With Arms High and Heart Abandoned: The Great Adventure

Sometimes, you can't sleep cause you just have to write about Jesus! Christ and I have been on a journey for quite some time now. He has led me past quiet waters and over raging seas. He has led me through battles and darkness. He has carried me when I am too tired to carry on. He whispers in my ear, "Joy, you are loved and I have you. Always." And my heart begins to sing in eager expectation of the life He promises me day in and day out. My best friend comes with me to climb on this world, to discover His glory, on this incredible adventure called Life that He has led me on. He brings me through the earth to show me what His Dad created, He allows me to experience Him through the beautifully broken people that litter this earth. He lets me see just how all powerful He is. He shows me through the little moments, through individuals, how He is reconciling this world to Himself. Oh how freaking blessed I am that I am allowed to see such miracles! Oh how I need Him desperately! I have His Spirit! Thank you Father! And when I live in His Spirit, He makes me a little reckless. He dares me to go where I think I can't enter and says, "I am with You always, even until the very end of the age!" (Matthew 28:20) He goes before me and teaches me the way I should go. (Psalm 143:8) It incredible that by following Him, by listening, through patience and endurance and by letting go of myself, I might know what to do, how to truly adventure through this life. There is much I do not know or understand. I am young, I haven't lived long, but my God I have lived. Living isn't happiness. It isn't getting it all right. It isn't always easy. But to live in this life, the Lord must teach me through trials and hardships and by wrecking me. Because if I live this life with any part of myself or my thoughts, I'm not really Living. For His thoughts are higher than my thoughts and His ways are higher than my ways. For as Heaven is higher than anything in this earth, so are His ways higher than my ways and His thoughts than my thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9) Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that the Lord break down any notion this world or my own sinful heart places in my mind on how to live. This is not about me. It's about Him. Thanks be to Jesus who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and who sits at the right hand of the Father! (Hebrews 12:2) The only way I can understand is to fix my eyes on the author and perfecter of my faith. And Jesus, I praise you for refining me, for killing my ideas of life and love and glory and honor. Take this broken vessel and bless it. Take me on an adventure back to You! For I shall fear not, for You have redeemed me, You have summoned me by name, I am Yours and Yours alone! When I pass through the waters, You will be with me! When I pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over me. When I go through fire, I will not be burned, the flames will not set me ablaze, for You are the Lord my God, The Holy One, my Savior. Since I am precious and honored in Your sight and because You love me, You came from Perfection to this world to save me, to save us! (Isaiah 43:1-4) And I will follow You, forever and always, You have me gripped tightly. Lord, I will try to follow Your commands, but I'm not always going to get it right. But You look at me in loving patience and tell me it's ok, that You died for that! I pray that I will never take the life you led and gave up, the pain You experienced by the people You love, the the grave You conquered, for granted. I am living this life for You and not for me. Because I have no interest in living any other way.
Lord, I pray a prayer that You will led me to the ends of this earth. I pray that You will allow me to experience the full extent of Your love. I pray that a love like that will change the coldest heart, the confused mind, the sinful world. I pray that the eyes of this world can be opened, that ears will be opened to hear You whispering, "You are loved." Despite nothing. There is no if, ands or buts. There is no clear reason because love is reason enough. You are love and you love because it is who You are. I pray that I may be transformed into someone more like You. Eradicate the fear in my heart. Lord, please, let me throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles! (Hebrews 12:1) You have called me higher, and You have called me deeper, and I will go where You will lead me Lord. Because I want nothing more than You. I have tasted and I have seen that You. Are. Good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in You (Psalm 34:8)
Lord, take me on a crazy ride to know You. Wreck me. I know how powerful this prayer is, and I know that it is only by Your Spirit that I have any amount of courage to pray it. I don't want you to challenge me. I need You to wreck me. Because knowing You is worth everything. Of that I am sure.
Lord, I don't have much strength or courage. But I give all of me to You. I give You everything. I pray that it is Your strength and courage that can anchor my soul, that can carry me through this life and teach me how to Live. Let no earthly thing ever stop me from hearing Your sweet voice, Your truth!  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:33-39)

And that is Life. You are Life. Everything else is a facade. Lord, never let my heart forget these truths. 

Lord, I want to live. I want to live in freedom, in You, in Your thoughts and ways. Teach me how. I will follow. But I might need You to hold me sometimes. To carry me, to bring me Home. I know that the things of this world, the idols and gods and temptations will not satisfy. Nothing but You. I know that if I stand back and let You lead, nothing will be able to take me away from Life, and from You. Let nothing but You hold power over me! Don't let me or any of Your children give up. Only let us give up ourselves. Give us the heart and soul and Spirit to fight. To fight for You and Your glory and Your children. 

Holy, beautiful Redeemer, I praise You! My heart is literally overflowing with such Joy that is only by You. It is the name Heaven knows me by, and I pray that I could continue to learn how to live as Your daughter not as a product of the world. Hold me tightly. And lets dance along this journey in exuberant Joy! I lift my arms and I give You everything! To You be the power and the glory forever and ever! If we died with You, we will also live with You; if we endure, we will also reign with You. If we disown You, You will also disown us; if we are faithless, You remain faithful, for You cannot disown Yourself. (2 Timothy 2:11-13) Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen! (1 Timothy 1:15-17)

And we will adventure on with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of the One who gave it all, through love and pain and brokenness and imperfection all the way into You.

Sometimes, the Silence Seems So Loud

Sometimes, the silence seems so loud.
Quiet everywhere. It flows over your body, seeps into your ears and eyes and mouth.
Silence. The lack of words. Of breath. Of life. Nothing.
Silence is unknown. Within it's clutches it holds confusion, fear, lies. But like most great and terrible things, it has a flip side. Within silence, it communicates through the lack there-of. And sometimes, it is all a great facade. Because as long a we have breath in our lungs and blood in our veins, true silence cannot be. Silence happens when we stop listening. Silence allows us to hear the hollowness of what the world has to offer. There is one who no longer remains silent. He is saying in every moment, you are loved. You are worth it. You are worth more than food or drink. You are worth more than the numbness you feel, the lying silence that pounds in your ears. You are worth more than confusion, for I did not give you a spirit of confusion. I gave you my Spirit. And when you listen, you will never be trapped in silence. For I am living and active. And I speak. And I say, you are worth it. By nothing of your own accord. I love you enough to leave perfection to come into a world of hate and lies and silence that consumes your soul. I am no longer silent but have torn the curtain down, it is torn in two! You are worth everything, my beloved child and treasure. I died to have you! And I would do it all again. To tell you with action and word and truth that you are worth more than what this world tells you to settle for. When silence pounds above your eardrums and seeps over your body, penetrating your heart, paralyzing your bones, remember. Remember my living and active word. DO NOT CONFORM ANY LONGER TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. THEN, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT YOUR FATHER'S WILL IS. MY GOOD. PLEASING. PERFECT WILL.
Sometimes, the silence seems oh so loud. Oh so undeserved. Sometimes, it seems to speak more than words. After all, silence is not only the lack of words, but an action, and as they say, actions speak far louder than words. Without action, words hold no weight. With action, they can make them unbearably heavy. But my God speaks words in truth and love, and His actions always back what He says. And He says, I sent my Great Love to be maimed and murder on tree sunk into the cold hard ground of this world that I recklessly love, all to bring you home. That's how much you're worth. Never forget in the confusion of this world who you are and what that means.
Silence may be pounding in my being, but God is an all consuming fire. And He has declared loud and clear what He thinks of me.

Heart and Soul

God knows us. He knows what we do. He knows our shame, our brokenness. He knows the lies we are told, the lies we believe. He understands our self-addiction. He understands our hopes and desires and all our baggage and sin. He sees what the world has corrupted deep inside of us. He sent Himself to understand! He left perfection and entered into a world bathed in darkness. And he yells in agony, "You are deceived! I created you blameless, perfect, holy, righteous. I created you and love you and call you Beloved! You don't believe me? I sent my own, my Son, my Love, to be murdered in the most gruesome of ways for you! To be with you! To bring you to Me, to call you home, to show you the full extent of My Love for you! This is who you are! Stop defining yourself in who you are not. I take you where you are because of who you are and you are Loved. Perfect. Blameless. Spotless. You have been covered in the blood of my love, protected in the shadow of the cross, bathed in perfection. This is who I say you are. I, the Great I Am, I who am in all, I who Love you desperately call you Loved."

You are:
Beloved, Redeemed, Held, Comforted, Satisfied, Adored, Cared For, Child, Friend, Understood, Picked up, Purified, Blameless, Righteous, Holy, Unconditionally Loved, Protected, Safe, Beautiful, Healed, Joyful, Precious, Important, Enough, Heir of the One True King.

And what is more, you did nothing to be these things. Let the Voice of the Father tell you who you are. Simply because of who He is. Don't forget this truth. You are a piece of the heart and soul of the Living God. He says you are worth it. And if ever you are told otherwise, look up and remember what He did to have you.