two things

The following is from today's My Utmost by Chambers. The bold bit is what struck me tonight, as I am weary and contemplative. It makes me very thankful.

"Out of the heart proceed . . ." Matthew 15:18-20 We begin by trusting our ignorance and calling it innocence, by trusting our innocence and calling it purity; and when we hear these rugged statements of Our Lord's, we shrink and say - But I never felt any of those awful things in my heart. We resent what Jesus Christ reveals. Either Jesus Christ is the supreme Authority on the human heart, or He is not worth paying any attention to. Am I prepared to trust His penetration, or do I prefer to trust my innocent ignorance? If I make conscious innocence the test, I am likely to come to a place where I find with a shuddering awakening that what Jesus Christ said is true, and I shall be appalled at the possibility of evil and wrong in me. As long as I remain under the refuge of innocence I am living in a fool's paradise. If I have never been a blackguard, the reason is a mixture of cowardice and the protection of civilized life; but when I am undressed before God, I find that Jesus Christ is right in His diagnosis. The only thing that safeguards is the Redemption of Jesus Christ. If I will hand myself over to Him, I need never experience the terrible possibilities that are in my heart. Purity is too deep down for me to get to naturally: but when the Holy Spirit comes in, He brings into the centre of my personal life the very Spirit that was manifested in the life of Jesus Christ, viz., Holy Spirit, which is unsullied purity.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In unrelated realization of God's majesty, four or five nights ago there was an amazing thunderstorm. I went outside to walk in it around 1:30AM, only to find that it wasn't actually raining. Making myself comfortable on the little step outside my door, I watched God's fireworks. The roiled clouds were zinging lightning back and forth, the wind was chasing great steely-blue heaps across the sky. Thunder sounded, but not as often as I expected--the noise came from the wild applause of nearby trees, who seemed to enjoy the show as much as I did. Only once before have I watched a rain storm roll in, but this night I heard it first on the roofs across the yard, then on the pavement, and louder in the pool, on the mail-shelter, and then on me. My senses were keen: at the time I was aware of the different feelings the drops had whether the landed on my face, or arms, or clothes. I tried to keep my eyes open and continue watching the light show, but it's hard to look straight up into falling rain. I was in awe of God, in awe of creation, in awe of the fact that I could see and hear and feel so much, and in awe of the fact that I didn't melt in the rain.

:-)