, detest it with an absolute hatred. He  knows the lengths to which I go to avoid falling prey to the usury of credit cards.

Right now, I am in bondage to debt. Jesus knows that my eyes have never turned away from Him; yet, I have a cruel master who torments me.

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I wonder: how is it possible to have two masters simultaneously? Yet, the Lord strengthens me with joy, and a disquieting serenity envelops my mind with a hope that defies all logic. 

The tormentor—that master of debts—wrings bitter groans from the very depths of my soul; yet, when the torment grows most devastating, hope in my Lord wells up from my spirit, assuring my soul: the Father is at home.

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I am not a free agent wandering aimlessly from place to place. I am a servant, bound to a wonderful Master who purchased me with His own life. 

He did not remove me from my usual environment; rather, He Himself came to dwell within it.  And, furthermore, He prayed to secure my familiar habitat:

“I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” (John‬ ‭17‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬). 

Well, I must be honest, so that my readers may understand my Master.

He is the Son of the Living God, the Creator of the universe. The moment I opened up my heart to receive Him as my Savior, He also became my Lord. And this trust in His love gives me tranquility and peace.

He has allowed the “master of debts” to occupy a portion of my legal territory; yet, my true Master keeps this “master of debts” under such subjection that it is impossible for him to advance without His permission. This makes it abundantly clear that, in any situation my Master allows me to pass through, He strengthens me to stand firm at my post—ready to hear what He has to say, just as Habakkuk did.

“I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.” (Habakkuk‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬).

My Garden of Exotic Thoughts!

By Diana🌹

My wonderful Counselor: my heart is heavy, yet You are my celebration and my Refuge. I have just created an image based on Galatians 6:9, and my heart feels wounded; the space in my chest seems too small to contain the emotional swelling of my heart. I quote Psalm 13:1:

“How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭AMP‬‬).

Wonderful Counselor, guide me in the steps of this tortuous path I am traveling. I feel my belly like a balloon half-filled with water, shifting from side to side; the wound in my heart feels like a sea tossing my fragile vessel.

I feel the tears of my soul, yet You are my Comforter and my sure Help. Your grace strengthens me so I do not lose faith, even when circumstances make my mind spin. You are Love; therefore, Love never gives up. You fill the wound in my heart with hope and strength.

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Cor.‬ ‭13‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Holy Spirit, why do I feel this faint sadness lingering in the corners of my soul? Is it because You are turning my sorrow into joy? Joy comes in the morning. Has my night ended? 

“So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.” (John‬ ‭16‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalms‬ ‭30‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬). 

I found myself nursing  the wounds of my shattered dreams. And suddenly, the word “synergy” emerged to warn me. It was a clear awakening! It was as if the Apostle commanded me:

“Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬).

We often find ourselves moving among those shattered dreams. If something breaks, it can be glued or repaired in some way, but fixing shattered glass is another story. Yet, what is irreparable becomes repairable in the hands of God.

We are called to come out of the world and unite in a synergy known as the church. Within it, we are stronger and more powerful in carrying out God’s plan and purpose for our lives.

There, the Lord  takes the bad, the good, the wrong, the shattered, and the mistakes, gathers them all together, and transforms them into something good. He makes all things new, and the result is an explosion of good works. 

It is for these good works that we were created in Christ Jesus. And that is God’s good pleasure, established since before the foundation of the world.

The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. (ISAIAH 32:17 NKJV).

My Garden of Exotic Thoughts!

Holy Spirit, my wonderful Counselor and Helper, I come to You with confidence, knowing that You love me. Although I do not understand what is happening, I know You protect my heart, even when it seems to be overlooked.

Yet something stirs within me; it is not abandonment, but something more quieter, deeper—a certainty that required no witnesses. The solitude of my life is not an empty absence, but a secret school where my soul can breathe without the noise of human approval.

Every area of ​​my life is undergoing rigorous scrutiny. It is in this silence that my heart grows—not as the proud grow, but toward You, Lord. And my heart—that invisible space where true battles are fought—is what Heaven has been watching all this time. For while people are in a frenzy  for “likes,” You seek something different: a heart You can trust.

You have found my heart, and I have been admitted to this secret school; it is my greatest honor. Please grant me the grace needed to graduate with honors. May my diploma bring You glory and offer hope to those around me. Please spare me from ever becoming a stumbling block to anyone who trusts in You.

“Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me, O Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated, O God of Israel. For I endure insults for your sake; humiliation is written all over my face.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭69‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT).‬‬

My Garden of Exotic Thoughts