"A blessing is anything that drives us closer to God."

What if the blessing isn't stability, stuff or serenity? What if the blessing is God himself.

In Tenderness

In tenderness He sought me

Weary and sick with sin
And on His shoulders brought me back to His fold again
While angels in His presence sang,
until the courts of heaven rang.

Can we just talk about this simple truth "there is love that came."

Straining to see people in the dim lighting of Falls Park my heart sank when I didn't see anyone.

But then it skipped a beat when I realized the girl sitting hunched over in tears in the center of the circle was who I had come to find.

I made a wide half circle around the group.

"I thought she said she was alone?" 

"Maybe it's not her?" 

Inching closer, I realized it was her.

"Why have I never taken a self defense class before" 

"I think I can take out the small one... oh he's not small he's hunched over.... never mind"

"Why do I only have my taser when it's light out and I'm in a safe place!"

"I think their praying... I think strangers are praying over her!" 

"People who pray don't kill people right..." 

Slipping past one of the people encircling her I sat on the wet fountain edge next to her.

Realizing not one head was lifted, the prayers of the saints were flooding from strangers lips covering my sweet friend and lifting to heaven.

They were strangers to her too, just four Christians passing by when the Spirit told them to stop and pray with a stranger. 

Extravagant love pursued one daughter when she felt like she walked in darkness.

Love that came for just one who felt like she had wandered from the fold. 

Just a walk, but perfectly planned so that one in despair would cross with four willing to speak truth and pray in the name of the one who breaks the chains of despair. 

He whispered to assure me: "I've found thee; thou art Mine"

I never heard a sweeter voice, it made my aching heart rejoice.

For years my greatest fear has been to be loved and then abandoned. "True love casts out all fear" That was above and beyond my understanding. True love, in my mind, did just the opposite it brought with it a powerful fear, "If I truly love, then my heart is left open to hurt and scars. Only those you love can hurt you, if you didn't love you would care about their absence, broken promises, miscommunications, death, hurt when they hurt, fear when they fear, or the like."

The what if's and dangerously real threats of pain that affection and deep relationships brought with them have made me stiff arm when I should have embrace and put on a facade when called to be transparent.

This week, absently listening to my play list while I ran through down town, these lyrics almost took my breath away: 

"There is love that came fore us/ You came to seek and save the lost."

It hit me "there is love that came."

Reveal in this for a moment, where you may have earned love but it is unable or refused to stay.

Love that you never could have enticed or manipulated to come, came.


Love that comes every morning:

"God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
    his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
    How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
    He’s all I’ve got left." Lamentations 3:22-24

As you walk through your day, do you know what trails behind you:

"Your beauty and love chase after me
    every day of my life." Psalm 23:6

What promise this love that came makes:

“This exile is just like the days of Noah for me:

    I promised then that the waters of Noah
    would never again flood the earth.
I’m promising now no more anger,
    no more dressing you down.
For even if the mountains walk away
    and the hills fall to pieces,
My love won’t walk away from you,
    my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.”    The God who has compassion on you says so." Isaiah 54:9-10

There is love that came very tangibly through four strangers that night in the park. 

There is love that came in the mundane, to shepherds and sheep. 

There is love that came in power, I mean bring breath back into his own lungs! 

There is love that comes in our mundane moments. 

Love that comes in power when death seems to reign. 

Love that we can tangibly give with out fear.

He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me.

You know the beautiful display full of colorful petals, plump, budded, aromatic blossoms Whole Foods sets out, right in front of the door?

A few Wednesdays ago, I pushed my cart full of weekly grocery necessities past that very stand.

I walked past them slowly contemplating picking up a bright arrangement.

But I couldn't justify it.

I just couldn't.

Pouting I walked away full of self pity.

How embarrising that, that was my reaction.

But it was. 

The Spirit very gently reminded me that my heart was treading on a slippery slop, but I didn't care.

Have you ever had a moment like that?

You know you're wrong, but something inside of you screams that the real crime is the standard  of right and wrong.

"I'm much more content than so many people. I expect very little, and I can't even have what little I expect." 

Oh the yuck that something beautiful like a masterly displayed arrangement full of creation can reveal in my heart. 

Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! 

I can't even tell you if my heart had truly relinquished the self pity, and was pure in what I prayed.
 
But pushing past the display of lushness I thought:
"I just wish you gave flowers Jesus, not like in a field but in an actual bouquet." 

Silly? If only you heard all of the things I told Jesus. This would be among the least ridiculous.

On the way home I kept thinking about the bundles of colorful delight and my bratty attitude.

Ashamed I repented and moved on to other things.

Coming into work the next morning I walked around the corner to find coffee.

On a metal push cart sat almost a dozen green vases with cream colored carnations, soft pink roses, mint kissed hydrangeas, white daises and fresh greenery.

"Who are all of these for?" I hollered down the hall

"The admins, pick one." 

 If I had been alone I wouldn't have fought the lump in my throat.

My bratty attitude, my ungratefulness, my pride.

But there I stood in the hall, with not just any arrangement in my hands but my favorites.

The beauty of the Psalm flooded me.

Don't skip this part read it carefully, savor the amazing sweetness of what David says:

This is too much, too wonderful—    I can’t take it all in!
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!. Psalm 139

The creator stepped in to give His creature something wonderful. 

 

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works."

How does he work? He the Creator, stepped into his creation to save those bent on His destruction.


"Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." Matthew 6:25-33 the message

After my show of ridiculousness the one who had just made the sun get up and shine, and watch each raven fall, all while being glorified by creatures and elders. Gave me a bouquet of flowers.

He loves. He loves. He loves me.

So many ways He could have reminded me. But that day such a sweet, tender way was used.