Behind

Did you see me underneath the tree,
wallowing in sorrow over broken dreams?
Sitting without the strength to stand
hoping for relief from the burdens crushing me?

A man in white walks up to me,
while I sit moping underneath the tree.
Reached out his calloused hands,
and said, "Come follow me."

Somewhere in the midst of the moment,
I knew this man would heal my heart and soul,
and free me from the weights which burdened me.
So reaching up with shaking hands,
I grasp the offered hand of salvation
and stand upon strengthen feet and follow,
leaving everything behind.

Plunge

Continue to walk on the path of life,
restlessness stirs within my soul.
A voice inside whispers, "it's time for a change."
and I follow its guidance till I end up next to a vast ocean.
I walk out onto the dock and at its edge I stand.
Surveying what lies ahead, all I see is endless water.
I ask myself, what am I supposed to do?
only to feel a gentle nudge telling me to dive in and swim.
But... I stammer, I can't see where am I going,
or have the energy to make it to the other side.
God, I am willing,
but I'm just not ready to take this dive right now.
I stand at the edge, trying to build up my courage,
for I want to follow the Call and dive into the deep unknown,
yet fear of the unknown keeps me from jumping right in.
All of a sudden, a strong wind blows and before I know it,
I find myself splashing around in the endless water.
God, I cry out, I'm not ready yet,
and the reply I hear is, "I think you are,
just trust in me and you'll reach the other side."
Building up all the courage I could muster,
I take a deep breath and plunge myself into
The great unknown.

Thank You

Here I stand upon the hill
on which my glorious savior died.
An innocent man, God incarnate,
who hung on a cross to set me free,
from the slavery of my way of life.
Can you see His hands and feet,
through which they staked him to a tree?
Have you placed your hand upon His side,
pierced by a spear and flowing with blood and water?
Have we forgotten the price Jesus paid
for the lives of you and me?
Why do those who claim to remember
live their lives like the cross has no authority?
The greatest gift ever given,
thrown aside to immediate pleasures.
The suffering of Christ stored away,
in the dark corners of our minds,
allowing us to live as we please,
putting ourselves back into slavery.
Gladly going back to the broken chains
for the cost of freedom takes second to desire.

God,
brand upon my heart,
the picture of the cross.
write upon my soul,
the sufferings of Christ.
Engrain upon my eyes,
the glory of Your freedom.
May I hold your gift always before me to remember,
Life is but a Thank you for the price You paid.

Pride

Walking along God's chosen path,
Trying to follow his guiding light,
I let my mind wander and find myself stumbling,
over the same rock in the path.
I lay there stunned, disbelief in my mind,
for my mind had been focused on You thus far.
Laying there, I think back to the previous day,
and I realize the signs of warning, which You gave.
With the flashing signs and the voice in the wind,
telling me of the moment of danger up ahead.
Yet, I ignore it all thinking I could handle it,
for I felt strong and focused on my goal.
I see now, I went at it alone,
without following You to guide my feet.
I approached the trap the enemy lay with confidence,
only to fall flat on my face broken.

God,
I'm sorry for leaving You behind because of my pride,
Instead of trusting Your advice, I thought I knew better.
I know now, I cannot avoid these traps,
unless I close my eyes and trust Your guiding hand.

Gratitude

The gentle sounds of crashing waves,
The towering sight of mountain peaks,
The embracing warmth of the noonday sun,
and the salty smell of an ocean breeze,
envelope me as I come to meet with you.
God, you are so amazing!
You hands carved the mountain top
and you spoke the sun and sea into existence.
God, these mighty works show your greatness,
yet you choose to come and be among the people you created.
Compared to you, we are nothing,
Our sinfulness just magnifies your holiness,
Our darkness insignificant compared to your light.
Our pridefulness shamed before your grace,
and our resistance melted away by your love.
God of the heavens,
Who am I, that you choose to create me?
What am I, that you sacrificed your only Son for me?
Who can I be, for your will to be done in me?
For life is not worth anything, separated from your presence.

Oh Lord,
Thank you can never be enough,
To express the gratitude of a healing heart.
Words fall worthless before the presence of my Savior
Who has rescued me once again from the depths of the abyss.
God,
You helped me back to the straight and narrow,
When I had strayed so far away
And now you are leading me down,
the path you created me for.
The forgotten passion, the stifled joy,
and the peace I left behind all rushed back to greet me,
like I had never left your presence.
The sorrow in my heart has been replace by your love
And I come as the sinner I am,
into your arms of cleansing grace.
I am made whole once again,
as I return to the part of me,
which I had left behind.