Who shall a helpless worm redeem?
Jesus, my only hope Thou art,
Strength of my failing flesh and heart:
O could I catch one smile from Thee,
And drop into eternity!
In age and feebleness extreme, Who shall a helpless worm redeem? Jesus, my only hope Thou art, Strength of my failing flesh and heart: O could I catch one smile from Thee, And drop into eternity! been meditating on these words a bunch lately. they are just so beautiful to me. i love so much how words can move a person and speak so agelessly to this same love for the Father. so much love through these words and such a knowing. i know charles wesley knew God because of these words. i so desire this for my life.
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God is teaching me more & more about how to love people, and what that even means and what it looks like to love people and love them well, like He does. what a beautiful thought that He does that & i hope He never stops! and in the midst of this ongoing lesson, this quote really stuck out to me and i thought i'd share it. it keeps coming back to my mind and i keep thinking about it and what it means. not gonna lie, though, this made me realize things about myself that i didn't really like realizing. and my hope for you, dear reader, is that God would also pull out those hindering and not-so-lovely things within you, and it would convict you in order that you might become more like Christ in this humbling life-long endeavor of loving. & i was also reminded of this really meaningful song for me, called "safe" by britt nicole... give it a listen. i hope it speaks. even to your old age and gray hairs I am He. I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. isaiah 46:4 sustain: \sə-ˈstān\ 1. to keep in existence; maintain. 2. to supply with necessities or nourishment; provide for. 3. to support from below; keep from falling or sinking; prop. 4. to support the spirits, vitality, or resolution of; encourage. today i was made so rawfully (<<not a word ha) aware of my need for Jesus. i feel that as we live, there is this string that is holding us together, and without it, we will fall apart. that string is Jesus and what a beautiful thought that He sustains.. nourishes, provides for, supports, carries like an umbilical cord that holds my existence together... the world's existence. the even more beautiful thought to me, is that it's not like it is a tied-down dread to be sustained by Him.. it is JOY. it is my life in freedom. it is deep peace, deep knowing, deep love. we need God like this tree needs it's roots, like the earth needs the sun, like we need our next breath. p.s. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 The other day, when I was confused and worried and unsure about things in my life, my dear friend and mentor, Amy, told me to fix my eyes on Jesus. She asked me what Jesus would do in those situations and pointed out that He probably wouldn't have been selfishly looking at Himself. Then she said the most beautiful thing to me. She said, "I hope in ten years, when we meet for coffee in the cities, we will both walk away from each other saying, 'She is more like Jesus.'" That is just the most beautiful thing. Such peace filled my heart from that conversation. Then she prayed this verse, Hebrews 12, over me. That is my hope for you today, too, dear friend. That wherever you are and whatever you are doing, you would fix your eyes upon Him today.
Tonight I painted blobs of color because sometimes that's the only way I can express anything.
Tonight I felt things deeply. I don't even know what I felt. Lots of things. But tonight I don't want to sort through any of them, even though it's bothering me that I don't exactly know all of what I feel. Tonight I read stories and heard songs about people hurting and agonizing over God's distance and the pain their soul felt in that distance. Tonight I deeply appreciated the authenticity and real-ness of these stories. Tonight I felt like I failed God. Tonight I think I resisted community. Tonight truth was spoken into my mind through John Mark Comer's words. Tonight my soul is sad for the people who don't know who Jesus is. And tonight I realized I don't know how to love them like He would. Tonight I looked at the pictures on my wall and realized that not one of the faces does not know Jesus. This makes me realize that maybe I'm letting my comfort bubble close in on me again. Tonight, I'm not meaning to depress you or burden you with my thoughts, or write for the sake of empathy. Tonight I just wanted to be real. Because Jesus was real. And Jesus felt things deeply, too. Tonight I will rest, knowing that God is okay with me being on a journey, and not having everything all figured out. My friend, Becca, and also a speaker at IVLI this summer introduced me to this set of choices and it is humbling my heart on this Friday morning. Friend, want to choose these things with me today? IT’S QUIET. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world
is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose. I choose love . . . No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves. I choose joy . . . I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God. I choose peace . . . I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live. I choose patience . . . I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage. I choose kindness . . . I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me. I choose goodness . . . I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness. I choose faithfulness . . . Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home. I choose gentleness . . . Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself. I choose self-control . . . I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest. -Max Lucado (from his book When God Whispers Your Name) "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people. The Lord replied, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'" Exodus 33:13-14 mm. you should read Exodus 33. (taken this past month at Cedar Campus. Can't wait to show you guys more!):)
I wrote this some time ago, and tonight, I needed these reminders.
I think we all need these reminders. "i know that You are a beautiful God, Jesus, and You know my heart better than i do. You love me and even though i am always leaving and saying goodbye, You are wherever i am and You stay with me because You dwell inside my heart and there is peace and rest and life with You. You are where my hope and identity are found and You are a refuge for me. You hear my heart and You lovingly discipline me in Your grace. i know Your heart is kind. i need a lot of Your help spreading Your love. i know wherever i am, i am with You, so i am HOME. And i can trust these relationships, the old and new, to a God who is a stream of life in my innermost being." Rest freely in His peace and forgiveness tonight, friends. Yesterday, was adventure day.
And for adventure day, a dear friend and I beheld this glory. It is an extraordinary thing, being made with senses. To smell, and to hear, and to see, and feel... that God is loving us through what he has created. There are some things that words are simply unable to convey or do justice to, that nature can... the trees, the water, the rocks, stones... they say so much, just by their existence. Thank You, God, for loving us the ways You do. SHEKINAH (lit. "the dwelling"):
The majestic presence or manifestation of God which has descended to "dwell" among men. |