The Shade

I can see how it's going to be hard to start a blog post when I don't have a particular thing I want to say, but I'm still going to write one for the following reasons:
1.) the kitchen counter is covered with dirty dishes, which are all mine (my roommates have this wonderful habit of washing their dishes as soon as they've been used) and the couch cover has a big chocolate smear over it which I should be wiping down right now.... and well, considering I spent the vast majority of this beautiful Saturday studying Geometry indoors, I just don't wanna do any of those things right now.
2.) I'm sitting out on my balcony on a very comfy chair with a fuzzy blanket and cup of tea late at night and it's getting me all "bloggy".

So this is why I named this spot Apple Tree:
It's inspired by a wonderful scripture that set my feet down a very new and delightful path some months ago, and it's from Song of Songs - "Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste." ... actually, let me add the next verse; it wasn't part of my "feet setting", but it's great too. "...He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love."
Maybe one day I'll write more about this, but for now I'll say that, on a whole, I am not a romantic person. Show no tendencies towards it - in the blue class (equivalent of senior kindergarten) they got all the lighties partnered up and taught us to ballroom dance. I refused point blank to do something so silly, so me and my poor partner had to sit on the side and watch the other kids have what looked like a bunch of fun. All that to say it was very sovereignly that God led me through the forest to the apple tree one day (wow, even that sounds too poetic for me), and, oh, the shade!! You don't leave it the same person. Every time.

Have you ever sat in His Shade? I hope you have!! It may not have been quite as I described it... maybe not the same type of scripture, maybe slower, I don't know - it seems God has as many unique ways to "hang" with a person as there are people... and more than that 'cos I reckon He has many one-of-a-kind-ways to commune with one person. If you're not sure, I would characterize the Shade as this: totally outside of your circle of experience; changes you in a minute; but mostly the joy and peace... I know we read about joy and peace in the word, but it is so unmistakable in the shade... a person who has never had the privilege of reading or hearing about the fruit of knowing God would explain the shade with those two words, I'm sure of it. I think that is going to be my hearts prayer tonight as I fall asleep. That everyone that reads this, and all the people they love will get to sit in the shade, for the first time or again and again again.

Can I just make a note about the comment on the dishes, that I, too, am getting pretty constant at doing my dishes quickly after using them (not counting today). Can I brag about one more thing? Today, Nikki my roommate went to Chapters and got a coffee and sat checking out books, which I could very easily have joined her, and it would have been sweet bliss. But instead, I stayed at home and reached my goal in math. How's that for self-discipline eh?! One brownie point for me in the good decision making department. I'm so proud:)

ok, it's 2am once again and should hit the hey.
sweet, shady dreams!
Mish

Well, the deed is done!

My first blog entry! Exciting. This time two months ago I would never have had even a vague inkling of desire to start up a blog, and yet here I am. You see, I think I am by nature a private person, and so to throw my diary onto an almost infinitely big "cyber" table and let whoever just flip through the pages willy-nilly wasn't all that enticing. But I'm starting to see more and more that borders (such an innocent sounding word) are insidious, evil little things. "Running is just not something I do", "I'm not the blogging type"...slowly but very steadily these borders become a smaller and smaller box around you. Pas bon! Besides, vulnerable spots are perhaps the best spots to be in. "When you're weak, you're strong", no? I mean lets face it, we weren't brought here, into this life to be comfortable right? I think the quicker we can accept that fact and all the discomforts it implies, the quicker we'll start to run with an elegant form and with supernatural speed! So here I am bombing a border.

God once asked me if I would be willing to stand up and preach if I knew before hand that no hearts would be touched, changed or encouraged, but just because He asked me to. This question got me. To put yourself out there, be the centre of attention (not a fan), and assume the responsibility of preaching the very Word that judges the thoughts and attitudes of my own heart (Hebrews 4:12), but then having abundant fruit returned from it, well, that's one thing. But to put yourself up in that vulnerable spot and have nothing but blank faces staring back at you...Eesh. That's a toughy. I guess this blog thing is kinda like that. This little box thingy doesn't type back - nothing but silence and a whole lot of opportunity to misunderstand. That's ok, in the end, I decided I was willing.

Anyway, this is all pretty deep stuff and that's probably because it's 2am, so I promise to try post the next one at a more earthly hour! It'll be less somber, I'm sure.
Nighty-night!