Update #147 - Liquid

“…O put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your Book?” Psalm 56:8

Gamble Gardens, Palo Alto, CA

The hallway was mostly glass with floor to ceiling windows on one side and a white wall on the other – a diffuse light subtly drifted down from behind golden hued crown molding. A rich red and gold carpet ran its length. The windows were lined with maple constructed shelves narrow in depth; delicate in appearance. The shelves were full of bottles – hundreds and hundreds of clear, thickly crafted containers filled at varying levels with a transparent liquid. The fluid wasn’t water – it was of light syrup consistency.

The wider bigger bottles were at the bottom (two per shelf) whereas the smaller more petite ones were near the ceiling (four to six per shelf). The shelves stacked about a quarter inch above the tallest bottle in each row – no wasted or empty space. Each shelf had small black brackets with a white handwritten name card under each bottle… K. Miller, D. Smith, C. Baker, R. Brown, E. Chan, W. San.

I watched a bottle labeled P. Johns mysteriously top off and then, both bottle and name card, disappeared from view. Another container the same size and shape took its place almost immediately… Q. Choi. I slowly strolled down the long hallway and realized the “swapping” was occurring all over the place - and that P. Johns hadn’t disappeared, but was given a bigger bottle further down the hall.

I stood transfixed by the comings and goings of the bottles. Each filling, disappearing and being replaced by another. Over and over this happened – E. Janus became P. Mills, R. Standton became something in Arabic I couldn’t read. Eventually I noticed the light on the other side of the bottles changing. Pre-dawn fingers of color danced along the horizon; rose and gold light saturated the room.

When the sun finally reached the horizon and sent its strength over the landscape a wondrous event transpired. The passageway transformed from elegant and refined to color and chaos.

Momentary light blindness quickly passed and I, awestruck, viewed the effect of the brilliant new dawn light blending with and refracting through the bottles. They glowed; the liquid shimmered, and reacted to the rays by producing shafts of color in every direction. Mini-rainbows exploded from the bottles and bounced – no - jumped off every surface. The previously white wall was painted and showcased in a moving symphony of color. I was filled with so much happiness, I clapped my hands, twirled and danced about…the joy in the room was palpable. I laughed out loud, tilted my head back and tried to “drink” in all the leaping rainbows hoping they would coat my insides with the joy I felt.

Coated in color with rainbows dancing off of my face I wondered in whispered tones of awe, “What is this place?” I felt slightly tipsy but fully sober, peace filled but joyous all at the same time.

I had wandered, twirled or danced almost the full length of the passage and noted a small plaque by the exit “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Psalm 126:5).

The liquid in the bottles are collected tears? M. Sandquist has shed a ton of them, as has R. Putney and L. Green. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Is this what God is does with my tears? Is he repurposing them into multicolored, multifaceted points of joy? I knew he kept track of tears (Ps. 56:8) but I didn’t ever stop to consider he would repurpose them into joy.

The picture, vision or dream – whatever you want to call it - has given me new perspective on crying. Let the tears flow, let them come, let them drench my shirtfront… God is collecting them all and turning them into joy I will experience at some point. That is what he promised!

Where are you overcome by sorrow? Where are you overcome by pain? Where can you use more joy in your life? Where aren’t the tears flowing that need to come – what is keeping you from crying? Will you let God count them, repurpose them and bring you joy?

Updates:

Work – TBW was a huge success- the testimonies and stories of God’s goodness are still surfacing and being told.

Life – I just returned from my co-workers Jodene wedding in Mesa, AZ – a wonderful God honoring event!

Requests:

Work – we are waiting to hear about a possible Nigeria trip in May – and I am still praying that another trip to Egypt will happen as well (please, please, please). A team is readying itself for Chennai, India in June.

Life – for rest, rejuvenation, and relaxation and FUN!