Stand Firm...

I read these words this morning…

‘Yet if you devote your heart to him

And stretch out your hands to him.

If you put away the sin that is in your hand

And allow no evil to dwell in your home,

Then you will lift up your face without shame;

You will stand firm and without fear.

You will surely forget your trouble,

Recalling it only as waters gone by.

Life will be brighter than noonday,

And darkness will become like morning.

You will be secure, because there is hope;

You will look about you and take your rest in safety.

You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid,

And many will court your favour.

But the eyes of the wicked will fail,

And escape will elude them;

Their hope will become a dying gasp.’

Job 11:13-20

…and my soul, my heart, my spirit is lifted…renewed…and I rejoice. Life, little by little, is becoming ‘brighter than noonday, darkness is becoming like morning…’.

Dear friends, there is life free from fear, from anxiety brought on by the person in your life…free from the sorrow of betrayal, rejection, cruelty, intimidation and physical abuses. Little things become joyful earmarks of freedom…that glass of wine on the deck, watching the sun go down…that hot cup of coffee in the morning quiet, in the peaceful solitude…the joy of standing amongst God’s creation, in awe of the beauty…in wonder as three deer walk within feet of me in curiosity, ears twitching as i stand still and speak nonsensically…softly…bounding away as the crew wander over to view this oddity. My heart is full and I would stand in the gap and tell you that yes, it does get better…that healing comes with every breath of free air you take. It hurts…there is grief, sorrow, questions of ‘why…’ questions of worth…but oh dear lost ones, they drop off in the face of love, of compassion, of kindnesses…those we give ourselves, and those we receive from others and most importantly, the love we give out to others…for every word, every gesture, every smile….we gain a little back that was stolen from us.

It cements our worth… oh the struggle to put to words the emotions, the growth that comes from taking the time and opportunities that come our way to love on others…we believe that we have nothing left to give, but oh dear hearts…we have more because of what we’ve experienced… love has not been driven from us by the monsters in our lives, oh no…on the contrary.

We have gained so much while having lost, having been stolen from…God comes in like a flood and shores up the holes in our psyche, covers over the gaps…the damage…

Like a sweet, warm wind He moves in with grace, with mercy, with an everlasting love and touches our soul, our very spirit with a salving balm…with warmth, with comfort.

You are not done…though you are tired beyond comprehension…exhausted from the fear, fatigued by the fear…broken down, limping along and not sure how…

Do not give in to despair my friends…joy comes in the morning…there is hope for you, love for you, grace and mercy for you…

You are worthy of a magical kind of love…. your tender heart is deserving of compassion, of a caregiver steeped in love…for you…

Hold on dear friends… you have come so far, been through so much…Stand tall today…you are worthy…necessary, needed…your smile, your laugh is needed…your heart of compassion…

Know your worth today…stand in it, and speak your truth…

May God bless you with His wisdom, His perception and His grace…my prayer for you is that you would find your way to freedom, to a life free from fear and loathing. You are a treasure worthy of a true King, a true loving, committed partner. No games, no lies…just love and growth together in this thing we call life. It is short, is it not? Too short to live in fear…too short to live in agony and sorrow…joy awaits you my friends…you too can walk it out.