Thursday, April 13, 2017

Empty:Five Minute Friday

What a fun week it's been and it's already time to link up again!
That's right. We're linking up with Kate Motaung for the Five Minute Friday prompt.
This week the word is "Empty".

Go!

Last week's prompt was "enough". I centered around the thought that we are lacking something and aren't enough to fill it.
That ties in so well to the "empty" thought.

But you know? God doesn't have room to fill jars of clay with His presence when they're too full of themselves for Him. :)
Sometimes it is the breaking, the cracking of our clay pots that allows the self to drain out and the empty that is so uncomfortable begins to make way for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to sit in the throne.

Oh self, why do you constantly creep back up to that throne and try to sit on it? You're really not the right size or shape to sit on the throne, but you keep trying and my Jesus is a gentleman. He could squish you easily, but He won't. He'll patiently wait for you to move out of His way.

I wish I could teach you to stay in your place. Seated at His right hand, you're in His favor, allowing Him to lead, to rule, and to reign.

Oh but the hope we have, that nobody else has!! When they feel empty, there is nothing to take it away. All substitutes leave them longing for something that is out of reach.

I'm linking a YouTube video of a song that I composed this Wednesday at school with our youngest kids at chapel. https://youtu.be/o4QibA5jGDI
At school I was strumming a guitar and telling them the Easter story (without revealing that I was telling them that specific story), and then the song just came bubbling out. They began to sing it with me, so we sang it a few times.
The lyrics are simple. So is the melody, and well, so are the chords. You could easily be a musician with this one!! G, C, D, G, E, C, D, G. Yep. That's it. Feel free to raise or lower the key.

I hope you'll recognize that the empty place is a gift and an invitation for fresh, living water. We can become filled with stale water and if we don't get it out, it doesn't benefit us OR the others around us. We need those mercies renewed every morning!! :)

Blessings on you this Resurrection Weekend!!
Love,
Tammy

P.S. Please tell me your linkup # or your url in the comments so I can find you! :)

16 comments:

  1. Amen! I love how you said "God doesn't have room to fill jars of clay with His presence when they're too full of themselves for Him." Yes, words I need to think on. Thank you for this!

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    1. Thank you Bonnie!
      Sorry I am just responding to all of these beautiful comments. I appreciate your time and encouragement.
      Love,
      Tammy

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  2. hmm... many good thoughts here. :) The one that caught my eye was "Oh self, why do you constantly creep back up to that throne and try to sit on it? You're really not the right size or shape to sit on the throne," We need to ask this more often

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    1. Annie,
      thank you so much. It's not an easy question to ask. It makes us highly uncomfortable because we know full well we're not supposed to be up there! :) Thank you again!
      Love,
      Tammy

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  3. First and foremost, LOVE the song! Graceful and enchanting. I'm trying to imagine how it would sound on my favourite instrument...the bagpipes.

    And the 'too small for the throne' image is perfect. Kind of like Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. You have to have the strength that comes from worthiness, to lift it. (Yes, I LOVE the Marvel-comic-based films!)

    A wonderful Easter to you and yours from all of us here.

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    1. Andrew,
      had I the pipes, I'd try to play for you.
      :) God uses visual imagery to teach me. I'm so thankful it resonated with you!
      Love,
      Tammy

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  4. I love how our thoughts on this tie together so well as they often do! So true that we just need to get out of the way sometimes. It's when we recognise that we are empty that we see God step in and fill us.
    Thanks for sharing the song too- I really enjoyed it. I started writing a song recently after not having done anything like that for ages. It's not finished yet but it's been so much fun to do and definitely makes me want to do it more.
    Hope you have a happy Easter! I'm at #12 this week!

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    1. Lesley, thank you! I'm delighted that you're linked up this week. Please please be sure to share when you've finished the song!
      Love,
      Tammy

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  5. Love your song... it's a sticking kind of tune with powerful truth in simple words. You wrote of stale water and fresh water and I thought of the cisterns and wells. Cisterns hold water someone has collected, but wells fill up from the source. So thankful that Jesus puts a river of living water in us when we are emptied of self and filled with Him.

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    1. Thank you, Alice. The cisterns and wells are a wonderful way to describe it! :) I too, am thankful for that fresh water.
      Love,
      Tammy

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  6. Life giving water and hope indeed, friend! The cross reminds us of Gods love for all of us. I'm over in the 43 spot this week.

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    1. Thank you Tara! Happy Easter! Can't wait to see what you've shared.
      Love,
      Tammy

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  7. Tammy, your song was so sweet it brought me to tears. Thank you.

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    1. Tondra,
      I'm so touched that you would share that with me. :) His calling is not for a stage, but I cannot keep the songs to myself, so the humble offerings get posted.
      Love,
      Tammy

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  8. I love that - "the breaking, the cracking of our clay pots that allows the self to drain out"- so profound. Such a hard thing to go through, but then in hindsight you wonder how you could have ever resisted it.

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    1. Emma,
      thank you so much! And yes, why would we resist when we see what He brings about?! Oh to trust Him!!
      Love,
      Tammy

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