But
You were rejected,
You were unloved.
Your friends did not recognize you,
Your brothers despised you,

I did not see you.

The poor in spirit,
The weak and the weary,
The mourners and the hungry,
The thirsty and the meek,
The persecuted –

They recognized you
They loved you
They received you
They did not despise you.

So

Grant me Lord
The gift of poverty,
The gift of pain,
Of tears,
Of insufficiency,
And persecution

That

I may not pass you by.

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The post The Ache first appeared on Stirrings in my soul.

In the brokenness of your tired soul,

Come.

With the shallowness of your weary faith,

Come.

Holding a lacking trust,

Come.

Come to Him.

With my incomplete surrender,

I come.

With an unyielding heart,

I come.

Rights and wrongs uncertain,

Yet,

I come.

I come,

I receive

Your love,

Your embrace,

Your rest.

And I say,

Here I am, Lord.

[1] Mathew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

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The post Come [1] first appeared on Stirrings in my soul.

Goodness in the pain,

Goodness in the shame,

Goodness in the lifting

Of the chin by our Father.

There is goodness in it all.

Goodness in the ache

Of loneliness

Of loss

Goodness in the enfolding

Embrace of our Brother.

There is goodness in it all.

Goodness and mercy

In the deadness

In the dust

Goodness and mercy

In the resurrecting

Breath of Life.

There is goodness in it all.

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The post Goodness and Mercy first appeared on Stirrings in my soul.

A joyfilled child was he

He passed on a heartful of delight

Cause such a child was he

I met a child today

A tender child was she

She filled my heart with silent cheer

Cause such a child was she.

I hold the joy

I hold the delight

I hold the tenderness

And cheer

I hold these expressions of childlike love

For times when I’ll need

To be reminded

That like him and like her

I can remain in joy and delight

For His deeply beloveds are we

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The post I Met a Child first appeared on Stirrings in my soul.

Dissonance

Jarring of notes

Discord of strings

When you listen to

Christ’s love expressed

As

Dos and don’ts,

Watch outs and bewares.

Making you feel like lesser of an image – bearer,

Unloved and devalued,

Building religion

Not

Relationship,

Creating fear

Not

Love for the Lover?

Children look confused,

The young cringe,

Shoulders of the elderly

droop lower

At the

Dissonance

Jarring of notes

Discord of strings.

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The post Love Detuned first appeared on Stirrings in my soul.

What are my 2 fish

And 5 loaves of bread ?

I offer

A little love

A little trust

A small faith

A little hope

I offer

An incomplete surrender

A fearful heart

I offer

Unsure talents

Rusty gifts

I offer

The insufficient me

To gain

My sufficiency in You.

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The post What Can I Offer? first appeared on Stirrings in my soul.