I am a singer, songwriter, wife, mother, Jesus follower. I send out a 2-minute read every Tuesday about Jesus and life in God.
Filled Up
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Hi Friends, I love turning a familiar verse over in my hands and seeing the light catch in a new-to-me way. This time it is Genesis 1:14: Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years. Signs. We love signs. The star above the birthplace of Jesus leading kings to His doorstep in worship. The sun standing still in the heavens while Joshua and the people of Israel fight their battle. Miracles that point to the power and omnipotence of God… yes! We love signs in the heavens. God also sets another purpose for the stars, sun, and moon in Genesis 1. They are for seasons. This truth is set within the verse with just as much weight and wonder as the promise of signs in the heavens. Yes, the stars are for signs and seasons. Put each of those words on either side of a scale to measure its wonder, and the balance holds dead even. The rising of the sun this morning. It’s waning before dinner on this January evening. The night sky lit up by a thousand pin-pricks of light originating millions of miles away. We hardly notice because we’re so used to it — it’s our ordinary. We think of our own bodies in this same way. The miraculous healing, the tumor that could no longer be found in surgery: the signs. We couldn’t miss them if we tried. But the rhythms of our bodies we hardly notice. The 1.5 gallons of blood pumped through our veins every minute. The air absent-mindedly pulled into our lungs 20,000 times per day at even measures. We don’t think about it — it’s our ordinary. But the rhythms, the meter, the tempo of our normal existence is such a profound, weighty witness of His glory. It’s okay that we aren’t consciously aware of it all — we couldn’t possibly pause in wonder with every last breath and beat of the heart. And we aren’t meant to. But we are meant to recognize that in all of this ordinary — the rising sun, the stars, the steady beat of our hearts and contraction of our lungs — it is all filled up to the brim with Him. Our regular seasons and rhythms of life are jam packed with wonder and power and glory in equal measure with miracles and signs. This ordinary is wonder-filled. This normal is saturated with God. Lord, thank you that all my life and all this world is filled up with You. – Anna |
Anna Blanc
I am a singer, songwriter, wife, mother, Jesus follower. I send out a 2-minute read every Tuesday about Jesus and life in God.
Hi Friends, “Do you ever read these stories and think, what am I doing with my life?!” My cousin and I were chatting over tacos. He and I both love to read, and we were discussing an autobiography about the life of a well-known pastor. And after reflection, my honest answer to his question is… no. Not anymore, anyway. It’s not that the lives of the saints or the stories of Christian “greats” aren’t inspiring or helpful. It’s just that, at this point in my life, I’m beginning to see that the...
Hi Friends, I’ll never forget it. I showed up for class in college, slid into my seat, and noticed the girl on my left had a large smudge on her forehead. She was an acquaintance, and in my earnestness to be a “real friend”, I pointed it out. “You have something on your forehead,” I said, gesturing to her as if wiping at my face. “It’s Ash Wednesday,” she said, turning in her seat. Whoops! Neither my husband nor I grew up in churches that followed the church calendar or included liturgy. So...
Hi Friends, It’s fascinating how music sticks with us. A song has to be the most powerful form of communication. (I mean, when’s the last time you heard someone say, “I have a sentence stuck in my head!”) All that to say, I have a chorus stuck in my head that I sang years ago. The words are in bold, and below that are a few thoughts. Jesus, You are my drinkFill my whole being with YouJesus, You’re true food indeedFill my whole being with You Sometimes as Christians we are slow to be needy of...