From My Secret Garden - Blessed if you do

"Awake, O north wind,

And come, O south!

Blow upon my garden, 

That it's spices my flow out."

 - Song of Solomon 4:16

 

This is a new Feature at Colorimetry, specifically to share the odd & unusual thoughts I get reading the Bible every week. Most of my story ideas come from the Bible and they are anything but "normal" - but that could be because of me. *ahem* To clarify... the thoughts I'm sharing don't come from church or preaching, but I'm not trying to communicate anything negative about church or preaching. 

Every once in awhile, I skip to Revelation. There's no "must read" order to the Bible... and it's not like spoiling the story. Maybe it should be like spoiling The Story of Life, but Revelation is so thick with paranormal visions I don't understand, the secret is safe from me. *snort*

It starts off with "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear" and I smile 'cause it doesn't say "blessed is he who 'gets' what this means," which is a relief. "Blessed" sounds great, though, and this week could use a dump-load, so I'm spreading it around by sharing words from this book.

Sort of like confetti. Only different.

Here are some of my favorite bits from the first three chapters... Tell me these don't sound like the makings of great stories!!!!

"To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God" 2:7 

"Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life." 2:10 

"I will give some of the hidden manna to eat." 2:17 

"I will give him the morning star." 2:28 

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life." 3:5 

"I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more." 3:12 

"Buy from Me gold refined in the fire that you may be rich; and white garments that you may be clothed... and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see." 3:18

Some of these give me shivers, but they are all deliciously visual. There is one, in particular, that I have taken quite practically. *ahem* And, yes, completely out of context. (Well... maybe... who's to say? The context is churches acting like lampstands!!  ?!)

"And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." 2:17

I'm just gonna say it. I collect stones.

New Name

by Donna Smallenberg

I started off by taking this verse literally. I was chatting with God* while walking on the beach and I found this agate. So I saved the stone as if He had answered me, in hopes of receiving my answer some day.

I never told anyone what "name was written on it" 'cause this verse says "no one knows." I did get what I was praying for. And I still have my stone.

Every time I'm thinking about something big, now, I keep an eye out for a stone. I don't know if God is giving them to me - maybe some of them, maybe none. I don't think it irritates Him that I hope for promises and answers. (It's not like I move across the country 'cause I find a really pretty rock. You know?) It's just a little thing that thrills me to my story-lovin' bones.

Want to see my little collection?

Obviously they aren't all white. Some of 'em remind me of special moments, memories with my family. Since we "collect rocks" my little stones hide in plain sight. Treasures with secret names.

If you think of it this week, watch for a little treasure of a stone. See if it doesn't come with a "name" - like "dumploads of blessing coming my way!" Maybe take a picture of it and share with me. :-)

*I say "chatting with God" very lightly. I don't mean to be irreverent. I sort of keep an ongoing conversation that would sound a lot like talking to myself except I don't like what I answer myself, so I prefer not to do that.