Oh Love
Come fill me again, oh love
Come make me your friend, oh love
I want your comfort, oh love
I need your strength, oh love
Have mercy on me, oh love
Help me be free, oh love
Oh love, I need you
Oh love, I want you
Oh love
Into His Chambers
He looked at me with love, reaching out His hand. He desired me to take up His invitation to draw near. His eyes were like fire, warm and inviting me into a depth of understanding I had not known. Willingly I put my hand into His and let Him pull me into Himself. He wrapped around me a love without description. Like a child, I curled up inside the very chambers of His heart.
Son 1:4 Draw me away! We will run after you. The king has brought me into his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you.
No One Stands Alone
He stood alone among people he did not know. What brought him here was desperation. He was cold. He was lost. He was hungry. He wondered if his lot in life was to die in the streets as an unknown corpse. He felt lost in this crowd. He wondered if God were real?
The music began and he watched as many around him sang songs he did not know. He didn’t feel like singing. He felt like dying. Others around him stood and raised their arms in enjoyment. He stood only because he felt like it was expected and he didn’t want to be kicked out of the warm building.
The melodies warmed his heart and he remembered how much he enjoyed singing as a child. He sat down and closed his eyes to just listen. His mind faded back into memories of the past. He remembered the songs of his childhood sung in a place much like this, where people were happy to see him. They hugged and loved on him, but that was long ago.
With his eyes closed, he felt a hand upon his shoulder and just as quickly, one upon his knee. He wanted to open his eyes to see who was touching him, but it was enough to be touched in love. More followed and he was sure he felt half a dozen hands upon him, hearing just as many voices speaking good things about him. His heart swelled in encouragement to remember how much he was loved. An exotic fragrance came to his nostrils and he opened his eyes thinking this to be perfume and he wanted to know who wore it.
Looking around he saw no one touching him. Everyone was singing their beautiful songs and all had their hands raised in enjoyment. He realized he had been touched by heaven and cried in sobs, not caring who saw or who was near. Within moments he felt the touch of hands. Opening his eyes this time, he realized these were the hands of those who had been singing around him. People touched him and he felt their love.
A couple whispered into his ear, “brother, we will get you help”.
Remember
Remember…..
This is all God asks of us. Remember who He is to have created us. We came from His heart of love and He longs for our love in return. Remember His goodness and His lovingkindness. Remember who created the heavens and earth for us to enjoy. Remember He sent His son to die for us.
The world around us is built upon remembrance. We fill our lives with remembrances. We take photos, we sing songs burned into our minds with continual playing, we read books of history and autobiographies. Everywhere we go there are names plastered upon buildings, parks, streets and headstones. All are meant to remind us of the importance of how these persons impacted lives.
God only asks us to remember Him and His love. Remember He is forever. Remember Him above all…
Cannot Be Left Behind
Your nearness comes and I am undone. It drives my face to the floor here at Your feet. My sacrifice is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. My tears are for You alone to gather in Your bottle. Mere groaning and sobs are my utterances. I am vulnerable to all You ask of me. I tremble at Your Words. Acquiescence comes in obedience to Your will. My fear tries to slow my steps but You strengthen me when I am afraid. I cannot be left behind, unfulfilled. To have more of You I must follow where You lead.
Be Steadfast
Be steadfast, even if no one brings you accolades. Be steadfast when the silence of encouragement wants to crash your momentum. Be steadfast in truth. Be steadfast to deliver the message you are assigned to bring! However small, or however large, be steadfast in your assignment to deliver the message of Christ.
Rooms Of My Peace
I toured my mind’s corridors, searching for the rooms of wealth; where the Word of hope, love and encouraging promises were stored. My heart was hungry to engage with these places. I could feel an outward pull tugging at me. I stumbled into rooms of blankness and had to rebalance myself in order to push forward. Busy chaos beckoned me to turn aside. I longed to find my places of rest, but they seemed so distant. Anxiety pushed me down, and I cried out to my Father for help. He whispered, “trust in Me with all your heart”.
His words refocused my thoughts, directing me correctly. The voices of turmoil silenced and I entered the rooms of my peace once more. Sitting down with my Father, I listened again to all He would speak and my hungry heart was fed.
Psalm 9:10 (Message) God’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked.
Hope Paints My Landscapes
The hallway is long, wide and high. I can’t see its end. I am able to hang pictures and more; memories of my life are here. On quiet days when resting, I come to walk slowly through this space too large for me to comprehend. The imagery is not that of a museum. It’s life enjoyed in all my senses. I smell the tar of train tracks where I played as a child. Stepping across this hall I hear a song I sang over my son when he was drifting off to sleep. Videos play of exploring a mountain in Japan and snorkeling the clear blue waters of the Philippines. The taste of fruits enjoyed; how it feels to touch sand, all of these are here.
The memories are wonderful, but I am meant to continue filling up this vast space. There is an alcove in this hallway. Each time I come here I find a new blank canvas set before me. Beside it are the promises for what I can dream. No limitations can contain me apart from my heart. I soak in the colors of what can be. Off I go to a place I’ve never been. No map exists here. As I walk, atmosphere is created by my faith. The beauty of hope paints my landscapes wherever I step.
Eph 3:17-20 Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Hopscotch
The steps I walk seem so random. Each moves me forward, even when I go in a sideways or cross movement. A memory invades my perception from a game played as a child. Hopscotch rules remind me of words, “safe” and “home” and especially “rest”.