Love Song to the Gardener...

I'd rather be in the Garden of the Lord
Than in the palace of a king...

 

 

 

He carried me so tenderly and covered me over with rich dark soil,

When I was just a tiny seed.

He planted me deep in the garden surrounded by rocks and thistles

That mocked my every need

Or, at least, that’s what I believed…

I heard His footsteps in the garden growing fainter and fainter.

He was leaving me all alone –

He didn’t stop.

He didn’t care what happened to me.

Or, at least that’s what I believed…

The only life I saw were ugly, broken weeds

Sprouting all around me.

No beauty.

No joy.

No life was in the air around me.

Or, at least, that’s what I believed…

Endlessly, it rained and rained.

I never saw the sunshine.

I never saw a flower.

I called to Him to save me.

But, against this cruelty,

He had no power.

Or, at least, that’s what I believed.

I wept at least as many tears

As raindrops fell upon my fears.

All for what? I didn’t know.

I decided I should just let go.

What was the use in holding on?

He must not love me, or so it seemed.

Or, at least, that’s what I believed.

Strangers came and stomped on me.

They mocked and laughed and jeered at me.

Down in the heart of my tiny seed,

They broke me down and made me bleed.

Left alone to face this mess,

I hated Him, I must confess.

Or, at least, that’s what I believed.

But, He who loved me had buried me deep,

 

Deep

     down

          deep,

He had buried me,

In the rich dark soil of His love.

He had promised He would come for me.

When all seemed dark and dry and dead,

He was still strolling through the flower beds

Or, at least, that’s what I came to see…

I, no longer hoping, no longer strong,

I heard Him walking on the dawn.

He lifted my head to see His face,

He smiled His Glory all over the place.

I never ever doubted His love for me...

Or, at least, that’s what I came to see!

The storms brought the rain that I needed to grow.

The weeds made me fight for the chance to have life.

The stones and the rocks made me sink in the mud,

Where the rich, velvet soil caressed me with love.

He used it all to shape me and form me to be,

A tiny reflection of the One who made me.

I don’t know the answer to all of the whys.

I only know darkness is broken by Light.

I learned to be gentle toward those who are broken,

To reach out in tenderness for those who are lost.

To leave it to Him what I don’t understand.

To trust Him who holds me in the palm of His hand.

To hold on to the One who holds on to me.

Or, at least, that’s what I’ve come to believe…

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“Then He who sat on the throne said,

Behold, I make all things new…”

   Revelation 21:5  NKJV

 

The Heartbreak of God...



"Jesus wept..."
John 11:35

Where did you go?

Why did you leave?

Didn't you know I loved you?

Didn't you hear Me calling out to you?

I was pounding on the door,

begging you to open it and let me in.

I wanted to come in and comfort you.

I loved everything about you. 

Everything.

Everything.

I had so many dreams I dreamed for you so long ago.

I held you in my hand the day that you were born.

I laughed with you at the wonder of every little miracle I sent

to encourage you along the way.

I wept bitterly when you believed the lie 

that you didn't matter to anyone.

You mattered to Me, My child. 

You mattered to Me...

I screamed at you to turn around and see Me

standing right beside you.

I ran in front of you, begging you to stop...

I was standing right there. 

Loving you. 

Loving you. 

 Loving you...

I never stopped loving you...

 

------------------------------

 

Written in loving memory of a sweet young man who gave up on life when it was just beginning

and

in recognition that God weeps with us over the loss of hope that leads to the tragedy of suicide. 

Butterflies All are We!

:

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
Plans for peace and not for evil,
to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29:11
NKJV

One of the most delicate and magical creations of the Creator is His little fluttering butterfly! Each one hand painted by the Master Artist of all creation, they are like little showcases of His beauty flitting in and out all around us.  

"Now to Him who is able...

The image of transformation, it is amazing to consider what becomes of the little, lowly caterpillar which starts its life crawling in the dirt, only to be elevated to star status by the Creator Himself.  Do you suppose when the caterpillar is crawling around on all fours (or 27s - or however many legs they have!) that he ever imagines what he was really created to be?  Do you suppose he says to himself, "Someday, I will be the envy of all who see me flying from flower to flower!"  Do you suppose he ever hopes he will be anything more than a lowly little insect that can be stomped out at the whim of a child?  Do you suppose that God whispers in his little tiny antenna ears - "You know, I have plans for you that you know nothing about!"  Do you suppose He tells him with excitement all He has planned for him, but the little hopeless, dirt bound caterpillar ignores what he hears and settles into his dreary life with no vision of what might be?  Do you suppose he tells all of his caterpillar brothers and sisters, "Don't listen to that.  This is all there is..."

to do exceedingly, abundantly...

I wonder if he was given the choice of crawling in the dirt or flying on the wind what he would choose.  After all, it's pretty risky to reach for something better!  

 above all that we ask or think...

Life in that cocoon looks pretty scary... It's dark and lonely in there!  Once inside, he might be wondering what's happening to him - why is he there, all alone and not sure if he will ever break out.  And if he does, what will his life be like on the other side of this trial?  Will it all be for nothing?  Poor little caterpillar.  He has to trust that Someone knows more about his little bug life than he does.  He has to trust that Someone is working in Him "more than he could ever ask or imagine..."  He has to fight to hang on until he breaks through...

According to the power that works in us..."
Ephesians 3:20
NKJV

Aaaaah, but, when he does...  He is something beautiful to see!  Why, he doesn't even recognize himself!  Who is He?  Not the little crawly bug, scrounging in the dirt, afraid to even imagine something better.  No, no, no!  He is an absolute masterpiece, witness to the power of our Transforming God.  A teeny, tiny, masterpiece, transformed by the power of the Creator into something beautiful, even magical!  I can almost hear him laughing to himself as he flits from flower to flower.  "Look at me, look at me!  Look at beautiful me!  I never knew how wonderful my life could be!  But then, He touched me!  He touched me, and made me whole..."

That's us - you and me!  On our way to becoming butterflies all are we!  Hang on.  He is making us into something beautiful!

It's Gonna Be Alright...

I love the childlike beauty of this artwork and the simple message of faith and hope that is in the music by Sara Groves.   This is for all of you who are going through a crisis, large or small, that shocks you at times and at other times scares you half to death. Holding on to Faith is sometimes hard to do when we're scared, or sick, or out of a job, or grieving the loss of someone we love.   In those moments of fear and dread of what's coming next, how much we need the faith of friends and family to surround us and lift us up in prayer to the Source of our Hope and Strength. Because, sometimes, we're just too weak to do it on our own. Scripture Reference: 1 Peter 5:7  NKJV "CAST ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM, FOR HE CARES FOR YOU."