Taking a leap of faith

Welcome. So pleased you have joined me.
Are you ready for a s-t-r-e-t-c-h? Go on, you know it will do you good. A physical stretch eases our limbs and a mental one fires up the brain.

After all, isn't life all about change and challenges? Or are they just for the brave - or foolhardy - few? It takes an element of faith to rise to a challenge and to see it through.

 We all exercise faith on a daily basis, to some degree or other, as we trust the world around us to operate as it should.

Chairs are meant to be sat in, right?

I am taking a leap of faith here in sharing my words ~ actually every time I press 'Publish' I require nerves of steel that someone will read, and hopefully enjoy, the message I am sharing.

One of the greatest challenges that faces us is also one of life's greatest pleasures: loving and being loved in return.

It opens us up to the possibility of heartache, despair, rejection and loss, as well as to a potential for joy and delight beyond measure.

Because loving and being loved is one of our primary reasons for existence. We were all created as unique individuals, crafted by God's loving hand, in order to know and be in relationship with Him. God is the Only Person Who loves us unconditionally and without measure.

As we draw near to the Christmas period we have great opportunity to reflect on just who Jesus is and why He came into the world.

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life" ~ John 3:16 The Message

Jesus said:"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." ~John 15:9

Yet we can struggle to accept not only that we are loved, but that we might even be lovable to someone else. Perhaps our upbringing and family life failed to affirm that necessary message to us or being hurt by other people may have made a serious dent in our ability to believe it. 

Once our hearts have been crushed or broken they may feel beyond repair. How do we learn to love again when we feel unlovable? 

Our poor self-image and imperfections can lead us to feel unworthy of receiving love or even incapable of giving it away freely to others.

What we are lacking ourselves (or feel as if we do) can become a stumbling-block in reaching out that may even be hidden from us until it really matters. Then we wonder what is stopping us from giving and receiving equally. Most of us long for an experience such as this:

"Oh the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts, nor measure words, but to pour them all out just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away" ~ George Eliot

My relationship with God is a safe harbour like this, as He takes the worst of what I am, deals with the bad and does everything to promote and encourage the good. There is such comfort and freedom in being able to pour out all that I am and all I am going through and know He cares, understands and has every ability to bring about the necessary changes.

 His word also tells us -

"The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" ~ Psalm 34:18

God meets with us right where we are. We don't have to clean up our act before coming to Him. He longs to do the same for all of us  -  if we would only allow Him access.

Sometimes He has to do a healing work in us before we can believe we are lovable. Past emotional conflict and pain can stand in the way.

Are we ready to exercise our faith in The Only Person Who will always love and be there for us ?

Are we ready to take that leap?

A Prayer
Dear Father,
How our hearts weigh heavy at times as we long to be able to be loved and to give love to others. Yet so many things can get in the way. We may not feel worthy or capable. We may lack the resources emotionally to be open and trusting. 

It can feel scary to let another person see the 'Real Me' behind the masks we wear to try to fit in and seem like everyone else, even though we may feel isolated, lost and alone in our differences.

Yet, You made each one of us unique and special. We have gifts and abilities to share.There are no Outsiders in your kingdom of grace. Help us to see ourselves as we are In Christ and as You see us - Accepted, Beloved, Chosen.

Then do the necessary work within our hearts to enable us to be healed, at peace with You, with ourselves and with one another, set free to love and be loved as you planned for us to be.
Thank you.
Amen.

Out of my depth

Have you been out of your depth recently? I have. It is easy to feel swamped and overwhelmed.

My tendency - even as an M.E sufferer - is to rush (OK metaphorically speaking) into things with both feet, arms flailing, legs akimbo. What I may lack in skill I more than make up for in enthusiasm as I eagerly bound into new things, straining at the leash with puppyish delight. Let me at it!

The I surface - red faced and breathless - left choking and spluttering while the more experienced people dive in smoothly and swim around in a seamless, steady, effortless, professional and efficient fashion. They look so graceful and confident. Life is easy for them. At least that's how it seems. Oh, how I long to BE THEM.

Why am I always the one left slinking off to the shallow end, desperately searching for something to hold on to while I recover my breath and try to feel the surface beneath my feet again? 

What started out looking comparatively easy and straightforward has brought too many challenges to deal with by myself. Or what looked too difficult becomes something I try to ignore and avoid doing.

Perhaps I'm not alone?
Maybe someone else can relate to feeling like:

• A failure
• Procrastinator
• Inadequate
• Hopeless

Sometimes life can cause us to react like this if:

• Waves of worry have sunk us into a fit of depression
• Tides of terror stalk our days and nights as fear knocks us sideways
• Streams of sorrow engulf and threaten to drown us
• Ripples of resentment or regret filter continually through our minds
• Crustaceans of comparison have stolen our joy

Our tendency may be to run away from our problems when waves of crisis or difficulty loom on the horizon. No matter if we subsequently suffer from more difficulties and frustrations later on as a consequence of our immediate cowardice or procrastination.
Guess what?

Such feelings are more common than we think - especially with things we ought to rather than choose to do.

In fact, the Bible has a great example in the book of Jonah. When he tried to run away from the clear challenge God had presented to him of preaching His word of repentance to the people of Nineveh, his life became far more complicated and dangerous as a result. He ended up in the belly of a great fish:

"Lord..You hurled me into the deep,

into the very heart of the seas,

and the currents swirled about me;

all your waves and breakers swept over me.

The engulfing waters threatened me,

the deep surrounded me;

seaweed was wrapped round my head" ~ Jonah 2:3, 5

He was someone who felt resentful and overwhelmed by the commission he was given and chose to follow his own instincts rather than the path that God had chosen for him.

Yet God showed Jonah grace and mercy by arranging for him to be swallowed by the fish instead of drowning. He was rescued and given a second chance. Jonah's story shows us that:

• Our way of looking at a situation is not the same as God's
• Our disobedience can be costly
• Our mission and calling are important
• Our trust in God to see us through is vital
• Our experiences can be lessons for others

The best way to beat the waves of trials and painful challenges is to: Face Them and admit our need of help outside our own resources.

So where did the defection and dereliction of duty leave Jonah? In the belly of a whale - a place where he gained a fresh perspective. Often God positions us in such a place. It may come by various means. 

But we can always rely on it to make us sit up and reconsider what God is asking us to do. God will still fulfil His purposes in, through and even despite of us at times. Grace and help are freely available.

"And when by God's grace I come through it all? Oh, the relief when I know the problem is behind me. With God's help I've beaten it. What an invigorating feeling!" ~ from 'Secret Strength' by Joni Eareckson Tada

We are helped far more than we may know:

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" ~ Isaiah 41:10

I would love you to share your own experiences:

Can you relate to feeling out of your depth?
What helped or hindered the process?
Did a fresh perspective help you to see life differently?

Grace Revealed

Welcome. I'm so pleased you dropped by. You never know what I might have for you.What if I was to offer you a Free Gift today? After all, who can resist a present? 

Depends on the gift, you might say - especially if you are always having to throw out the unwanted junk mail paraphernalia that usually comes with large strings attached from unsolicited companies.

Besides, you don't know me.
Sounds suspicious, right?

Nothing is really free, is it? 
Everything has a cost and a price to pay.

How would you react if someone you didn't know offered you a free gift? Like this possibly:

• With suspicion
• Derision
• Hostility
• Rejection
• Disbelief
• Curiosity
• Intrigue

Some of you may be tempted by the offer. And if you held it in your hands you might sniff, shake, feel it carefully, look for a label, admire the wrapping and even want to open it to reveal the contents as curiosity got the better of you. 

Usually a gift indicates that someone has thought about and wants to bless us. For it is only in examining The Gift that we can judge its worth

Well, you will be relieved to know I don't have a dodgy free gift to offer you. My poetry and prose are the only gifts I am offering here today.

But I can point you to the Greatest Gift that God has to offer us. The offer of Salvation, Forgiveness, Restoration, Renewal, Healing and Transformation.

The best news is : It's Free

"For God so greatly loved and dearly prized that world that He even gave up His only begotten unique Son, so that whoever believes in, trusts in, clings to, relies on Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal everlasting life." ~ John 3:16 Amplified

In my Introduction to the series of Grace Notes I mentioned that the word 'grace' means 'unmerited favour' amongst other things. I cannot go any further with this topic without speaking about how God best reveals His grace to us through His Son.

We have all fallen short and missed the mark of the standard God desires for our lives. There was nothing and no-one else good enough to pay the price needed to restore us to a right relationship with Him -  apart from the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast." ~ Ephesians 2:9

This is Grace Revealed indeed:God's Riches At Christ's Expense

The poem below offers further insight into this amazing grace:

'Grace' 

Light in our darkness

hand clasping hand -

healing, forgiveness

a line in the sand

Suffering and Sorrow

impaled to a cross,

blood flowing freely

our gain - Your loss

Heaven's gate opened,

for our sin debt You died.

Now given entry

as You're crucified

Dawn breaking forth
in glorious array.

Tomb standing empty -

Resurrection Day

Risen, ascended,

a New Era starts;

Your Spirit now dwelling

within human hearts

©JoyLenton2012

"I asked Jesus, 'How much do you love me?' 'This much,' he answered, and he stretched out his arms and died" ~ Anon

This leaves us with a decision to make. Do we act like babes and toddlers when given a present and show greater interest in the outer wrapping of grace but ignore the actual present and remain ignorant of the giver?

Or do we accept it, receive it with gratitude and thanksgiving and learn to prize it as the best gift ever?

Yes, it does come with a price to pay. Jesus laid down His life for us and expects us to surrender ours to Him  in return. This is a gradual, life-time process. But the rewards are enormous. We will be looking at more of the attributes and benefits of grace in the weeks ahead.

For now, this is a tantalising glimpse of The Gift and The Giver to reflect upon as we close with a prayer:

Dear Father,

As we reflect upon Your grace we are overwhelmed by the great love 

and compassion you have toward us in sending Jesus to die for our sins.

 Thank you that He died to give everybody an opportunity to get to know You and experience the abundant life You have planned and long for us to enjoy as we surrender our lives to Him. We can only have a limited understanding in this life of the great Divine Exchange. Help us to see more and to fully appreciate the blessings we have in relationship with You as You lead and guide us each day.

Amen

Please feel free to join in the comments below. I love to read and reply to them.

You can also keep in touch by signing up to e-mail.

Becoming

Go on, you know you can't resist it. You just have to sneak a look. Who doesn't want to at least check on their appearance from time to time? If only to have a running dialogue with themselves such as:

• I look a fright
• My hair's a mess
• Are those toothpaste smears?
• Oops, that's not straight
• Where did THAT come from?
• Oh bother, lipstick on my teeth again
• Must be the light, I can't look that bad, can I?

Who knows, it might be one of those flattering mirrors that don't leave you looking zombie-like or washed out and ill. Rather it enhances your natural radiance and perception of how you appear. If Only. 

Living as we do in a world where everyone and everything is judged on appearance, it is all too easy to feel unlovely and irrelevant if we fail to match up to society's ideals. Instead of simply cleaning the mirror, we may want to erase the unwanted image we see reflected there.

But that's not the full picture. The REAL you isn't found in the mirror. That's just your face and body

In our youth and beauty oriented and celebrated society we often set such store on appearance that we miss what is Really Important. This is something I have to remind myself of on a regular basis. Having had chronic illness for over 20 years with M.E and other conditions, there is no doubt that the side-effects of insomnia, continual exhaustion, pain and taking frequent medication  - never mind the natural ageing process and menopause - are clearly visible in my external appearance. 

I seldom look into a mirror these days without lamenting about where the person I used to be has disappeared to. She can't be that woman with exhaustion etched into her face, grey pallor, permanent dark circles, pouches under her eyes and ropey hair, can she? How I look on the outside doesn't match how I feel on the inside. My spirit still feels young and vibrant.

The background I grew up in gave me cause to feel insecure because I had a dysfunctional childhood and our parents made unfair comparisons between my non-identical twin sister and myself. She was dubbed the 'pretty one' while I had to be consoled with being the 'clever one'. Both of us struggled to live up to and then overcome our labels. Parents be aware.

Shaking off inferiority, insecurity and early years conditioning was painful but necessary and only achievable for me when I came to faith in Christ and began to see myself as He sees me.

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

We tend to major on external things whereas God wants our focus to be primarily on internal ones - our heart, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit. 

He has already paved The Way for us to come to know Him through having a relationship with Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. Then the radiance of Christ begins to reflect in our lives as we grow in knowledge and experience of Him and His word

Amazing as it seems, God sees us as:

Acceptable

Beloved

Complete

This is who we are In Christ. It is a gradual awakening that unfolds as we place our faith and trust in Him and continue to surrender every area of our lives to His Lordship. We start on a journey of change and discovery that leads to becoming all that God intended us to be when He created us as unique, special and greatly loved by Him.

"So we're not giving up. How could we? Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace....there's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever"

~ 2 Corinthians 4:16 -18 The Message

Back to the mirror.

These days my eyes slide towards it and I grimace, sigh resignedly and hope to find a better image next time I look. When I feel up to the task then a bit of make-up and a smile go a long way towards helping me feel better. But that's only a minor outer adjustment.

A mirror may show our current state outwardly but doesn't reveal our growing, developing and future state inwardly. Beauty is far more than skin deep. We are all subject to change, illness, ageing and eventual decay.

What we are becoming, day by day by God's grace, gives us encouragement to believe for greater change to be manifested in our lives in the future.

The process of becoming Christ-like can feel painful. For now, we are Works in Progress. It is a gradual process of transformation as our minds are renewed and lives surrendered to God.

We are exposed to God's mirror through His word and can see our faults and failings in greater detail. He will work relentlessly to achieve His purpose of making us into the image of Jesus, little by little. However, the hands that carve and shape us are tender hands of love and grace.

"And we, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18

'Becoming'

You've broken through,

infiltrated the carapace.

I feel You invading

the space

I'd called my own.

Working away purposefully

from the inside out -

yet I evade Your touch

throw off spasms

of irritation

as You make

the place 

Your home.

Chafed by events

beyond control

resistance persists in me

though a softer yielding ensues.

My naked exposure

tenderly covered by

Your mantle of Love.

I am remade, renewed,

pearlised, polished,

strong and true.

Breathing out my fears

I settle 

into the frame 

for which I was made -

a worthy container

for You.

©JoyLenton2012

Over to you:

How do you feel about the process of transformation that God is doing in your life?

What can we do that impedes or advances it?

You're very welcome to join in the discussion.

Grace Notes:An Introduction

Dear Reader, you are warmly welcomed to the first in a new series. Allow me to introduce you to 'Grace Notes'.

Please don't fear that you will have to sing. Although, as far as I'm concerned, nothing beats a good sing-along for raising the spirits!

I would like this to be a place and space to pause and rejoice over the good things in our lives - to celebrate life in all its rich fullness and to celebrate our relationship with God

Now for a bit of explaining:

When I started this blog the purpose was to reach out, make friends, connect, share, reflect on issues of life and faith as God led me to do so. In that sharing I have found a greater intensity and depth of emotion has been coming to the surface. Some deeply personal issues have been aired. The tone has been rather confessional and a little dark at times, truth be told.

So why 'Grace Notes'?
It is because I want to let in The Light. To bring in more of a balanced view of life.
My natural inclination these days, as a person struggling with many physical health problems, concerns and circumstances beyond my control, is towards anxiety, worry and fear. 

However hard I try, these issues seem to come to the forefront, especially during the dull days of Winter when life is more of a struggle. I can't seem to change myself and the turn of mind I've developed.

And that's the problem - trying to solve it myself instead of resting in God's grace and trusting His provision. Forgetting to lay it all at His feet and seek help in His word.

So it seemed a good idea to focus purposefully on the grace of God and be reminded of His never-failing goodness and blessing which is always available to us.

We will be looking at various aspects of grace as we go through this series. It will not only focus on what God has revealed to us but also on how we can demonstrate that grace to others in how we live.

Grace can be defined as God's unmerited, unearned favour and blessing that He bestows freely, universally and individually

As Philip Yancey says in his wonderful book: 'What's so amazing about grace?' -

 "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more. And there is nothing you can do to make God love you less." 

Yet we can be blind or indifferent to it and need our eyes opened to see, appreciate and receive this grace. It is rather like God pouring out a Power Shower of blessings but we only feel it as a trickle and fail to see how heavy and full it really is. 

"Earth's crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God;

But only he who sees takes off his shoes;

           The rest sit around it and pluck blackberries"  
~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Now some thoughts on grace to get us started:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythm of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" ~ Jesus speaking in Matthew 11:28 -30 The Message

The idea of 'unforced rhythm of grace' in the verse above is for it to be as straightforward and simple as breathing - a natural part of how we live, move and have our being.

The rhythm of grace is nothing like the Undulating Uncle, Sad Dad or Desperate Disco Diva movements you might find on display at a family wedding reception.

Rather, it resembles the best of 'Strictly Come Dancing' - a smoothly sinuous, snake-hipped, seasoned professional movement with an ease and relaxation to it that speaks of confidence and ability.

We don't start out as seasoned professionals in our understanding or expression of grace. The key is to walk and work with God and watch how He does it

As we keep company with Him, primarily through reading His word and spending time in His presence, we will learn how to live freely and lightly, trusting in Him to help us be at peace and recover our lives.

We rest in God's grace as we become confident of His ability to provide for us daily.

In the same way as the blood-bought sacrifice of Jesus runs through the Bible like a scarlet stream; grace could be seen as a golden thread that highlights aspects of God's character on every page

The aim of this new series is to be encouraging and inspiring. If it manages to be informative too then that's a bonus.

It is my hope to post something regularly (energy, health and time permitting of course) - if not necessarily weekly - that fits in with the theme of 'Grace Notes'. 

Serious reflections will still take place on the blog though - for those of you who prefer the meatier and challenging themes - as that is a huge part of who I am and what I do and you cannot fight nature completely!

For now, I need a reminder of the daily notes of grace that God pours into our lives and I hope you will appreciate it too. As usual, your own comments are warmly welcomed.

Remember to 'Follow' or sign up by email if you don't want to miss anything.

Until we meet again: 'May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all' ~ 2 Corinthians 13:14

Pass the band-aid

Hi,
It is quite likely that you, or another member of your household, has had need of one of these sticky things (pictured left) recently - depending on how accident-prone you might be, of course. 

Me? I rarely achieve shaving my legs without resort to needing one afterwards!
You may call it a band-aid, elastoplast, sticking plaster or something else.

Whether it is boring brown, hygienic white, blue, multi-hued or patterned with comic book figures, these are a staple in most family first-aid boxes. Just the job for minor cuts and scrapes. Not a lot of use for deep wounds or profuse bleeding. 

They require different treatment, usually from a health practitioner and in a hospital environment. Sometimes we carry deep wounds that we are barely aware of - they might be physical or emotional ones but the pain they bring eventually makes itself known.

If they come to our attention then we might feel that sticking a band-aid over them is all that's required. We can get by with just that, can't we?

I used to be that way. For many years, as painful emotions rose to the surface of my mind I stuffed them back down again and covered everything up. If things became impossible to ignore or deal with by myself then I tried counselling. 

After several years of trying various therapies, including hypnosis, reiki healing, aromatherapy and homoeopathy, alongside changing counsellors (about as often as I changed my toothbrush) and admitting that sometimes these things helped but more often than not they confused and hindered my 'recovery'; I was finally shocked into getting proper help.

Eventually, after I suffered a series of devastating losses - including health and career - in desperation I turned to Christian counselling and prayerful support -  not realising how long-term (we're talking years here) and in-depth it would need to be.

During the course of pouring out my understandable distress and sorrow over the losses I had encountered, it soon became clear that one loss stood out above others:

 The loss of my innocence and being robbed of a happy childhood

Now, I didn't intend to make this blog into a confessional, but that seems to be what it's becoming. I wanted to lighten the tone with some happy thoughts, light reflections and pretty poetry and had even got as far as producing a few drafts. But God had other ideas. He isn't through with the serous issues and that seems to be the area He is asking me to focus on at the moment.

Perhaps some of you can relate to how all-consuming such losses and events as I mentioned above can be in our lives until we deal with them somehow. Perhaps others will be given a window on a world they haven't encountered before.

The purpose of sharing some of my story here is to let you know that as we confront, examine and move through the events of our past, we can come to a point of being able to Let Go. In the act of letting go - especially releasing it into God's hands - we are enabled to Move On and look to the future in a new way.

God's word reassures us that Jesus came to give us:

"A crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.." ~ Isaiah 61:3 

As an avid reader it was no surprise that I found a lot of help, support and consolation from various books during my healing journey.

The bible was (and still is) my major source of help and strength. It spoke healing into areas as I began to uncover the wounds - gingerly peeling back the layers and seeing how they festered without due attention - and allow the Holy Spirit access to them. God's loving light is a refining fire to purify and cleanse us from all impurity and remove our guilt and shame.

"Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance.." ~ Isaiah 61:7

I also gained insight, support and practical suggestions from 'Beauty for Ashes' by Joyce Meyer. Another really significant book that helped me tremendously was 'Breaking Free' by Beth Moore as it emphasises how to get rid of the various chains that hold us back from true liberty and freedom. 

Joyce Meyer's books are still a source of great inspiration for me. I have benefited greatly from reading 'Battlefield of the Mind' as it shows us how to get free from mental strongholds and learn to speak positively about ourselves and our situations. Needless to say, I am still a 'work in progress' in that area as in many others!

If I hadn't already had a relationship with The Healer and Great Physician of our souls, then I would have wanted to turn to Him as the best person to safely deal with my pain and bring beauty for ashes out of the mess and rubble of my ruined life

"Something beautiful, something good,

all my confusion He understood,

all I had to offer Him

was brokenness and strife,

                     but He made something beautiful of my life" ~ William T. Gaither

Sadly, we are not made perfect overnight once we make Jesus Lord of our lives but He does start us off on the journey leading to change, healing, wholeness, restoration and renewal.

If anything I have touched on today has struck a chord with you, then I urge you to seek the help you need to become a whole person again - perhaps you could begin by opening up to another person that you can trust, then maybe seeking medical assistance or counselling as required.

Believe me, I have been in that place and can verify that once the potentially frightening First Step is taken, then peeling away the layers bit by bit will eventually get easier and be releasing for you.

Freedom is achievable, though the process towards it can be painful.Think of it like lancing a wound to release the pus before full healing can occur. The only way out is through.

Please don't allow the poison of unforgiveness from the past to sour everything in the present with bitterness, resentment or regrets.

We all bear wounds and scars of various kinds as we travel through life. But the wound of unhealed trauma from the past will require more than a cosmetic solution. No band-aid will do.

 It may need professional help and will benefit hugely by being exposed to God's healing touch. Each person's journey will be different.

Those badges we wear - of shame, guilt, rejection  -are not permanent and don't really belong to us at all. We allow others to pin them on us, but they become part of our identity and we forget to remove them as we grow up.

If you want to consider how best to support another person with their problems, without offering more than a token band-aid solution,  then reading this post by Barry Pearman will aid your thinking.

Meanwhile, as we continue our journey towards wholeness, we can be 'Safe in His Arms' as sung by Phil Wickham. You won't regret taking a few minutes to listen to this beautiful, uplifting song.

Apologies for the lengthy writing and no poem today. But this topic needed space to be expressed properly. May God bless you and keep you safe always.

A Prayer

Dear Father,

We come to You in our weakness

in need of your strength.

We come to You with our pain

in need of Your healing.

We come to You in our confusion

in need of clarity and focus.

Thank you that You know us 

better than we know ourselves

and that You have already provided

for our every need in the person 

of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please teach us to look to Him

and let His words be our guide,

His ways our example

and His love 

our great comfort in trial and adversity.
May we discover all that we can be In Christ
and may it be life changing for us.

Amen