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Poetry of Love Unchanging

JJC

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your life-line is worth a second look

Father, empty me of myself.  I want to hear Your voice.

Father, empty me of myself, I want to love with Your heart.  I want nothing to get in the way.

Father, empty me of myself.  Let me forget me–to love like You love.

In the slowing, let me seek You.  In the memory of children’s voices, hugs and conflicts, laughter and tears, let me find You.

Show me what it means to serve.

Photo: Abigail Camp

Father, hide me from the enemy and keep my heart pure.  Search me to discern what in me pulls away from You.

Let nothing come between us, Father.  Let Your Spirit be my breath, my beating heart, my mind.  Let every thought be Yours.

There is freedom in deciding whether or not to be my own.  There is freedom in belonging to You.  There is freedom in being seen and known and pursued and adored.

I know who I am in You.  I know what I love.  You battled those fears that kept me from discovering my heart — the passions for exploring mountains and hearts, listening and writing, soaking in quiet and moving fast, in sacred song.

I hear Your voice breathing life.  I see Your hands touching my heart.  I behold Your beauty singing majesty and grace.

You cannot be contained, yet You reach down and hold me, Your Spirit lifting me.  I am a new creation.

In the sacrifice, in the love that is love, the old falls away.  I behold newness. I walk in newness.  I will look up and rejoice for the new works You are doing.  I will claim the gifts You bring.

In Your eyes I am cleansed.  You wash away my sin and draw me to You. You do not repay me according to my choices of selfishness.  You do not give me what I deserve.

You restore in me a new heart, a life that sings of joy and promise.

No matter where I am, You are there.  No matter how far away from You I feel, Your eyes never leave me.

How great is Your love Father, that each child, each work of Your hands is glorious and perfectly made!

I will seek You and I will find You.  I will listen for You and I will hear.  I will believe and walk in Your ways, with Your guidance and love in me.

I do not go alone.  My heart is protected, shielded inside Your love.  I am the beloved child who is gathered up and shown how to love with a love that reaches beyond understanding.

Your kingdom lives in me.  You give me life.  All glory, all praise, all love comes from You.


Friends, I continue to pray and ask God for his perspective on significant moments in my life, moments that have shaped me. There are lots of positive and negative turns in any person’s story, yes? A few years ago a group of friends and I spent a few weeks using Donald Miller’s Storyline as a tool to go deeper into our stories. One particular exercise challenged us to create a story map of our lives, a timeline of significant events we’ve experienced–moments that shaped us in either a positive or negative way.

After we were finished with our life timelines, we spent time with God and asked Him to show us His perspective on each of those moments. For the positive turns in our life story, what did He have to say? For the negative turns, what new perspective did He have for us to see? The exercise was challenging and life-giving, requiring self-awareness, honesty, and a sincere pursuit of God. He wants to redeem every part of our stories. He is not holding out on you.

Photo: Abigail Camp

Flash forward to last week. I am returning to the moments of my story that have shaped me and asking God which ones He wants me to revisit. Specifically, I am asking Him to lead me toward memories that require deeper understanding and healing. And when He does, I ask Him to give me a verse from Scripture to further solidify the new work He is doing in my story, in me.

For the moment outside the grocery store when I was five and I believed the lie that my voice is nothing and I am not enough, He spoke John 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

For the moment, on Sunday, when my oldest son walked away from us and down the street to begin his new life as a freshman in college and I ached with sadness and joy for the end of a chapter I loved, He spoke Ezekiel 11:19: “And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

And for the moment of my decision to have an abortion, in high school, He spoke Romans 8:6 and 8:15: “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace…For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as [daughters] by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!'”

What moments will God have you revisit? What words of Life will He speak to you?

With these longer journaling sessions in the morning, I have written less poetry but many, many prayers. I believe that the poetry is going to come. And I am excited for what deeper healing will come from it, too.

So, while I don’t have a traditional poetry prompt for you this week, I invite you to continue to dive deep into specific moments of your story. Let God lead you to a moment, and then through that moment. Let Him navigate you through the details. There are things you don’t remember that He will show you. There are misconceptions you’ve had that He wants to straighten out. And then ask Holy Spirit for a verse for each of those moments.

God wants to redeem every part of you, every moment of your story. Will you let Him? The results will be life-changing. I know it.

Will you tell me how it is going? Or share verses He has spoken over you? Or share any poetry born from these experiences with Him?

I can’t wait to read lines of His life in you.

Love,

Jennifer


Refuse to be Sentimental

dear heart
don’t run; stand here

like I taught you

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09/03/202019 Comments on your life-line is worth a second look

19 Comments

  1. Margaret Ranchhod
    6 months ago Permalink

    Oh Jennifer, how I love what you have so beautifully shared!!
    My time of dwelling in His words this morning are so in tune with your own…
    Ephesians 5:13
    “Whatever the revelation-light exposes, it will also correct, and everything that reveals truth is light to the soul.” The Passion Translation

    Reply
    • Jessica Freeman
      6 months ago Permalink

      Wow amazing! This was truly beautiful! Verse came to mind is Jeremiah 29:11-For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

      But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
      Romans 8:9 KJV

      Reply
    • Kathy Waddell
      6 months ago Permalink

      A beautiful and touching message
      Jennifer. Your prayers are poetry in a unique form.

      Reply
  2. Linda Stock
    6 months ago Permalink

    thank you for the word of encouragement, it has ministered to me, I’ve been back to an old mind set of how I’ve failed don’t cut the grade I feel so self centred and feel bad about being…….. and on it goes…. so thank you for sharing

    Reply
  3. Brenda lineberger
    6 months ago Permalink

    Thank you for giving voice to hidden dark places. I too had to journey back and face and walk through my darkness so the light of God could heal me, set me free. God is so so good.

    Reply
  4. Valarie Hodges
    6 months ago Permalink

    I’m finding myself at a new season in life. For nearing 17 years, 11 of which I have done single, I’m at a different place, a place where my kids are older. No need to follow to the bathroom, or get them snacks because they can’t reach them, and they are old enough to do chores, to help me. For 17 years I’ve longed for the love of a man/for a husband and I’m finding time for myself to see this hope start. I’m so at awe at God’s hand of love, mercy and guidance in these days. I’m so excited to see where HE will lead me.

    Reply
  5. Aisha Rogers
    6 months ago Permalink

    Amen! Your poetry is lovely. I want God to cleanse whatever is died in me. Whatever is he`ndering my walk I pray that the Lord will bring it forward so that I get closer to him.

    Reply
  6. Amy Sheahan
    6 months ago Permalink

    There is something broken inside.
    Something doesn’t sit quite right.
    I can’t put my finger on it right now;
    but I have begun to seek what it is somehow.
    I’m not even sure I can explain it to myself.
    It is almost like something I’m looking for and can’t find.
    Deep dissatisfaction comes to mind.
    Or is it disappointment of some kind?
    I don’t know, I’m not sure how to compare.
    It is something I obsess over,
    but never shared.
    It is an emotion that over takes me,
    It traps me and it is so hard to set free.
    I’ve done it so long now it has become part of me.
    It festers down inside.
    It takes over, maybe it is pride?
    Could it be offense?
    Once slightly completely knocked off my game.
    There it is again and again.
    As I search, reveal to me more.
    This thing I am searching for.
    Open the gate, set me free.
    This desire in me to lock out, to obsess.
    It keeps me, from being me.
    It stifles me from within.
    Now I am not sure if I am the only one.
    Who struggles with this feeling inside.
    A place where stubbornness, hopelessness resides.
    I hesitantly give you my hand.
    As I try to make sense.
    Try to understand.
    This place I go to hide in.
    Wanting something more within;
    I thank you now as I give you this thing.
    A hidden place of protection.
    A thin layer divided within.
    Help me.
    Help me.
    Get rid of this thing.

    Reply
  7. Toni Smith
    6 months ago Permalink

    Jennifer ,
    There are so many things in my life that I don’t want to ever think about again, yet with God by my side
    I know that he will give me the strength & courage to do so knowing that he is always with me! How comforting it is to know that I’m never alone again!
    Thank you so much for this reminder exercise of my time line , for knowing this will make me stronger in my faith , may god bless you !
    Toni Smith

    Reply
  8. Linda Moya
    6 months ago Permalink

    Yes Jennifer what beauty all in all you said oh how I felt it in my walk many years ago I had done something I wouldn’t of has dream of doing tho because of my mother it was done I was not amChristian then lived with my parents and wanted to please my mother it hurt and yet now with the scripture He Created Me A New Heart And Renew Me The Spirit Within Me how AWESOME! and yes I’ve have had my many turns as well and because by His Grace I’m Renew. As always how blessed I am to continue to read your post and Thank My Jesus for sending you to me Amen!!

    Reply
  9. Susan
    6 months ago Permalink

    Thank you for this it is beautiful and I can so identify with it.

    It is what God is doing with me now too..

    He has given me the scripture in Luke “Do not be afraid little flock, it is the Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom..”
    Its life changing.. 🙂

    Reply
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