See me; Feel me; Touch me; Heal me…

 

Jeremiah 23:24 “Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?” declares the LORD “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.

I can’t begin to say how much I enjoy Taize, Thanks for hosting it Ken & Kathryn.

I want to apologize for last night if I messed it up for anyone, it’s apparent that I cannot attend one of these services without crying…

(excerpt from Phillips Craig and Dean- Great I am)
I want to be close, close to Your side
So Heaven is real and death is a lie
I want to hear voices of angels above
Singing as one

CHORUS
Hallelujah, Holy, Holy
God Almighty, the Great I Am
who is worthy, none beside Thee
God Almighty, the Great I Am

I’m not very good at praying, most of the time I fumble with my words and it just comes out a hot mess, last night was no different (or so I thought).

Isolated…

That’s as good a way as any to describe how I’ve felt the past couple of months; I didn’t feel the nearness of God as I had before and I was afraid.

What had I done? How could I fix this? Am I not worth His time?

All of these questions went unanswered until last night.

As I sat there during the period of contemplation praying and apologizing for not being able to pray very well something happened, the words with which I was struggling in my mind were replaced by the most beautifuly indescribable prayer I have ever “not heard” and it flowed into every nook and niche of my being until my eyes couldn’t contain it anymore…

I wish I could repeat it but it’s unutterable for me.

The only thing I can repeat was the answer.

He said “I see you”

I share this only because I feel someone else needed to hear those three words too.

He never left me, He never left you

Hallelujah, Holy, Holy
God Almighty, the Great I Am

Unexpected…

Prayer is not to be taken lightly, because God just may give you what you ask.

Acts 3: 4-6 Peter looked directly at him, as did John. “Look at us!” said Peter. So the man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”

I don’t think the rules of “pray for one” were explained to me correctly. The way I saw it I was to ask for God to show me someone I could share the love of Jesus with and help THEM right?
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You know, save the world n stuff..
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I did not expect my “one” to heal me…
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Quite frankly I didn’t know that I was broken(but I was).
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I won’t name names but this individual and I had a severe falling out several years ago and that is putting it mildly, it was bad enough that the police were called in. Well this person turned back up recently and sought to work for me again but not after one of the most honest and sincere heartfelt apologies, we talked of poor choices made, becoming lost and the slow path to recovery,
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You know, if you ask God to show you someone don’t think He won’t take you up on your offer if He finds the spirit willing.
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What was I to do?
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The only thing I COULD do, I showed this person the love of Christ and forgave, after all it was what I ASKED for.
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Long story short This person now works for me again but you know what really blows my mind?
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I was witness to two people getting up and walking that day…
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He by being released from the chains of regret,
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And I from the chains of anger and resentment.
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If you’ve got chains He’s a chain breaker..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGYjKR69M6U

Stick and stones…

 

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

No one has the right to make you feel worthless, not even you…

I’ll admit it; I got hooked on antique road show, it was fun to watch and guess what each artifact was worth but the big surprise was when the appraiser would turn the item over and say “see this mark here?, it was created by so and so which makes it highly sought after” and all at once what was considered a dusty old relic takes on a whole new meaning, It was just an ugly pot or so I thought, but in the hands of an artisan a simple piece of clay can become something of great value.
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Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me…
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Oh but they do, some downright sting, others you’re lucky you don’t bleed out…
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I have been labeled many things over the years; some were lies and some truth
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And if I’m to be honest I have to say I’ve had the labeler out myself and made some labels.
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When you begin to believe in the labels you lose sight of your true worth.
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Let me say this again, no one has the right- strike that- no one has the AUTHORITY to make you feel worthless, you included.
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When the Lord created you he proudly placed his mark on you forever declaring to the world that you ARE of great value.
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And I can see it.

1 Timothy 4:4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

A firm foundation

Luke 6:48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

This brought a smile to my face!

I went to a new jobsite earlier this morning, while I was waiting on the contractor I happened to look down at the floor and saw one of these verses written on it, curious I began looking throughout the house and found verse after verse written on the floor in permanent marker. As I Wandered from room to room I found myself thinking about how many other workers did just as I did, looking and wondering.

This brought up a memory of a post I made back in January about the Pharos Lighthouse, there is an interesting story about the designer of that lighthouse that goes like this:

The lighthouse’s designer is believed to be Sostratus of Knidos (or Cnidus), though some sources argue he only provided the financing for the project. Proud of his work, Sostratus desired to have his name carved into the foundation. Ptolemy II, the son who ruled Egypt after his father, refused this request, wanting only his own name to be on the building. A clever man, Sostratus supposedly had the inscription:

SOSTRATUS SON OF DEXIPHANES OF KNIDOS ON BEHALF OF ALL MARINERS TO THE SAVIOR GODS

chiseled into the foundation, then covered it with plaster. Into the plaster was carved Ptolemy’s name. As the years went by (and after both the death of Sostratus and Ptolemy) the plaster aged and chipped away, revealing Sostratus’ dedication.

So here I am standing in a brand new house, looking at the word of God laid into the foundation of this family’s home, soon to be covered up only to be revealed at some later date…

A firm foundation indeed.

P.S. I’ll let you guess in which room each verse was written

Opportunity

I’m just going to say, wow!

When you prayed for “one” and the one He showed to you wasn’t the “one” you wanted.

You took a pass and asked for another…

When he said “come, take up my yoke” and “my burden is light” He didn’t say “you don’t have to put forth any effort”

What He said is “I won’t let you go at it alone”

That “one” you passed up as too hard to deal with?

Give them a second look, there was a reason He chose that “one” first.

Don’t miss the opportunity.

Regrets Only

Regrets Only

For admiring the painting and not knowing the artist wanted to meet you.

For pulsing with joy and never realizing
there was a source.

For tasting the sweetness and the savor
and not thinking to ask who made it so good.

For longing for love and not dreaming
that love was longing for you.

For remembering that an invitation came
and not being able to recall what exactly you did with it.

For walking by an open door and never wondering when would be closing time.

Near Hartwell House,

Aylesbury, England

September 30, 2003

Accidental Pharisee

 

Galatians 6:4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.”

The video I posted earlier (See it here) finally helped me understand a few things I have been trying to work out.

Somehow I got hung up on the idea of “abiding” actually, fixated might be a better word because I was relentless in my pursuit of understanding what it meant to abide in Christ.

It wasn’t a problem at first you know…

Innocently I would compare my “growth” to others or my lack thereof and that was sort of ok I thought, but then I started to compare what others didn’t do.

I had this guy,

He turned up in my office on a Saturday about a month ago, he was homeless and I’ll say it right now I have a heart for people in this situation so when he asked if I could help him I just said “sure” I gave him some food, Gatorade and water that I had in my fridge and yes, I gave him a small amount of money. He asked if I could give him directions to a shelter which of course I was happy to do. As we talked he explained how he ended up in such a state, how he was fretful of his appearance and having to beg and he said “you know what hurts the most? Nobody will trust me because of how I look”. I prepared to see him out the door and he turned back and just hugged me and said “thank you for believing in me” and off he went. I thought could this guy be my “one”? Over the next few weeks he would turn up, ask for water, use the phone, and talk about not being able to find employment.

Well I can fix that!

I took the next step

When he turned up again bumming I said to him “I don’t have any money but I can put you to work right now and I offered him a full time job, to this he said “I need to go and find something to eat I’ll be right back”.

He didn’t return…

He did eventually come back a week later and asked me if I could “help him” flabbergasted I said “I tried to help you I offered you a job, that’s the best help I had!”

Annnd, he left.

I tried to fix him; my way.

Didn’t he want to get better?

But he didn’t need fixing.

So much for my “one” the I told you so’s are still ringing in my ears.

It’s so easy to compare ourselves to others and I fell for it, the Ole “I’m doing better than that guy” (when really I wasn’t).

I’ve only just started this walk, and while I’ve seen others traveling along the same path I failed to see that we didn’t all step on the same stones getting to the same place,

Each one of us has a personal struggle we deal with every day

It’s not a failing,

It’s an overcoming “in progress”.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

The cats in the cradle

Lukas Graham 7 years

Psalm 39:4-5 “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered–how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

I am a craftsman, I work with my hands and I can make all kinds of things from wood or steel…

But I can’t make time.

Soon I’ll be 60 years old

Lord please help remind me to spend my time more wisely.

Unconditionally

 

1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

I was blessed this past Monday to receive a gentle reminder of something that was taken from me and has since been restored to me through Jesus Christ.

I attend a men’s bible study every Monday night. During the class our leader has been routinely asking for volunteers to serve in the children’s ministry for one night due to a shortage of help over the past several weeks. Let me be candid when I say I did my best to avoid the request, not out of fear (well maybe a little) it was more like I didn’t feel adequate to the task.

But that’s not what 2 timothy 3:17 says does it?

2 Timothy 3:17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

As it turned out my group leader called me Sunday evening to say that two of the guys scheduled to help the children’s ministry had to back out last minute and he wondered if I might consider stepping up to help out. I am fairly certain there was a voice in my head screaming NO! This isn’t something you can possibly do you are a freaking introvert! But another voice very confidently said “sure”, I hung the phone up slightly dumbfounded “where did that come from?”

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Monday evening arrived and I found myself somehow calm, I wasn’t sure if it derived from inner peace or resignation to what I had gotten myself into but mentally I was doing OK. All of us volunteers were lead to the building where the kids classes were and wouldn’t you know it I was assigned to the kindergarten and 1st grade class… (I’ve been told it’s like herding cats when dealing with a class of young kids)

Trepidation turned into celebration as I sat with the kids and watched their eagerness to share their memorized verses and homework questions. During the class I made friends with a little guy named Brayden, he had forgotten his bible so we were sharing mine, I sat and listened to him reading scripture to me pausing once in a while to ask the meaning of certain words. He asked me all sorts of questions that were on his thoughts; he was so full of curiosity! Just like me…

Just seeing the unconditional love in them, in that moment I thought “I have been thoroughly equipped”.

Jesus did so by restoring love in me.

We were given love when we first entered this world, our first experience was love. We loved everything, the rain, the bugs, other kids, it didn’t matter we loved just because.

Then somewhere along the way love became a reward and when we didn’t receive the reward?

We learned hate…

Love became conditional and hate became unconditional.

Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

I was there…

Until Jesus restored what was taken from me and said, “It’s OK to love again, abide in me I am your reward”.

Romans 12:9-10 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

I am relearning how to love without reason and it is so intoxicating!