Refusing

Indulgence peeks around the corner, trying to catch my eye. She shimmers and sparkles, tempting me to draw her near to myself. Part of me wants to, but I mostly know that nothing she offers will last. So I turn away, refusing to entertain her.

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" -Mark 8:36

Getting Creative

Once again I stare at a blank page, but this time the blank page seems to stare back at me. So I rummage through my mind, anxious to see what kind of creativity I will discover. Will I pull out some words to weave a novel, or poetry to create a symphony of sound? Either way, I cannot find anything like this to call my own, no matter how hard I try. So I turn to the One who holds creativity in the palm of his hand, only to realize that his hand is holding mine.

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
-Psalm 19:1

Whole

I carried pieces of me in my pocket until God asked me to hold out my hands. But like a child refusing to let something precious go, I kept my fists tightly clenched...until he opened his hands to show me he has so much more.

"But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed."
-Isaiah 53:5

The Traveler

I weathered travel the way a traveler weathers a storm. And as I dealt with delays, I found the delays also dealt with me. They slowed me down as I moved along this road called life. And my baggage grew heavy while my strength began to fail until I found another traveler walking my very same road. Then he offered to carry my burdens as his own.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
-Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30)

Sinking

I thought I knew how to feel comfortable in my own skin, like an old pair of jeans all worn and familiar. But those kind of comforts leave me sitting at the surface and the surface won't let me stay. So I sink deeply into somewhere unknown only to discover more layers of me.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."
-Psalm 139:14

My Bleeding Heart

When I write I don't like to bleed on paper, but sometimes my heart spills out, then overflows. And it catches me by surprise because I always forget my heart can bleed. Still, the paper doesn't mind, even when the words start to smear. And I ask my heart why it can't just ache instead.

"Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy."
-Proverbs 14:10

Blue

For years I shared my life, but hid my heart and held my breath. And instead of someone checking my pulse, I simply got a pat on the back before I discovered I wasn't even breathing. So by the time I realized I was in trouble, my heart had already turned blue.

How is your heart doing?

"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."
-Proverbs 4:23