Authentic Living and Share the Shelter Link-up

We may be truly said to worship God, though we lack perfection; but we cannot be said to worship Him if we lack sincerity. ~Stephen Charnock

Her name was Billie Giles and she played the vibraphone. My mother 
was a stickler on showing respect by Mr / Mrs-ing or Brother / Sister-ing our elders. But for some reason I never remember calling her anything but Billie Giles -- both names together.Billie Giles was my piano teacher.Ugh! What memories! She rapped my knuckles when I played a wrong note -- but in a kind, I’m-not-mad sort of way. I hated playing the piano. (My favorite song was "Rushing to a fire in a hur-ry, hur-ry," which is ironic considering my life story.) I don't know how many years I took lessons, but it was too many for me. I just up and married a keyboardist instead of learning myself. 

Although she traveled to different churches doing children's work, our little country church was where she called home. I loved it when she was there. Billie was a fire truck shouter -- the "er a er a" of yesteryears, not the "ne naw ne naw" of today.
Don’t get me wrong -- I'm not a proponent of shouting vs. not shouting. But what set Billie Giles apart from other shouters was that she lived what she was shouting about. Like tears dripping from someone's chin, like hands held up in praise, like eyes lifted heavenward, like holy laughter or a glowing face -- our worship is unique. 

But through the worship, one fundamental question remains -- do we live what we worship? Are our weekdays filled with selfish tasks, discontent and angry mothering? Or do grace, joy and giving intertwine in our hearts creating prisms flaming with the love of Jesus? And on the days we fail, do we go to the Light of the World whose hands are full of grace and forgiveness so our prisms can flame again?

How about you -- is your worship authentic? Does it reflect your living? "But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way" (John 4:23). I want to live prism worthy.

Share the Shelter 

Share the Shelter is open to everyone. I love variety so link your craft and recipes ideas we can use for sheltering. Link your posts that encourage us in our walk with God. We're a family here at the Sheltering Tree so make sure you visit the link before yours.

Esther Joy Hunter from The Rock 4 Today won the Amazon Gift Certificate. Esther lives in the Ozarks and is a sweet friend.  Esther's also written a book, Joy Comes in the Mourning, a story of her compounded tragedies and the God who saw her through the grieving process. I recommend it to you.

I apologize for the short title. My mistake. I'll try to get it longer next week.

Linked to:

Homemaking Link Up Weekend