Unyielding Love

 

I lay them down at Your feet, Lord,
My worries and my cares.
I know I tend to take them back,
When I’ve said my prayers.
 
This time I plan to just let go
And leave them in Your hand.
That’s how I see it in my mind,
The way I have it planned.
 
I bet You’re laughing in heaven
At my bold, well laid plan.
You know me well enough to know
Planning does not mean can.

 
I know that You know what is best,
Your sight exceeds my own,
And I know that I trust You first.
At least that much, I’ve grown.
 
Now I need to put in practice
What I’ve said I will do,
And leave them in the hands of Him
Who’s love will see me through.
 
Thank You for loving me so much
That, even when I flinch,
Your love is still unceasing, and
It does not yield an inch.
 
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
 
1 Peter 5:7
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Rejoicing While I Wait

 

I’m stumbling in the dark tonight,
I need to hear Your voice
Before I can begin to write.
Until then, I’ll rejoice.
 
When a day’s pace is at high speed,
I sometimes cannot hear
Over the noise in my own head.
Yet, You’re still always near.
 
So, while I wait to hear Your voice,
I’ll sing a song of praise.
For You are always listening,
Even on my worst days.
 
Thank You for waiting patiently
Until my mind is clear
Enough to recognize Your voice
Speaking where I can hear!
 
Acts 17:27
that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
 
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Being A Nurse Tree

 

My heart’s been broken more than once,
And some wounds never heal,
But, when I lean upon His grace,
His love is all I feel.
 
I may never be whole again,
Yet, I’ve the faith to know
That, however broken I was,
I can help others grow.
 
I can assure the little ones
Who follow after me
Learn how to live and how to grow
To be all they should be.
 
I can help them to grow deep roots
Planted in God’s own Word
And teach them how to reach for Him,
To never be deterred.
 
It’s as if God sees beyond those
Broken places in me.
He knows the strengths that rest beneath
The scars that I still see.
 
The nurse tree in the old forest
Gives root to the new tree,
And it will grow to fill the place
Where she once used to be.
 
Yet, it could not grow without her
To help it get its start,
And that’s what I can offer to
Those rooted in my heart.  
 
Thank You for seeing what I missed,
What I still need to do,
Help my family tree’s new shoots  
Grow strong, rooted in You.
 
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
 
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Blessed To Serve

You’ve blessed me with so much to do,
Helping those that I love.
It keeps me focused on life’s joy
And not its push and shove.
 
It doesn’t matter that I run
So fast I fear I’ll fall,
Because nothing delights me more
Than answering their call.
 
Thank You for seeing my calling
Is helping where I can.
It’s as if You made me for this,
Like it’s part of Your plan.
 
Thank You for giving me this chance
To help those I love so,
And for the heart that loves to serve,
Which You chose to bestow.
 
1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:
 
Philippians 2:3
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

We Gather To Praise Him

 

We gather to sing the Lord’s praise,
Acknowledging the grace
That never fails to lead us through
Even the darkest place.
 
The mercy that will not condemn
Those who cry out to Him,
The light that never fails to shine
When all our hopes grow dim.
 
The love that sacrificed it all
That we might be redeemed,
Then rose again to prove His might
Was greater than it seemed.
 
We gather that we might draw near
To Him before His throne,
And rejoice in the ceaseless love
He offers to His own.
 
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
 
Lamentations 3:22-23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Even The Smallest Wonders

 

How vast is all of creation,
Each facet formed by You.
The heavens stretch beyond our sight,
The ocean depths do, too.
 
I am in awe of such grandeur,
Resplendent in display.
Yet, I’m awed also by all those
Small things I see each day.
 
A leaf opening up in spring,
The butterfly in flight,
And even an old spider web
Marked by mist and soft light.
 
I do rejoice in Your great works,
But, too, Lord, in the small,
For I know, in Your loving grace,
You formed them, one and all.
 
Psalm 104:24
O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
 
Romans 11:36
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Yours Is The Peace

 

I’m grateful that the world keeps me
Tasked with so much to do,
But, more than that, I’m glad I have
A quiet place with You.
 
The crazy pace of every day
Assures I can still run,
And run I will back to Your peace
When each wild day is done.
 
Please keep my eyes fixed on the prize
Of serving as You’ve asked,
While holding to Your perfect peace
Till I’ve done as I’m tasked.
 
Then let me rest within that peace
And praise You, heart and soul.
Yours is the peace I’ll always need,
You alone make me whole.
 
1 Peter 5:7
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
 
Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Working Like A Swallow

Work and worry go hand in hand,
And their impact can be
A burden weighing heavily
On simple folks like me.
 
Yet, if I choose to work with joy,
Each little task or chore
Can be a blessing beyond words
knowing what lies in store. 
 
It helps me to keep this in mind,
That all the work I do,
Is to be done with the same joy
I’d have working for You.

 

Whether the task is menial
Or of vast importance,
I want to work diligently,
Not leaving things to chance,
 
If I am to serve here on earth
With the same love You shared,
Then I must work harder than most.
For You left nothing spared.
 
If Your eye’s on the sparrow, Lord,
Then that’s what I will be.
Building and feathering life’s nest,
While singing joyfully.

 

I’m not looking for great reward
For the labor I do,
But that my work, done joyfully,
May bring delight to You.
 
I’ll never be able to do
The work You did down here,
But, when I work with joy and praise,
I always feel You near.
 
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
 
Psalm 128:2
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. 

In Faith, Not Doubt

 

I stood upon the windy shore
And watched the waves rush in.
Unrelenting in their fierce quest,
To sweep the beach again.
 
It’s easy to stand there and know
That each day those great waves
Will sweep back down upon the shore,
But knowing never saves.
 
Now that which we can clearly see
Is His work on display,
But faith is trusting when He says
What’s unseen’s on its way.
 
That’s not an easy thing to do
When you stand in the storm,
But He’s calmed the waves more than once.
Let faith become your norm.
 
For that which we cannot yet see,
Is a promise away.
He’s standing by you on that shore,
He hears you when you pray.
 
The answer isn’t always as
We see it in our mind,
But if He says it’s on its way,
It will be there to find.
 
Lift up your praise and call to Him,
Asking within His will.
Then don’t be too surprised to see
The tempest growing still.
 
Psalm 107:29
He made the storm to be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
 
James 1:6
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Heed The Warning Signs

Loud thunder starts to fill the sky,
And I will not complain,
For it is heralding the chance
Of some much needed rain.
 
There were some other hints of rain,
But I took little note.
They were so quiet I ignored
Those hints. They seemed so rote.
 
I realized, about the time
Those thunder clouds rolled in,
That we tend to give the same heed
To the warnings of sin.
 
They’re often quiet, those warnings,
And temptation is sweet.
If we don’t stay ever alert,
They’ll land right at our feet.
 
The voices and the choices of
Sin we will face on earth
Are so destructive to our souls,
While carrying no worth.
 
Don’t miss the small signs that appear,
Before it is too late.
There’s no use in barring the door
Once sin is through the gate.
 
So, while we need the rain that comes
Thundering though the skies,
Against the sin that slinks on in,
Keep guard with watchful eyes.
 
Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
 
Proverbs 14:16
One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.