Who am I? Continuing the conversation

To be content and whole,
defined not by my standards or those that others put on me,
But defined in humility by my weakness and His greatness.
That His radiant glory would shine through the haze of
my sin and short comings.
Like the flowers in the field,
my very being would reflect His beauty.
Clothed in His presence and marked by His grace,
I am able to walk in fullness.
Unhindered by the chains of sin and death,
forgiveness brings freedom.
Freedom that causes new songs to spring up in my heart and soul.
Freedom that makes me a new creation,
no longer a slave to sin.
Freedom that magnifies the crazy love that
a Savior lavishes on His children.
Freedom that displays the greatness of the Father,
the power of the King.
Greatness and power that continually brings me to my knees
in recognition that to be fully myself I need to live fully in Him.

Who am I?

Who am I?
That You would love me.
Me that is broken and sinful.
Me that doesn't return the love that You give.
Me that tries to do it on my own.

Who am I?
That You would die for me.
Me that deserves the punishment You took.
Me that shouts insults, that condemns.
Me that denies You.

Who am I?
That You would want a relationship with me.
Me that forgets to speak to You.
Me that doesn't trust Your plan.
Me that ignores Your pursual.

Who am I?
I am one that is dearly loved.
I am created by You.
You that is above all and in all things.
You that is the definition of love.
You that is holy, mighty, powerful.
You that is deserving of all praise, all worship.

Who are we?
Creator and created.
Redeemer and redeemed.
Lover and dearly loved.
Father and child.
Savior and saved.

So who am I?
I am me.
Me that is fully me when defined by You.
You that is perfect.
You that is unending.
You that loves me.

Story

I am a part of a story
You wrote me, a character destined for beautiful things
With each page I am taken to new places
Obstacles are a means of understanding the depths of who I am
Each challenge helping me to be more fully me
With tenderness your hand writes the story
Color illuminates and brings life to each page
My story is written by Love
Love that asks each person to be a part of the story
To push through the tragedies and to overcome the fear
Love writes victory and change
The character becomes who they are meant to be
They become a beautiful story.

Let Your glory come

Clay waiting to be formed

Feet ready to dance without chains

Songs preparing to be written

Lord let Your glory come

Lies starting to be exposed

Voids being filled in

Peace stirring, ready to be released

Lord let Your glory come

Darkness ebbing away from the coming light

Love flowing as a stream, building to become a flood

Confusion fading out with the presence of truth overwhelming

Lord let Your glory come

"See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19

Wonderland

To be anywhere but here, in this place where everything is upside down

Like Alice spiraling into wonderland, nothing makes sense in this place

Up is now down and down went sideways.

Where do i go from here?

How should i feel about this place?

My whole being tingles with emotion just under the surface, planning an explosive attack

Many casualties, no survivors.

My heart feels like each beat is another step towards leaping completely out of my chest.

Like it might flash me a peace sign as is walks away from me, leaving a hole.

Amid the war brewing inside i try to sing myself a song

"its all gonna be okay, its all gonna be okay"

This brings no comfort because i am still Alice and my body is still at war by the end of the tune.

So then what is left to do?

Do i accept defeat and allow myself to make a home in wonderland?

Will my body actually implode?

And God?

What is He doing?

Why am i in this place?

He is ahead of me on our journey, around a bend where i can't see Him.

I don't know where to go.

I don't know what to do.

I am scared, alone.

What does it look like to worship in this place?

Because even though i can't see God doesn't mean He doesn't deserve my worship.

A silent reverence, a loud song, a broken prayer, sucking carpet?

What brings Him glory in this place?

There is no set protocol for worship in wonderland.

It doesn't require a set list, a schedule.

It is a groaning, a tear, utter surrender

Like the woman who feeds Elijah, the last is given

A song is formed without catchy lyrics or a sweet rhythm

Wonderland worship is a raw response to the power and glory of a most high God that,

even when up is down and down is sideways, needs to be praised and must be glorified.

Because the truth is, He is making wonderland a beautiful place even when Alice can't see it.

Rain

Watch the rain fall from its heavenly resting place, down to the earth.

Drop after drop it plummets to soak the dry, weary land.

Does the sky miss the rain after it falls?

Or does the rain, after its falling, miss its home in the sky?

The sky where the drops were formed,

Where they danced among the clouds.

Where drop by drop created a reservoir waiting to be poured out.

Waiting to fall

Waiting to fulfill their purpose

waiting to see where their new home will be

Their time comes, the sky is alive with a symphony of sound that resonates through everything below, it marks the coming of the rain.

And so it comes.

It makes its home in the ground, replenishing, saturating, giving.

Giving until there is almost nothing left of the drop.

In that moment the drop misses the sky, longs for its home.

Wishes it wasn't all alone

Wishing it could dance among the clouds

But it can't.

There is a greater purpose for the drop

To help give life and, for a time, learn to be alone.

Every face has a story

Every face has a story.

Each smile has seen a frown,

Every laugh knows a tear.

Each wrinkle is wisdom in disguise,

Every scar a tantalizing tale.

Every face has a story.

Each success has known some failure,

Every dream has seen dashed hopes.

Each heart has known love,

Every soul has felt connection.

Every face has a story.

Each body has grimaced in pain,

Every wound has felt a healing touch.

Every face has a story.

Will you ask?

Will you listen?

Will you tell?