He Gently Leads

“Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,  In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;  He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”   -Isaiah 40:11

He will gently lead me

Through this time of sleepless nights,

With little lamb drawn close.

The Shepherd

He will gently lead me

I will not flounder, flail, flop

Or fail.

For He tends the flock.

He makes me lie in green pastures.

He leads me to still waters.

He restores my soul.

He does it gently.

So I blink and find I am on the other side

Joyfully in the flock

Surrounded by Love, lamb close and secure.

The verse from Isaiah was so encouraging to me as I was tired after a week or two of waking for teething pain back in March.  Reflecting birthed this poem.  I just happen to be in this place once again.  I spotted the tooth beginning to cut the gum just the other day.  Something about knowing the cause of the waking and the fussing makes it all SO much more bearable and me much more compassionate toward the cries of my Little Love. 

As Mother’s Day draws near I think of this poem and smile.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd has led me gently through this first year of mothering.  I am so thankful for this.  

***

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we allow ourselves to be gently led by The Good Shepherd.  May we delight in Him—rejoicing that he knows what we need; he knows what our little ones need—and trust that He will give us the strength to love them (and others too!) as follow Him in loving obedience.

Jessica :)

Eager as the Little Ones

It would seem…

The new act of parenting is as fall.

Life as it were

surrenders

dropping in dazzling color,

Fading

to a pleasing,

fallen,

crunchy brown.

Moving fast into winter—

Barren and cold and strikingly beautiful.

(Those tired smiles are genuine and true.)

Inside

the life rings grow,

the roots deepen,

The days stretch out—

Long and gray.

We long.

We hope.

We wonder.

Will spring come? 

And then…

One day it does!  Buds popping, trees leafing, sun shining, winds blowing.

We

rush

into

ALL

THIS

as

if

for

the

first

time!

Eager as the little ones who lead the way to exploring LIFE!

New and fresh and gloriously abundant again.

***

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we embrace the seasons of life in all their beauty.  As we do may we trust that God uses each with skillful purpose growing us more into the image of Christ as we allow Him to work in and through us.

Jessica :)

Freedom Calls

I wrote a poem in response to reading Isaiah 25 a few months back.  The joy and freedom seem especially appropriate to me for this Easter season.  

“The unassailable fortifications of your walls He will bring down, lay low and cast to the ground, even to the dust”  Isaiah 25:12  

I peek out from behind the citadel

In hopeful wonder, I hear His words:

“Let’s break down the walls!

Come to the feast!

(A place where the fear, the schedules, the life, the friendships

                are handed over to One who knows the way to thrive.)

Come eat! 

Come drink!

Come LIVE! 

Come enjoy! 

Come trust me with all things—the cares, the woes, the joys and sorrows, the dreams!”

Could there really be a place for me

At such a table, so full and inviting?

I hear Him now,

Freedom calls.

He says,

“Come out!”  

I pause and call,

“What if I can’t—

The locks, rusty and old. 

Will you…

Can you break me out like a maid trapped in a fairy tale?”

“Oh yes!”

He responds.

“The stones will roll at my command.”

“Then break away!

I want to sit with you at your table today!”

I say with longing delight.

A voice rumbles like thunder

The walls!

They fall down!

He is running toward me.

I am running toward Him.

We meet in His wide open arms.

He holds me close and whispers

Of the journey ahead

The way out through the rubble all around.

“Stay close!  Walk near! 

There will be nothing to fear

Though the way may be treacherous all ‘round.

In freedom, now walk!

Follow me, Dear.

You’ll know the way by My path of Light.

Ever closer you’ll shine because you are Mine.

A beacon to draw others near.

We’ll be a winsome, formidable pair

Speak to them of freedom and peace. 

Invite them to the feast.

It will be a lavish banquet—

A wedding celebration.

The guests once Lost in darkness, now Found in Light.

Those once Least, greeted joyously in places of Honor.”

“It sounds so marvelous.”

I muse.

We’ll tell the story of Love.

Then we’ll dance,

Him and me.

Evermore and evermore.

***

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we allow Christ to cause the walls of pain and hurt and sin to fall down.  May we find Him holding us steady and with Him freedom that is full of love.  May we walk with Him sharing the story of Love He has written on our hearts.

Jessica :)

P.S.  The really fun photo is courtesy of my husband and his trip to Krakow, Poland.  It is a photo from his tour of Wawel Castle.

Faithful

Most days, I spend time praying for my little “life of grace” using the Inspired to Action Prayer Calendar.  Today the attribute was faithfulness.  Faithful, God.  He is faithful.    It reminded me of this poem I crafted a few years ago while spending time reading Psalm 103:1-5 at a Last Wednesday service. 

God you are good.

So good.

Nothing escapes your notice.

Observing all

You  take care to provide for everything I need—

Right now and all eternity.

Faithful, God.

You are faithful.

I treasure you for you have done great things—

For me.

Around me.

In me.

How beautiful the works of your hands.

I marvel.

I worship you.

***

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we know God’s goodness, witness God’s faithfulness.  May we respond in worship through all we do.

Jessica :)

Wear Love

We sit side by side.  My pen is in hand to capture the thoughts we will share when we gather round loved ones to bless as two plan to become one. 

It has been eight years (this week!) since I said yes and we looked with great anticipation toward the late summer day when we would say “I do” as they do now. 

I ask what words we will speak. 

I don’t know.  He doesn’t know. 

What is it we have learned in eight years worth passing along? 

Wanting to be prepared and growing agitated I suggest we stop and pray.  He grumbles.

“Well if you don’t want to talk to God I will,” I say in a sing-song voice. 

“Nice.  You stole that line right out of my playbook,” he retorts with a smile.

“Yeah.  Well…”  I reply with a grin.

We slow and pause.  We try to get our hearts right before God.  We bring our friends before Him.

Lord, what is it that two hearts preparing to be knit together as one need to know? What have you taught us?

I share how I’m thinking of Colossians and Genesis and what it means to live in unity as one flesh before God.  He tells me he likes the sound of that.

I wonder what thoughts he has and I have no idea why he says I am better at this than he is.  He lives love so much better than I do.  He is patient with me when I exasperate…sometimes intentionally.  He steps in and does what I fail to do—from making dinner, to humility, forgiveness, and love.  He doesn’t complain. 

I have so much to learn from him.  I tell him so. 

He quips back about how he has just the verse.

“Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.”  Proverbs 21:9

I scowl. 

He tells me he would be sitting on the addition roof with his porter if he really felt that way about me.  We laugh.

With a poke, I ask him what he would say, seriously, to our friends.

He tells me his words to them would be:  Marriage takes work.  Don’t do it alone.  Live in community that will support you in loving one another.  Marriage will be the hardest thing you ever decide to do.  It will also be the best. So work at loving each other well.

I smile at his words.  They are true to the way he lives.  I also think about how they complement and fill in what it looks like, practically, when unity is lived out.  We bring out the best in one another.

“We are a good team,” I tell him.

I think about how this is as it is meant to be. 

Two people come together in love and are united as one flesh before God. 

This oneness is a mystery that He works in us as we lay down our lives (our time, our pride, our way) for one another.  It is a mystery that runs deeper than the joining of two bodies.  It is oneness of heart and purpose and vision for life together.  It comes as we seek Christ; both of us yielded and open and focused on Him, we write our story together.  And it is beautiful.

This is what we have learned to practice in eight years.

Wear love.

“So as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  Beyond all things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”  Colossians 3:12-14 (NASB)

It comes down to this, dear ones.  Put on love.

***

Grace and peace be ours in abundance as we live united in Christ by wearing love.  May we find great joy in oneness as we go where the Holy Spirit leads us.

Jessica :)