There are days when the chaos of the storm is more than I can take in...
"I've been waiting in shallow water.
You're the ocean I am after...
and I wanna go, oh, I wanna go with You."
...when the awareness of just how exhausted...
...and wet
...and afraid
...I am hits me while I sit in my little boat as the sea rages all around...
"Break the silence with Your whisper.
Take my hand and pull me under...
cuz I wanna go, oh I wanna go with You."
But then there are days when the winds and the water are drowned out by the simple reality of faith in my life.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
Hebrews 11:1
The substance of my faith plays out all around me...the evidence riding up on the top of each wave.
It pours in and out, as forcefully as the rain and as full as the darkness that seeks to block out the light.
"Set a way for what my eyes see.
Help me believe.
Help me break free.
Cuz I wanna go, oh, I wanna go with You."
I can't control the storm...
nor can I block out the emotions that rise within me as I hold tight to the leg of the Captian of my boat...
but I can choose where I focus.
"Take me thru the desert places
for the chance to see Your face.
take me past the breaking waves
into the depth of Your embrace."
And by changing my point of focus, I am able to change the attitude with which I respond...and the perspective from which I view this situation.
You see, I can look here as it is a captivating sight to behold...
...but I can also choose to focus on what is also in front of me.
Little, silly, everyday, goofy things like:
"Alright!! A DORA puzzle!!!!!"
...Kareoke at the school carnival...
"Superstar!"
My Mini-Me...and me
...or the full group that makes up my heart...
It is now, having pulled my eyes from the circling, spinning, chaoticness above, I can reset my eyes to the place where they should never have moved from...
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross..."
Hebrews 12:2
Because it is only when I am focusing on Him that I remember to stop complaining how big my storm is because it isn't anything He hasn't faced down Himself...
it isn't anything that He hasn't already endured...
it isn't anything He doesn't already know about...
nor is it anything He isn't willing and able to walk me thru.
It is only when I am, once again, focused on truth that I can let Him take on the ugly, fearsomeness of that wave hovering overhead and start delighting, once again, in the amazingness of my substantially evident Lord.
It is only now that I can pray....
"Take me deeper, oh, take me deeper to where You are
...that I may find You.
Take me further, oh, take me further than where I've been
...I wanna be with You."
What about you?
What about the storm grabs your attention and what are the little things in your life that can help to return your gaze towards the Captain of your boat?
Listening to Meredith Andrew's Take Me Deeper while looking up as always...
11 comments:
Oh, Sweet friend, what a beautiful post! It is such an awesome reminder that no matter the storms raging around - which will always be there it seems- that what we chose to focus on changes everything. Joy in the little things, its enough to make the heart smile.
Blessings to you today!!
Great post! Love the visual of holding on to the captain's leg. Where is my focus???? Awesome! :O)
Beautiful!
Reminds me of my grandmother who always used to say, "Keep looking up." For years, I thought she was just talking but now I know. When I find my eyes focused on my shoelaces, I sometimes hear her voice and remember to lift up my eyes to the hills because that's where my help comes from...the maker of heaven and earth.
just a smile... there is life here.
A whisper in my heart, a smile from my family or friends, God's good hand.
A whisper in my heart, a smile from my family or friends, God's good hand.
Had a meltdown just last night because of the raging storm. What calms me down? Five minutes sitting outside--just me, my tears, and an honest talk with God. Puts things back in perspective.
Thank you for sharing your heart!
God's creation returns my focus to the Captain -- that happened to me this week. I just wrote about a great quote that spoke to me this week. It underscores our choices. I was reminded this week that my own perfection is way overrated.
Loved this post.
LOVE this post! Oh my goodness, thank you! I have felt so overwhelmed this week, and I needed this!
I am so happy to find your blog! I am now a 'follower' and can't wait to read more of your posts!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Melanie
~ melscoffeebreak.blogspot.com ~
Oh, wow. Did I ever need to read this. It's been WAY too long since paid you a visit here. Beautiful.
So tell me - how many times have you changed your template since my last visit? Hmmm?
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