most hearts tend toward
comfortableness
likewise most hearts
tend away from
uncomfortableness
mine included
for who would not
rather be comfortable
than be uncomfortable?
yet
I believe hearts
must be willing to walk
from that place of comfort
into the place of uncomfort
if living Kingdom is the true desire
if being the touch of Jesus is really
the cry of a heart
many hearts are still or have in past
(mine too)
spent hours days months years
in the realm of comfortableness
for is it not easier to sit back
take it all in
and keep it
than to take it in
to let it flow back out?
is it not easier to protect
and care for our own
than to reach out
and care for the least of them?
the hungry
the homeless
the orphan
the widow
the criminal
the poor
(and we need look no further than
our own streets and neighborhoods
to find the least of them)
what does a place of uncomfortableness
look like? feel like?
must it be a bad thing?
could it be a good thing?
living with excitement
living with anticipation
living on the edge of your chair
knowing that something bigger
than your own heart is waiting
to happen
a purpose so much larger than
comfortableness is out there
this is what the LORD says ~
the LORD who made the earth
who formed and established it
whose name is the LORD:
"ask Me and I will tell you
remarkable secrets you do
not know about things to
come" Jeremiah 33:3
once the heart has truly tasted
the realm of uncomfortableness
going back to comfortableness
simply is not an option
for who would want to leave a place of
fulfillment
joy contagious
life overflowing
love so boundless
to go back to comfortableness?
the Father's heart breaks
when hearts (mine included)
live in comfortableness
not realizing that uncomfortableness
is really even an option
or at least not an option
the heart is willing to risk ~
"losing" all to find that
all the heart ever could want
or dream
or imagine
is already within reach
is already there
because He is all
the heart could
ever want
comfortableness
meets uncomfortableness
and it is at that point ~
that intersection
where His grace and my will
collide ~
the cross of Jesus
and I must decide
I have tasted uncomfortableness
and will never go back
that moment when the
heart simply wants to give up
too broken to beat
too disillusioned to see
too weary to care
perhaps the loss of one
loved so deeply
either to death itself
or death of a
relationship
perhaps the career
so defining
so affirming
is no more
the heart feeling
identity less
perhaps the loss of a dream
now lying shattered
in pieces jagged
perhaps the door
feeling almost revolving...
open one moment
slammed shut
the next
perhaps finances
sinking to depths
of deepest deep
with the heart in tow
scenarios as numerous
as there are hearts
for each heart
knows broken
at some point
at some level
where does that heart
turn for hope when all
feels hopeless?
then Jesus said "come to Me
all of you who are weary and
carry heavy burdens and I will
give you rest
take My yoke upon you
let Me teach you because I am
humble and gentle at heart
and you will find rest for
your souls
for My yoke is easy to
bear and the burden I
give you is light"
Matthew 11:28-30
you are not alone
He is closer than your
heartbeat
nearer than your
next breath
darkness all encompassing
cannot and will not consume you
for in your darkest night of the soul
He is holding you
you needn't even have strength
to grasp onto Him
for have we not all been
so weak so weary so sad
that holding onto Jesus
is just too much?
therein lies the beauty of Jesus
He is holding onto you
the light which is the very
essence of who He is
will gently fill the dark with
love so compassionate
so unconditional
so intimate
so tender
so warm
He will dry each tear
as He whispers your name
as He sings over you
as He rejoices over you
as He reminds you of
joy from sorrow
beauty from ashes
praise from despair
grace skin
skin of grace
grace skin exudes warmth
grace skin radiates
grace skin glows
with all things
grace
grace full
grace filled
the heart covered by
skin of grace
beats grace
loves grace
gives grace
grace skin cannot be bought
grace cannot be earned
for who can earn or buy a gift?
and if the heart is not covered
with grace skin
is it covered with
ungrace skin?
does the
spirit within
determine the
spirit without?
perhaps...
only the Giver of grace
really sees beneath the skin
yet I believe He longs for
His people to be wearers of grace
to have skin undeniably grace
to live grace rather than ungrace
to love rather than judge
to accept rather than reject
to build up rather than tear down
in this life in this world
hearts will never live grace
perfectly...
He expects no perfection
for He knows we cannot
what does He ask of us?
all I know is what He asks of me.
live grace
give grace
love deep
seek Him
bend low
forgive much
listen always
reflect Him
(and to reflect Him I must
know Him)
be stretchable
be teachable
be generous
be growable
be humble
(yet I must never
think I have
attained
humility
or it is gone)
and so much more
my prayer is for
grace skin
skin of grace
so what does a heart do
when surrounded by hurting?
when surrounded by injustice?
when surrounded by hearts
broken and abused
even dying for daring to
whisper His name
girls stolen never to be returned
crying in the night for
someone to care
orphans innumerable
widows abandoned
children hungry
babies dying
some look the other way
(this heart is guilty)
some look and care
yet in hopelessness say
'what can one heart do anyway?'
(guilty here as well)
some look and care even more
perhaps even give
yet in time
forget
for have we not
all problems?
(guilty again)
then there are those who look
who stop
who decide
now is the time
to put all aside
to join the fight
to dare to step out in faith
even when the step makes
no sense to onlookers
or even to the heart
taking the step
for faith intent
and intentional
rarely~if ever~
makes sense
it made no sense for Jesus ~
leaving the light radiant and
beauty indescribable of heaven
to step into humanness so human
to walk the very ground He created
to love the unlovable
to heal the cast aside
to touch the untouchable
to bring His Father's heart into
every heart ever beating
past and present and future
by the ultimate act of faith~
giving His very life
so this heart could live
so all hearts could live
not every heart caring
even with the passion of Jesus
can literally step into the
physical realm of those suffering
yet every heart caring can and must
take a step of faith
to say enough is enough
give to support those who go
pray for those who go
pray for those who suffer
and perhaps most radical?
pray to have a heart changed
a heart and life redefined
a heart and life and mind
completely surrendered
to living Kingdom
to loving extravagantly
to having priorities
completely and radically
turned upsidedown
and this heart is learning
yet must resurrender
reprioritize
rereturn
every morning new
giving all to the One
who truly gives all
for how can a heart
out-give the Giver?
out-love the Lover?
out-serve the Servant?
