November 7, 2013

Safe in my shell

Ezekiel 11:19 “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them, I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” (NIV)*

Baby turtle hiding in its shell. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If I accepted a heart of flesh,

then, I’d have to feel…

I’m used to the way I am,

inside this covering of steel.

What would I do with a heart of flesh…

if others wept, would I weep too?

If they hurt, then I might hurt,

and then…what would I do?

Yes, it’s safer in this stone cold shell,

I can hide as life passes by…

so I’m saying no thanks

to that heart of flesh—

safe in my shell am I.

……….

by Patty Perkins

……….

Sad to say, that’s where I’d stay without the love of a Savior—saving me from myself and drawing me from this shell.

……….

(Any advertisements shown are not from me.)

About Patty Perkins

I'm Patty, writer of the devotional blog, Beside Quiet Waters. I love writing, reading and taking long walks with my camera. I've been married to my loving husband for 40 years. We have two grown sons, two lovely daughters-in-law, and two amazing grandchildren. I am thankful for a place to share spilled ink, in hopes of encouraging others to find daily hope and inspiration in God's Word. View all posts by Patty Perkins

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 7th, 2013 at 5:00 pm and tagged with Committed, Compassion, Devotional, heart, Safe, Spirit, The One Year Bible 11/4, Undivided and posted in Devotional. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

8 responses to “Safe in my shell”

greenlightlady
November 7th, 2013 at 7:52 pm

Patty, this reminds me of my old life. I need his sustaining Presence or I’d revert back inside. (I collect turtle pictures, jewelry, ornaments etc. – so this caught my attention)

Blessings ~ Wendy

Reply
- Patty Perkins
  November 7th, 2013 at 10:12 pm
  
  Yes, his presence enables to move beyond ourselves…thankfully!
  
  Reply
Heidi Viars
November 7th, 2013 at 8:18 pm

so grateful for God bringing me out of my shell 🙂

Reply
- Patty Perkins
  November 7th, 2013 at 10:13 pm
  
  And I’m glad you’re blogging and inspiring others with your faith!
  
  Reply
Caddo
November 7th, 2013 at 10:58 pm

Great message, Patty. I still go back and forth–some days I have plenty of courage to leave the shell; others, not as much. By the way, I’ve been meaning to tell you that I really like your note about the advertisements–do you have to retype it every post, or is there a way to have it automatically appear? God Bless You BIG–love, sis Caddo

Reply
- Patty Perkins
  November 8th, 2013 at 12:37 pm
  
  Thanks for the kind words. I’m naturally an introvert and do need alone time to recharge…it’s easy to get stuck there sometimes! Oh, and I retype the note about the advertisements every post.
  
  Reply
Tré
November 8th, 2013 at 1:04 am

Thanks for posting. It can be scary when the protective shell has served us in the past- but with God, we don’t need it. HE protects us. Thanks for the reminder!

Reply
- Patty Perkins
  November 8th, 2013 at 12:40 pm
  
  And thank you for the comment! God is our protector and shield always!
  
  Reply