Coming Home

Sometimes we must leave the ordinary things of our routine in order for our routine to seem less ordinary. But it may not be until we go away for a season only to return to the familiar fragrances of home, that we come back to our senses...and find what we never should have lost in the first place.

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."
-Isaiah 43:19

Remembering

The birds perch, filling up the morning sky with their song, while I sit in the grass below. My voice scrapes the sky, waiting for an answer from heaven. Meanwhile the birds request what they need and their needs get fulfilled. So I request only what I think I need and wonder why my prayers go unanswered. Until I remember... "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine (Isaiah 55:8)."

Broken

I snapped in the same way a branch breaks off a tall, tall tree. But it was not the kind of break created quickly by a gusty storm. It was the kind of break caused slowly by the weight of winter snow. Either the weight grew to be too much, or I was never strong enough in the first place.

Now I lay broken.

What does brokenness feel like to you?


"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken spirit and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
-Psalm 51:17

He Speaks

His whisper sounds like a quiet rain falling against the trees, as each drop creates a chorus of conversation. But I cannot find anyone in the forest who will listen. And as I walk along a winding path, I begin to wonder if I myself can even hear him. So I stop. And in the thick of it all, He speaks.

"As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?"
-Psalm 42:1,2

Brightly Burning

I like to ease into the morning, slow and steady, the way the sun slowly rises with the dawn. But there are other things I don't just ease into. Like my faith. I can't slip on my faith like an old pair of jeans. I can't ease into my faith the way I ease into the morning. No, my faith is like a brightly burning flame. And although I carry a broken torch, the source of that flame does not flicker.

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire..."
-1 Thessalonians 5:19

The Gatherer

I am a gatherer clenching stones in my hands, cradling them along the crook of my arm until they are too much for me to carry. So I drop them in a place marked only for me. And I continue to gather them until all the stones are collected. Sometimes they feel round, smooth and small. Other times they feel large, heavy and awkward. But each one bears my name, and though they have been scattered, I am discovering them one by one. Separately they seemed distant and small, but put together they form a place of worship; an altar for my King.

"There is a time for everything... a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them."
-Ecclesiastes 3:1,5

Placing Trust

I carried an ace in my pocket and a dollar in my hand before ever holding Jesus in my heart. And I once looked for any way to label myself lucky, but now I call myself loved. The time just came when the things I wanted to carry could not carry me. Either time ran out or promises fell short. So when I lost the things this world had to offer, I found the one who could offer me more than just the world.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."
-Psalm 20:7

The Great Congregation

A great crowd gathers, standing shoulder to shoulder, while a gentle, rhythmic chorus rises from the stream in the valley below. Theirs is a song of praise, for each one of them stands firmly planted by their maker. These tall pines nestle together like families gathering to experience community, while their tall, needled branches point toward heaven.

And as they remain cradled in the mountainous rocky crags behind them, I cannot help but picture the body of Christ gathered to worship the rock of our salvation.

"My feet stand on level ground;
in the great congregation I will praise the LORD."
-Psalm 26:12

My Heart

He nursed my heart back to health after finding it bruised and weary. Maybe I played too hard or left it out in the cold. Either way, he found it, cradling it in his hand. Then he smoothed out the rough, dry places until it became soft and smooth once again.

"Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand."
-Isaiah 64:8

This New Day

A gust of faith blows in, so I slide the window of my heart open a little further until a steady flow comes streaming through. And suddenly I feel brave. So I pack my dreams full of ambition and commit this new day to the Lord.

"I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible."
-Jesus (Matthew 17:20)

My Cup

I like to carry a perfect cup of happiness blended with joy. But sometimes I take a sip of insecurities mixed with fear. And I wonder who served it to me. Was it a phantom from my past? Was it the unknown from my future? Either way, I dump it out only to wash it down the drain and fill my cup again.

What's in your cup?

"You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings."
-Psalm 23:5

Lingering

Perfection is a place I like to call home. But I don't fit in there, as much as I would like to stay. Sometimes my words get too loud or my heart gets too wrinkled. I'm afraid I might say the wrong thing or make the wrong choice. So I linger on the front porch, waiting to see if I will be invited in. But perfection does not come calling.

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
2 Corinthians 4:7

Giving

She carries a fragile faith in the palm of her hand. But it feels like a small, simple offering for a big, holy God. Until He gently reminds her that all she has is all He wants. So she gives it all only to discover that He gives her so much back in return.

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind."
-Jesus (Matthew 22:37)

Under Control

She likes to live in black and white, never allowing herself the freedom to experience what it means to live in color. And she prefers the lines to remain clear cut, never muddled or blurred into shades of grey. But while she thinks she has control over all that she needs, she doesn't know how much she is really missing.

"...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
-2 Corinthians 3:17