The words to this poem came to me when I was in Atlanta, Georgia working a wholesale gift trade show at AmericasMart. I had launched an inspirational gift business, called Hidden Life. (What else?) At any rate, I knew nothing about business and was learning “on the fly” like most entrepreneurs.  Besides all that, I was trying to recover from a few years of some heartbreaking circumstances. So, early one morning when I was reading the Word and seeking God’s face, I heard Him say . . .

There is hope in the struggle,

the pain you endure;

God is refining, making you pure.

In the midst of the darkness,

confusion and pain—

He touches with tenderness,

whispers your name.

Though you feel like a worm

in a cold, enclosed place;

Call on His Spirit to keep you safe.

Just when you feel you might

surely die-

the cocoon breaks open-

you emerge

 a Butterfly.

   © Janie Seltzer

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

The Signpost Secrets means those things that God does in us, by His secret Holy Spirit, and those things that we do in secret to find our real lives that are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). This artistic rendering may be hard to read (I know, I went crazy on this one!) so the words are: In the womb of silence, God comes. . . . piercing, revealing, cleansing, flooding with fullness.

The signpost Stillness is all about being still and KNOWING He is God (Psalm 46:10). Often we learn to be still after a time of conflict or struggle. In fact, our Father allows this times partly because He wishes to show us how much we need His action and help. When Moses stood on the edge of the Red Sea with the Egyptians in hot pursuit, he instructed the terrified people of Israel: “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm” (Exodus 14:13-14, NLT).  It was only after those words that the Lord then told the people to “get moving!” (Exodus 14:15).

This is sweetness available to each and every one of us every single day. It is the sweetness and pleasure of His presence!
The Scripture says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you” (James 4:8, NLT).  I encourage you to linger at this Signpost daily!

There was a time in my journey when it felt, and was true, that the Lord was asking me for such a deep surrender that it felt as if He was pulling me through the center of the Cross. Of course, this was after years of trusting His wisdom and ways . . .  but surrender is never easy, as we will be discussing. For now, maybe you can capture a sense of it . . .  as the Apostle Paul says: “I have been crucified with Christ. 20 I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:19-20).

This poem Vortex is a more current one, which means it was written many after years of following the path (around and around :). It describes a greater fullness of seeing that is the fruit of learning to be present and attentive with the Good Shepherd.Do not be discouraged if you have not experienced this. Instead, see it as encouragement, as John the Apostle said: “Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is” (I John 3:2, NLT).