I’m too practiced at pretense…
the Christian game…
of smattering paint on our surface…
to disguise the cracks and the flaws.
I share much of them here, but still conceal them in public.
And I’m wondering why…
we just don’t admit our broken…
to all the other brokens…
and why we (I) even try to do so with Our Lord.
Thank You God…
#920… for finding me when I hide
#921… for loving me even though You know every dark and broken and undeserving fragment of my whole
#922… for making it so I have no need to fear admitting my broken to You
I’m sorry I don’t have the compassion and love for the broken things You do.
Sometimes it’s there.
I had it when I saw this…
But shouldn’t I always?
#923… that You love me broken…
in degree and manor…
no less than You will…
then when I’m eternally restored.
#924… that You are never without Grace, and that You. Are. Love.
#925… that You never conceal the dagger behind the smile.
#926… that You never have loved, nor ever do love…
a single one of us who never fails, never disappoints…
because there just aren’t any.
#927… for Your love, reflected in the intentions and actions of so many I know. It’s like sunrise, all pretty and miraculous, and spreading like angel wings.
And it’s Memorial Day…to remember those who have died to protect us.
#928… for those who gave their life for me, without knowing me.
And for the first time today, it strikes me that I should also remember, on this day, the war that rages from eons past, against the enemy that would have us all dead – or damned.
If I nod to face of history…
should I not nod as well…
to the face of eternity…
and to that war…
and to its Hero.
Thank You God…
#929… for being our Champion. Without You we didn’t stand a chance.
And to remember the “cloud of witnesses” fighting on our behalf.
sourceI believe in angels who battle constantly for our eternal freedom.
Don’t you?
So…
for the angelic soldiers….
#930… thank you for not giving up, not giving in…
continuing to fight the enemies we can’t see.
#931… for foiling their plans, undoing snares and traps.
#932… for keeping at bay the evil ones that attempt…
minute by minute,
and day by day,
to disturb our lives…
and slay our souls.
Saying thank you God with Ann today
as I have every Monday since I began blogging
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
What a lovely way to record your gifts! Poetry is not my gift at all, but I enjoy reading others’!
Thanks for sharing!
Mary Beth
newlifesteward.com
Mary Beth, poetry isn’t my gift either – I think I’ve developed some sort of hybrid kind of writing – part poetry – part prose – it’s kind of developing itself as I go along ツ thank you – and God bless and keep you.
I so love everything in your list! The one that resonates with me the most is 921. I share in your thanks. Blessings to you!
every piece – HE knows every piece – amazing that he has that kind of love. God could be all-powerful – and that would be well and good all on its own but HE’S love too – and makes him really, REALLY special.
Thank you Christina – God bless you my friend
It’s just a matter of becoming Velveteen Rabbit Real. You come to life. But it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a long time to become Real. The transformational process can take years. One of the prerequisites is to receive a revelation of how deeply you are loved just as you are, no matter how broken and shabby you may be. In fact, the more tattered and bruised the more beautiful in God’s eyes because he longs to turn you into a whole creature that can dance and leap and whirl.
“the more tattered and bruised the more beautiful in God’s eyes because he longs to turn you into a whole creature that can dance and leap and whirl.” that sounds a little like something our Lord would say – although not nearly so poetic as you have. (no offense God ツ) I think we need to say this whole thing about the transformational process that might take years to brand-new Christians who might expect it to be a magical all at one thing – I know 27 years ago. That’s what I thought – and look – it’s still going on ツ thank you, Debra God bless and keep you!
Craig, you are one of God’s most precious. Do you know how deeply you are loved?
All those stages of growth and transformation we’ve experienced are worth it.
Religion made me like those mechanical toys, harsh and unfeeling Do you remember that quote from the Velveteen Rabbit? “What is Real?”
the answer to your first question, Debra – in short, I believe the answer is no. Loved by God? Without question – constantly and brilliantly. But it still excepting that other people can love me – broken – failed – a nobody – that’s the hard to grasp and hold. And second, I never read The Velveteen Rabbit – I know the story – but who’s got time to read books – I don’t even have enough time to read the blogs that I heart. God bless you, Debra – and thank you my friend.
When the Velveteen Rabbit asked the Skin Horse, “What is real?” The Skin Horse replied,
“Real isn’t how you’re made… It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child ( enter Christ) loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real…It doesn’t happen all at once…You become. It takes a long time.
“That’s why it doesn’t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real, you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
Well, it’s taken a while – and they certainly don’t look fancy anymore – but it DOES seem that I’m REAL. God bless you, Debra.
Hiding…I think of Adam and Eve thinking they could hide from God. Are we any different? I’m thankful too that he finds us, that we can desire to be found by him…
Thanks for your transparency, Craig. It helps heal us all and bind us together. You’re still connecting.
still connecting – but for me, connecting is still so much work – God still has SO MUCH work he’s doing on me, and in me, and through all the people I meet – and through reading words like yours – and yes – connecting. Thank you. Lisa, and their IS no hiding from God – but hiding from people? That one I still need work on. God bless and keep you!
I love that Jesus is our Champion–yay!!! And I’m finding transparency to be more and more freeing, as I keep wading out into deeper water–after all, He’s got my hand, what’s the worst that could happen? By the by, I like your “hybrid style”–lovely (no pun intended). God bless you Big today! love, sis Caddo
it IS a hybrid style isn’t it!!!! I didn’t used to write like this – and I didn’t even write like this when I began blogging – it’s just sort of developed on its own – I like the way it looks – I like the way it reads – and it reads the way I think – and apparently I’ll be keeping it (◠‿◠) so thank you for liking it! I’m glad we share the same Champion – God bless and keep you my friend!