Lean Hard

Child of My love, lean hard,
And let Me feel the pressure of your care,
I know your burden, child; I shaped it,
Poised in My own hand, made its weight
Too heavy for your unaided strength;
For even as I laid it on I said,
“I will be near, and while she leans on Me,
This burden will be Mine, not hers;
So will I keep My child within the circling arms,
Of My own love.”

Here lay it down, don’t fear
To impose it on a shoulder which upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come,
You are not near enough; I would embrace your care,
So I might feel My child reposing on My chest.
You love me? I know it. Don’t doubt, then,
But loving Me, lean hard.

Yes to You

We’re in a singles class at the training right now and it’s very insightful and helpful.  I know that my identity is not wrapped up in marriage, or even singleness.  I am complete in Christ.  I am whole- NOW.  Even if I get married, that is not a guarantee against being alone for life.  Married people can become single this afternoon.  So I want to be content in Him.  God has made us in such a way that we can never be fully satisfied in anything but Himself.  So I surrender my desires and needs to Him.

Jesus, if this is Your will,

then YES to being single.

In my deepest heart, i want to marry,

to belong to a great man;

to know that i am linked to his life . . .

and he to mine . . .

following Christ and our dreams together . . .

but You know what i need.

if i never marry, it is YES to You.

-Ann Kiemel Anderson

Today isn't over yet

How often do I give up on my morning, on my day, on my week, before it has really started?  If the morning hasn't started out well, I think, 'Just get through class, then the day will be better.'  So often, I get home around 8pm, collapse on my couch, and sigh, ‘I’m so happy to be done with this DAY!’  If Monday and Tuesday were hard, sometimes I forget about the potential good to be found in Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday- I'm just wishing for the weekend.  Yes, I give up because of the negative things I've experienced.  I forget about all the time I still have, which I could spend with people and even be encouraged. 

It's the same way on a larger scale, as well, for life.  Years and years of sin or abuse have a way of wearing us down and making us want to give up.  There is nothing too big for God that He can't redeem.  Whether its a yucky morning, a hard first half of the week, or a sinful first 40 years- God makes beauty from ashes.  He can restore the years the locusts have eaten.

That's all......Just- don’t give up too soon.  It ain’t over till it’s over.  :)