God in the Yard Week 7 Sections 1 & 2

I have missed my lovely visits with my God in the Yard book. I finally pulled it out last night, the ache for climbing back in to this journey outweighing my need for sleep. L.L.Barkat has some intriguing and interesting insights on Levitical law regarding menstruation. Yep, read no further if you are already squeamish!

The prompts I chose to write/contemplate are:

Section 1 - "When I think of blood I think of... "
- Cleansing... outpouring of Christ on the Cross, His love for us dripping to the base pouring out for us, atoning for us, healing us, releasing us from certain death-separation from God. Also, when we bleed the blood pushes bacteria out from our wounds. Cleansing them. Infection is likely when something gets "stuck" in the wound (not scientific I know, but my life does not accommodate research at this time so if you want to know more, you look into it;) ).

"Separation might be a form of grace in situations such as..."
- Protection - Dear ones sheltered so others do not unintentionally speak words of death inadvertently.
- Refreshment - Jesus separated Himself to pray. Once can only imagine the balance required to be fully God and fully human at the same time.
- Healing - When my kids are ill, we separate them from the rest of the world to give their bodies a break from exposure to germs and emotional/mental/physical exertion. Yes, we want to protect our friends and family from becoming ill, but mostly, we want to give them a chance to get better.
- Restoration - When I grow weary from "doing good " I need to retreat into the Word, separating myself from the cares of this life to be completely enveloped in Him so I can keep walking the road He has placed me on.

In section two there is this sentence that caught my eye: "Whatever is more fragile will begin to show the first signs of stress and failure, but these are the early warning signs."
 
Section 2 "The margins of my life - the areas that come less easily for me - are..."
Organization and structure.
My personality, gifts and tendencies are much more fluid in nature so while I value the need for organization and structure, I find myself bottoming out in that area first before anything else breaks down.

When I am at my very best which is becoming more frequent due to some lifestyle changes I have made, I can be organized, work towards bringing order to chaotic areas in my home and balance relationships, ministry, and practical needs effectively.

However, if I am having an "off" day like today, I don't guard my thoughts as well, and once my mind is surfing the gutter of my situational self-worth, all is pretty much lost. UNTIL - I am gifted with loving reminders from my Jesus and dear ones who pray for me and while it takes the emotions a while to get back on track, my heart and mind shift back into their Divinely-focused course.