Give thanks unto the Lord for he has dealt bountifully with me. 
In Nemacolin's grand foyer, filled with marble, pillars and chandeliers, sat the emblem of Nemacolin - a huge brass song bird. The bird has his beak raised and seems to be singing his heart out. He is fat, showing the abundance and provision of his surroundings. As I stood in this foyer in wonder at the splendor of my surroundings and pondering why this bird stirred something inside of my heart the verse from Psalms 13:6 jumped into my heart and seared itself on my mind.
This bird looked like he was singing to his maker and at that instant I knew how he felt. I could never look at this likeness without thinking of this verse. As I pondered the whole thing, I realized that the word "bountiful" was how God had revealed himself, personally, to me.
Marshall bought me a silver necklace to wear that I am rarely without and a small replica of the actual brass statue that sits on my hearth reminding me to "sing" to my Father at every instance I recognize His bounty. Some days it is really easy, other dreary, cold sad days it has been a bit harder to do but just one look at that bird and I am instantly transported back to a time where God showed me something of Himself and spoke to my heart and my heart only.
As I have talked to people I find that often I can see how God has chosen to reveal something of Himself to them. It can be all sorts of various ways - forgiveness, coming to their rescue, joy, comfort, being a teacher, friend, giver of peace and so on and so on. It is as if he has facets of Himself that he gives each of us a picture to show us who He is and more importantly, who He is to us individually.
Then, just this past Friday, I was minding my own business, simply going about my morning and making my mid-morning second cup of coffee. I was not thinking about God, Scripture or anything "spiritual." I was simply making coffee getting ready for the next part of my morning.
I heard this in my mind/spirit..."I showed you Myself in bountifulness because I want you to BE bountiful towards others."
I almost jumped as the thought was so strong and from out of nowhere. And then my mind began to race.
I had seen, just the other day on Facebook someone ask about the big "D" word. You see destiny was a big buzz word in my past Christian life. You were to Find your Destiny, Walk out your Destiny, and Fulfill your Destiny in Christ.
The thought went like this. We were created by God with a plan that he had in mind for us. Therefore this plan was of extreme importance and it was EVERYTHING to try to find it and not screw it up. It involved living as sinless as possible (sin could keep you from your Destiny), living in the "right" place, going to the "right" church, being aligned with the "right" people and of course marrying the "right" person. How many of us worried that we would mess one or all of these up and never find our "DESTINY?!?" OMG! The pressure was immense.
But Friday as I stood there with this thought on my heart - that in how the Father had revealed Himself to me was one of the ways he wanted me to reflect him to others - I realized that I may, just maybe, have a piece of this Destiny puzzle. Maybe it is far easier than we have ever imagined. Maybe it is far easier to find your "Destiny" than we have often taught or believed. Maybe we are just to simply reflect the Father's glory as He shows us Himself.
Can you see how every piece of the 'church' could then show the world just how wonderful our God truly is. We would have reflectors of peace, of forgiveness, of truth, of grace. And guess what!?! It is not hard to just show people what you have been shown. It is easy. It is simple.
Then to wrap this whole thought up let me add one last piece of this ongoing story. I was in our shed today getting it tidied up for Christian and Bethy to store some stuff in it while they are in State College. I was sorting out some of Mom and Dad's stuff that we still have lingering. I pulled out a framed picture of a verse written out with her name "Doris" at the top. I had never seen this picture before. It said,
Doris
~ bountiful ~
Give thanks unto the Lord,
because he hath dealt
bountifully with me."
Psalm 13:6
That's when I knew this was really important that I get what God was saying to me. This verse was generational!! My parents had always given thanks for what God had given them and taught us to never fear that he would not provide. They had taught us girls to do the same. And, if you stood still long enough in their home they gave of their "bounty" and weren't satisfied until you took it. They were not rich by today's standards but even at the end of Mom's life I stood in her room and marveled with Ruthie at how blessed she was even in the last days of her life.
So, why do I write this out? First of all because I want to put it down so I remember it. Secondly, I want my kids and their kids to know something. I want them to understand that your Destiny will be fulfilled as you reflect how the Father has revealed himself to you. It is not hard. It is not complicated. It does not require you to be perfect or sinless or always 'right.' Some days it might require sacrifice or pain. I'm not saying it will always be fun. But I think the whole thing will not be complicated. Remember the idea of the "yoke being easy?" Maybe this is the answer!
I can't wait
for the rest of the story.
A Bountiful
Reflector
