Close To Me - Re-Posted

However strong I seem to be,
My heart’s not made of stone.
Sometimes it’s harder than you'd think
To face life all alone.

There are those days when I’m so cold

And bowed beneath my load,
All I can see ahead of me
Is an unending road.

I turn my heart and hand to serve.

I love those on my path.
The dearest return love for love,
But many offer wrath.

Yet, when the sorrow smothers me,
I know that you are near,

And, when my broken heart cries out,
You whisper in my ear.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Gaps in My Memory - Re-Posted

How many times must He remind
Me of the simple fact
That I have been forgiven by
That one, unselfish act?

How many times must I be shown
His love is rich and true
Before I get it in my head
That He will see me through?

How many ways, how many times
Must He show me the way
Before I figure out that I
Should walk it every day?

And sitting down beside the path
Or veering left and right
Isn’t going to get me there
Though I may wish it might.

And yet I seem to fall a lot
And miss the path marked clear
And take the shortcuts now and then
From laziness or fear

And when I find that I am lost
And recognize my sin
I’m terrified He won’t forgive
My foolishness again

And then He takes time to remind
Me of the simple fact
That I am still forgiven by
That one, unselfish act?

A Fighter's Form - Re-Posted

Though I look mighty at first glance,

I have my weakness, too.

For all the strength you see in me,

I’m as broken as you.

But still, within me beats a heart

Whose strength comes straight from Him.

So I do not give up or quit

When life grows hard and grim.

I call upon His mighty name

And rise up in the storm,

For He gave me a servant’s heart

Within a fighter’s form.

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Beyond My Understanding - Re-Posted

I did not understand, at first,

How great a love could be,
Although I’m an eager student
Of ancient history.
 
But when I studied the grim world
Into which He was born
And came to understand the means
By which His flesh was torn,
 
I gained a clearer insight to
The love He bears for me,
A love so great that He endured
What didn’t have to be.
 
I still don’t fully comprehend
A love that strong and bright,
But, through the darkness of my sin,
I now can sense The Light.
 
1 John 4:7-8 
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

One Tear - Re-Posted

I only cried a single tear

When they gave me the news.
I vowed to keep my grief in line,
But it was just no use.
For that one tear that I let fall
Brought all its friends a long
And that would be the point at which
It started to go wrong. 
 
The one tear that I chose to cry
Brought all its rowdy kin
Who spilled across my sodden cheeks
Again and then again. 
I tried to get them all to leave,
But they stayed on too long,
And that one tear that I let fall,
That tear’s still going strong.

Psalm 31:9
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.

Love... - Re-Posted

Love

Offers itself in sacrifice

And lifts you when you’re weak;

It holds you when you need to cry

And knows just what you seek

Love

Never vacillates in its faith,

Even when yours is frail;

It puts you first in all its plans

And its strength will not fail.

Love

Is the safest place to keep

The dreams and hopes you hold,

For you’re more precious in its world

Than riches of pure gold.

1 Corinthians 13:4

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Time to Pray - Re-Posted

When I'm trapped in difficult days,

And trouble comes my way,
I take the time to bow my head,
To close my eyes and pray. 

I ask the Lord to keep me near,
Tucked up under His wing.
Then, even in the hardest times,
I’ll still have cause to sing. 
 
For though the chaos of this world 
Swirls round me every day,
I've found that I can stay in peace
When I take time to pray.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

By Grace, Through Faith - Re-Posted

How mighty are we, in our eyes,

And yet how small, in fact.
We list our talents with great pride, 
Lauding each word and act.
 
But pride does not salvation bring.
That’s born only in grace,
And faith is all that leads us to
Redemption from disgrace. 
 
However mighty you may feel
There’s nothing you can do
To bring the grace of forgiveness
His life, and death, brought you. 
 
Ephesians 2:8-9 
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Continuing To Give - Re-Posted

I cannot know what broke its heart,

Shattered it to its core,
But all that’s left is a small stump
Upon the forest floor.
 
And yet, despite its broken heart,
It still has much to give,
For it offers another heart
A safe place it can live.

In Time Out - Re-Posted

I’m taking time out to be still,

To breathe in the dark night,
To wash my mind clear of the thoughts
Of what went wrong or right,
And set my focus back on You,
My truest source of light. 
 
Even when all the world is dark
Your light is bright and clear.
I never have to wonder if
You’re close enough to hear,
For each time I call out to You
I find that You’re still near.
 
So, for tonight, I’m letting go
Of all that worries me,
Because I know that this world’s woes
Will one day cease to be
And I will find them meaningless
In Your eternity.