I Don't Think...

My brother-in-law to his little girl the morning after her slumber party: 

“Come with me.  We’ll rest together.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep, Daddy.”

“It’s o.k.  Just close your eyes…  There, now.  We’ll rest together.”

So she closed her eyes and was instantly asleep.

……

God to me when life happens:

Come with Me.  We’ll rest together (Hebrews 4:9-11)

I don’t think I’ll be able to _________, Lord.

It’s o.k.   Just do what I say…  There, now.  We’ll rest together.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.

Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt.”

~Jeremiah 31:3,4

In Flex

Two very moving experiences

in two days...

A conversation with a friend

who is battling cancer,

and a few hours spent 

with a friend in the ER.

Both friends displayed 

immovable faith

and unalterable kindness

in the midst of extremely difficult circumstances.

Both friends had 

every plausible excuse

society has to offer

to toss kindness aside,

to render generic faith useless,

to ride whatever wave felt best

for the moment...

... but they chose another path...

a narrow road

with promise of struggle,

of suffering,

... and each remains completely contented there...

The power of kindness,

the strength of a smile,

the depth of compassion,

the might of an ear,

the steel of steadfastness,

the firmness of faith

all pass through the fire

of unmerciful fear.

Through acts of obedience

rendered in prayer,

the hearts of the faithful

become stronger still.

True strength, though appearing

impartial and tough,

is soft and resilient

in flex with His will.

“Now faith

is the assurance of things hoped for, 

the conviction of things not seen… 

let us run the race that is set before us, 

fixing our eyes on Jesus, 

the author and perfecter 

of faith…”

~Hebrews 11:1 & 12:1,2

Beyond Words

Words captivate me.

Words I see or hear

are constantly being filtered:

Are they flippant, exaggerated, dull,

misspelled, misapplied, inappropriate?

Are they accurate, inspiring, meaningful,

motivating, intentional, sincere…?

Words demand my focus,

their relevance vies for my attention,

their accuracy assumes authority to gauge value…

…perhaps too much so…

What blessing can come through sorrow?

What wisdom can be gained through loss?

What treasure can be found in emptiness?

Jesus,

be my focus

be my relevance worthy of attention,

be my authority to gauge value.

Draw me to

Yourself

…to be content

Beyond Words… 

~ae