quiddity

my soul is bare

the leaves have fallen

the winter chill and

the autumn winds

have stripped away

the covering and

left me standing naked

only the real remains

the true me with all

my flaws and frailties

there is no hiding

only being

being who i am in

all its beauty

and all its brokenness

and that's okay

to become nothing

Lord Jesus, you became nothing (Philippians 2:7) and tell me to do the same.  The problem is that I am constantly trying to become something, constantly striving to be seen and recognized.  Remind me that the real work, the work that changes lives, doesn’t involve being noticed, but is usually not seen or acknowledged by anyone.  But you see it, and that’s all that matters.  So, Lord Jesus, help me to empty myself and become nothing, so that I can be more like you.

gazing

to gaze upon the

beauty of the Lord

gazing is different

than merely looking

or glancing

it is longer and deeper

it is more profound

gazing is really seeing

it is being captured

by what is seen

it is being captivated

by what is perceived

it is beholding

intently and steadily

with great wonder

and immense pleasure

gazing upon God's beauty

calls something beautiful

out in all who partake in

the sacred practice

it leads to true delight

and real transformation

so come and gaze 

upon the beauty of the Lord

and let it have its way with you

through (part two)

the way is through

and not around

for it is in the

going through

that life and growth

are found

going around 

avoids the pain

that going through

turns into gain

even jesus had

to go through

so why should

it be any different

for me or for you

so do not begrudge it

or try to go around

it is by the hard way

that the kingdom is found

through

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.  Your rod and your staff, they comfort me?” (Ps. 23:4) As much as we all would like to go around the valley of the shadow of death, that is not usually God’s way.  We must go through it, at least at some point in our lives.  Probably repeatedly.  That is because going through the valley of the shadow produces things in us that going around it simply cannot.

We might think that the point of life is success and ease and comfort, and our strategy may be to avoid as much pain and discomfort as we possibly can.  But ease and comfort provide little food in the journey of sanctification—of us becoming all God intended us to be.  In fact, they actually work against growth and formation.  God grows and forms us by allowing us the gift of going through the valley of the shadow of death.  It is death that produces new life.  It is in that valley where we learn dependence, reliance, obedience, humility, perseverance, and surrender.

So next time you find yourself in the valley of the shadow of death, do not fear.  Do not think that God has abandoned you.  Do not try to immediately get out of it.  Instead, embrace it.  There is much to learn there.  For a wise and wonderful saint once said: “There’s no way out, only through.”  

running

running may be good

for the body but it is 

not good for the soul

the soul needs

stillness and silence

it needs space to 

grow and flourish

it needs room to 

listen and reflect

always being on the go

always needing to be

on the move

is soul eroding

and will take 

a huge toll

over time

but it's a subtle erosion

hardly noticeable if

you aren't paying 

careful attention

you just look up one day

and you're as dry as dust

comparison

the toxicity

of comparison

is soul destroying

robbing us of our

inherent value

and worth

making everyone

a threat and a rival

instead of a dearly loved

fellow human being

making us operate out of

a place of scarcity

rather than out of 

a place of abundance

which destroys life

rather than creating it