"Come to Me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest..." Matthew 11:28
hearts weary
hearts burdened
hearts needing rest
would that not describe
every heart ever beating...
at least once in a while?
and for some the
once in a while seems
to be when the
heart is not weary
or burdened or
needing rest.
more than likely
the majority of hearts
fall somewhere in the
in between.
in between highs and lows
in between joy and sadness
in between loss and gain
in between the ordinary and
the extraordinary
for is that not where most of life
is lived?
at times the in between
can be a season of waiting.
in between what was
and what will be.
at times even a season
when heaven seems to be quiet.
at times the in between
feels as if a storm is raging...
both within and without.
in the in between can be
confusing
disorienting
frustrating
exhausting
yet are those not
the very times
to which Jesus
is referring?
He whispers above the storm:
"My child, you feel alone.
you feel abandoned.
you wonder where I am.
you wonder how long
the in between will last.
you wonder if the winds
will ever die down
and if the waves
will ever be still.
O My beloved,
I am holding you
I am protecting you
I AM.
the waves and the wind
may appear to sweep you off
your feet
yet in reality the force drives you
closer to My heart.
the storm
is opening your eyes to truth.
and I am truth.
I am in the in between
and the in between
always has purpose.
always.
so come to Me,
weary and burdened heart.
I will give you rest
I will hold you as you
sink into My arms
I will sing over you
the time spent in the
in between can be
a time of restoring
renewing
refocusing
if you will but simply
come and rest
awhile
do not fight the in between
do not waste the precious time
in the in between...
instead use the time
to seek Me
to worship Me
to simply be with Me
for greater things are
yet to come
and the in between
is a season of preparation
and perhaps no greater faith is
required than to sit and wait patiently
allowing Me to prepare you
for that which lies ahead
even when I have not
revealed what lies
ahead.
so come, My child,
and I will give you rest."
"take delight in the Lord
and He will give you your heart's
desires
commit everything you do to the Lord
trust Him and He will help you
He will make your innocence radiate
like the dawn
and the justice of your cause will
shine like the noonday sun
be still in the presence of the Lord
and wait patiently for Him to act"
Psalm 37:3-7
and there you are...
still delighting
still committing
still trusting
still waiting.
how do you know?
how do you know
when the wait is
over?
especially when that for which
you wait is in essence
unknown.
oh at times you know.
in fact you know that you know.
for sometimes He reveals His plan
in ways so clear as to almost be
written on the wall before you
however, more often than not,
His plan appears in ways
subtle
subdued
so as almost to be
overlooked.
and often we
miss out on that
which He places
in front of us
for did not even many of
God's chosen people miss
the fact that their
long awaited Messiah
was walking among them?
for sometimes that which He has
prepared for us
comes wrapped in packages unexpected.
the color
the ribbon
the shape
the size
simply not what we thought
not what we assumed
would be delivered.
and so we miss out
on an opportunity breathtaking
because we did not see it.
so perhaps the lesson to be learned
(at least for this heart)
is that waiting patiently
does not mean simply
sitting and resting
for could it be that in the
waiting
gifts abundant
are waiting to be counted?
and if we are counting gifts
are we not living in anticipation?
and is not delighting in
the Lord not the essence of
life itself?
for even in the waiting
we can radiate
we can shine
like the noonday sun!
and in His timing and in His way
His plan
His purpose
will wrap
our passions
our visions
our calls
in His heart of love
resulting in
His will so perfect
coming to life
in hearts waiting patiently.
"at the cross
at the cross
where I first saw the light
and the burden of my heart
rolled away
it was there by faith
I received my sight
now no longer I
but Christ in me"
cling.
cling to.
cling to the.
cling to the cross.
over and over
this heart hears
those words so passionate
remember.
remember the.
remember the story.
His heart whispers
to this heart
do not forget
do not forget
where and when
the first breath
of life alive
was taken
for surely one
can breath
yet not live life
and that which seems light
can in essence be quite dark
for is it not all relative?
and if one has never seen
light so radiant so piercing
what would be the comparison?
and sight.
eyes seeing can be
oh so blinded
for although our eyes perceive
is it not really the heart that sees?
and if the eyes are the mirror of
the soul
perhaps sight goes both ways
and oh the burdens.
burdens of the heart.
some so heavy as to
cause the heart to stoop
some seeming normal
for they have never
not been a
burden
oh the beauty...
the beauty lies in His love
a love truly unfathomable
a love so tender yet fierce
a love willing to face death
so we could know life...
so we could know our Father
our Daddy
our Abba
no night so dark
no storm so relentless
no pain so heartbreaking
no loss
no gain
no right
no wrong
will ever cause
His love to change
so cling to the cross
and hear Him singing
over you...His beloved.
it was late fall in the year 1873
tragedy upon tragedy had
struck this family
a tragedy at sea
prompted this man
to pen the words to
a hymn so beloved
a hymn to which so
many have clung in
times of tragedy and sorrow
the first verse:
"when peace like a river attendeth my way
when sorrows like sea billows roll
whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say
it is well
it is well with my soul"
today we as a world cumulative
face a tragedy at sea
as well as on land
I'm sure many know
far more than I
yet I must speak
how do you look in eyes
innocent
haunted
scared
sad
and not feel the
breath knocked
straight out of
your body?
the boats.
the boats too full
the boats too flimsy
the boats often destined
for disaster...
babies
children
teenagers
young adults
moms and dads
grandpas and grandmas
willing to risk life
for a chance at life
and tiny bodies wash up on shore
lying in the breaking waves for all
the world to see. and weep.
and that little boy has a name. Aylan.
and each human life be they young or old
has a name
has a story
has worth
has value
and as each life is extinguished
heaven weeps.
be it death from starvation
or the elements
or murder outright
(for in essence is not
each life lost in this crisis
a murder of sorts?)
or be it by waves crashing
and capsizing throwing
life songs
life stories
into the depth
of the sea
and no matter the cause
those life songs sing on
and those life stories speak on
for a life sings not and speaks not only
when the physical heart beats
no. those songs and stories live on and on
for each song was orchestrated by the
Master Composer
and each story penned by the
Author of Life
and if that very truth does not give worth
to each and every life what will?
and the trains.
who decides who comes?
who decides who stays?
who gets on the train
and who gets left behind?
and how many can you
physically squeeze into a train?
and desperation has daddies
pushing children through windows
and sadly the train is
not headed to the
destination they
believed it was
and who has to pull the
father and mother and baby
off the train tracks where they
lie in utter desperation
all for a chance at a life of safety
a life of opportunity
a life at all...
for many know that
to stay home means certain death
so what is there to lose in
choosing possible death?
for if death is only possible
that means life is possible as well
and the trucks.
smugglers take money
stuff human lives in the back
of a truck...drive down the road...
decide the risk perhaps not worth it
and leave the 71 innocent to die a death
of sheer horror as air runs out.
(and the 71 are likely but a
fraction)
and the desert crossers
with babies and children barely
hanging on
if hanging on at all
however they come
they come with determination fierce
for sometimes life can be worse than death
and to hold onto a dream for a better tomorrow
keeps the heart beating and the heart hoping
and we cannot just say
enough is enough or
not on our watch or
this has to change...
no.
we must kneel
we must cry out for
those with no voice
we must pray as never before
we must give as never before
we must love as never before
and pray the Spirit ignites flames of
passionate fire in our souls
a wave
a movement
a hurricane if you will
of epic proportions to save life
all in the name of Jesus
the One who loved us from death
to life by living to die
and together we sing
"and Lord haste the day when
my faith shall be sight
the clouds be rolled back
as a scroll
the trump shall resound
and the Lord shall descend
it is well it is well with my soul!
