Living Life for Christ Alone

“Abba, Father… when I bring broken things to You, don’t You heal? But why at times do You hold the broken things in Your hands -still broken? Why when I hand You the broken things, do You carry all the pieces, yet do nothing to put them back together?” I ask this question one morning, heart aching, hurt rising. “I know some pain isn’t meant to necessarily go away…” I try again, “But what is it for?” The question echoes deep in the chambers of my heart. What of the pain of seeing brokenness and not being able to do anything about it? What of the pain of seeing the broken people and circumstances God cares about and knowing that unless He works impossible miracles, nothing good can come out of brokenness? Sometimes, there are unnamed pains and brokenness deep within that are too deep to even describe with words. Grief that rises when least expected, grief of ongoing suffering of the silent kind. And I wonder… does God have a purpose in that kind of pain? I look around and...

"Much-Afraid shrank back. 'I am afraid,' she said. 'I have been told that if you really love someone you give that loved one the power to hurt and pain you in a way nothing else can.' "'That is true,' agreed the Shepherd. 'To love does mean to put yourself into the power of the loved one and to become very vulnerable to pain, and you are very Much-Afraid of pain, are you not?' "She nodded miserably and then said shamefacedly, 'yes, very much afraid of it.' "'But it is so happy to love,' said the Shepherd quietly. 'It is happy to love even if you are not loved in return. There is pain too, certainly, but Love does not think that very significant.' ... "'...Love and Pain go together, for a time at least. If you would know Love, you must know pain too.'"  -Hinds Feet on High places // "...If you would know love, you must know pain too." How close to home this phrase hits.  It is painful...

“But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17) Shuts up his heart. Makes it so that the needy person has no access to the tenderest emotions that are felt there.   In a world that encourages us to put up walls and shut people out who hurt us, Jesus lifts high a different banner. He shows us a better, more beautiful way. But it is the way of the cross; the way of true, heavenly love.   You can’t truly lay down your life with your heart shut up –walls up, roof on, windows and doors locked. If your heart is inaccessible, so are the tenderest emotions that are needed to love another human being. And if compassion and tender love are not an ingredient in laying down your life, you aren’t laying it down.   But the risk involved in opening  your heart to another human being is huge. How many would dare go to that extreme for someone?   Many have been so hurt by...

The lights are out, and I sit in the rocking chair holding my sixteen-month-old, singing softly to her and rocking slowly in the rocking chair.  I close my eyes and breathe. It is quiet, except for the sound of the noise machine and air conditioning running. The sun peers just a little around the door, but it is just the right atmosphere to coax her to sleep. As I hum, I look down at her face. The pacifier is in her mouth and her blankie by her face. She looks so cozy there all snuggled up to me.  And then, her eyes start blinking slowly. Sleep starts taking over. One by one, whatever cares she had, she lets go of. I feel her muscles relax. If her hands were playing with something, they go limp. Her breathing gets deep. And all of a sudden, it is as if time stands still.  I can't explain it, but I never get tired of this moment. It is magical. It rights all wrongs in the day. The morning could have been chaotic and messy, but it doesn't take away from this moment. Instead...