Thoughts Before a Morning Run

Amidst the frenzied activity of the week, taking time to reflect and be still is often like a drink of fresh water. As we usher in the New Year this weekend, I encourage you to reflect on God's deep love for you and His faithfulness toward you, even in difficult circumstances. Only He can provide you with a sense of worth this year, or any time. The poem below was born out of a difficult time in my life, one where God showed me His courage, strength, love, and patience in a way that I hadn't previously experienced. Enjoy.


Lord, how many mornings? 
Let my sensitivity to you 
be sharp and flavorful, 
drenched in joy, peace, 
a strengthened will, 
Love. 

If I appear low, 
let it be in love. 

If I am trepsing a mountain's edge, 
barely trying to catch my dad, 
let it be in love. 

You quieted a little, 
African owl, 
Your love is so great. 

Saying to fear, 
You deceitful bag of air! 
I have and hold these, 

My own. I care tenderly for them. 
They know me, hear my voice. 
A voice of love that casts away all fear. 

In that demon's mold, 
instead lies a hope, 
rooted and established in love, 

It grows and changes, 

deepens and listens, 
opens hungry mouths to satisfy 
a muse for a dancer, 
an inspired measure for a musician. 

A tree so tall it greets the man in the moon, 
whom I was so intrigued to have met, 
from the tops of my dad's shoulders, 
on a turquoise summer night. 

Yet that height is even too short, 
he is a mere pit stop, 
left behind as this tree grows, 
soaring, roots shooting beyond, 
the earth's most southern axis. 

A tree which bore so much, 
taking unto death that which 
was meant for real, knowable life. 

And the wind about the tree, 
ensconces each leaf and branch, 

'Abba,' their hearts whisper back, 
We see you. 
We hear your voice. 
We cry out, 'Love that is great.' 
'And your palm will yet remain true.' 

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, a place I love to hike with my dad.
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Thought I would Share...

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I read this lovely little blurb tonight while working on some dance ministry homework, and thought I would share. Clumsy at times, I can definitely relate to breaking vases, or really anything else for that matter. Hope this gets the wheels turning, beginning to think about God's love:

God's Transforming Power
Once whilst traveling I found a lovely oriental jar in a market. It was beautiful and I knew it would go wonderfully in our home. I took great care of it, carrying it with me in the plane so it wouldn't break. As we stepped out of the taxi in front of our home, I placed it carefully on the ground. As I turned after getting the other bags, I promptly trod on it. I heard that dreadful tinkling noise that meant of course that it was broken into many pieces. I was so disappointed but stayed up late into the night piecing it back together. My husband couldn't see the point of going to so much trouble to fix it; however, he hadn't chosen it, or carried it, or loved it.

Even though over the years you can see the glue marks, it still serves as a reminder to me of our brokenness and of God's love in putting the pieces back together. Left alone the human spirit is like a piece of that jar, shattered and useless. But in God's eyes it seems to be a picture of our wholeness.
-Author Unknown

So this got me thinking about how great God's love really is. And then, I realized that His love transcends merely 'putting the pieces back together.' If compared to a jar, vase, or pot, those who are in Christ actually become entirely new jars, vases, or pots! New creations, in other words. God's ability to (re)create, renew, refresh, restore, and more absolutely astonishes me. I can hardly begin to get to the bottom, or top, or sides of this kind of love, but I do know that it's worth swimming in. Just a thought. Feel free to share any comments, thoughts, etc, below.