Some mornings facing the day is scary.
My heart races as I lie in bed, the alarm glowing green in the dark. It’s time to go. It’s time to peel myself up and out of the cocoon – blankets and baby boys’ soft yielding limbs that are tangled up in mine.
I lie still, slowly gathering my courage. Pulling it around my shoulders like an afghan.
Peace, I must pray for peace. Focus and discipline, I must pray for discipline. Hope, I must pray for hope. But the words are a mirage – they are not the source of courage.
The source turns out to be a man I have never seen with my eyes only with my heart.
When I find him, he is burly. Strong forearms of a craftsman. Hands, calloused and rough. Big and strong. He is walking slowly forward – deliberate. And there is peace in his wake. Love, hope, peace. And unexpected joy. I reach out. I reach out my small worried hand and it fits deep into his palm. I feel his fingers wrap hard around mine. He pulls me forward.
We walk together.
Thank you. Just, thank you. There really are no other words.
I am the thankful one – to learn to cling to the person and not the words – can’t tell you how long that’s taken me to figure out. But when I slowly began, oh goodness, the difference? Sooo thankful for it!
So true! That’s what I’m working on now myself. Well said!
beautiful! He is a safe place, isn’t He?
Oh He is, He really really is.
Oh to trust His Hands! When words fail, He does not. I feel your Mama’s heart. :)
He is truly the ever present strength and support.
‘a bulwark never failing.’
(does your alarm make noise or just glow?)
I love how I find HIM in my husband and those around me so that their comfort is HIS grace.
So easy to forget this. So thankful for your reminder!
this is so beautiful… it makes the entire day different when we can start it with Him.
This is beautiful… and goes hand in hand with my Bible study last night!
I seriously needed to read this right now. Thanks.
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
Oh, to walk in the strength of HIS protection.
Ginger
Ek stem saam! No matter what the challenge, He is the answer after all. I was praying those same prayers just to cope almost every day last year. I’m thankful that by His grace I’m not struggling like I was for a long time. But I’m also thankful I had that long struggle because of the intimacy I shared with Jesus through it all. I want to keep Him as my constant focus and strength now like I had then. The blessing of suffering…
Thank you for sharing your life with us~ x
thank you for being so transparent. i long to trust Him like you do.
Beautiful, comforting image!!
I love the imagery and your heart for the Lord.
Mesmerizing, as a writing should be.
Mesmerizing – mmmm, I like that. Thank you.
thank you, dear lisa-jo. I have been remembering, and then forgetting, and then re-remembering this foundational truth throughout the past weeks and months. Stretched beyond physical and emotional limits, praying for peace and hope and strength, too often neglecting to simply trust and walk with Him. I’ve struggled to come up with an appropriate or helpful image of what it means to tackle all that is before me in HIS strength…your description of Him pulling me forward, my hand enclosed in His, is perfect. Thank you.
with love, michelle (in Geneva)
Amazing. Perfect. Brought tears to my eyes.