Faithful Lines

Open your hands

Walk along

This is not your life to build

Open your hands 

Walk along

Abide with Me still

Vapor and dust

To sustain 

Vapor and dust

The cycle of the elements 

Sings on

This is not your life to build

Lift your eyes

Open your hands

Sing to the Lord a new song

But what if you no words to say

Dreams in the night

Bring fleeting visions

I pour out the fruit of my labor

To the ground 

An offering

If no one can eat

I will not eat

He will sustain me

Pull me out of my slumber LORD

That I may taste Your goodness alone

That I may dance before You

Strengthened by blessings of old

Encouraged by promises anew

When I sing I grow faint

My vision declines

I will give you

My very breath

It is all I have left

I have given my treasures

To the needy

I have kept but a remnant

When LORD when? 

Will You arise like fire

Bring warmth and healing

To my bones

Only You can repair

Only You can restore

Only You can take what is here

And revive it past new

My weary heart beats

Within the hollow of my chest

Will I make it to the break of day?

Oh to see the rising of the Son

To melt like wax

To hear the words

None can stand before You

Yet You call us to rise

Good and faithful servant

Enter in

Enter in

What feels real

Is not

What you can only imagine

Is what is actually real

Stop thinking this 

This!

Is permanent

It is fading before our eyes

Death sits idly by

Age creeps on silent feet

Stop setting my eyes

To vapor

Step from blessing to blessing

Release each one

To the heavens

In thankfulness

Eyes closed

True vision

Something obtainable

That is invisible

Releasing “I thought”

Holding on to what I know

Suffering spilling 

Into my thoughts

Everything just feels so

Temporary

Fleeting

There is otherness

In the day to day

Nowhere is home

And yet

Everywhere is home

Because You are my refuge

The alarms are sounding

Everywhere

Help me keep my ears to You

In this world

That is fragile, fickle, frustrating 

Help me remember

I don’t have to hold it together

Because You do

How many times

Did You offer me Your peace?

I still just want

To curl up in Your lap

I know You are with me

Protecting, directing, comforting

But my heart hurts for home

Unbroken union

You have given me quite

The to-do list! 

Please allow some mercy

That I may sit at Your feet

It all pales in comparison

Someone needs to start the clapping

It may as well be you

It may be repetitive 

One sound after the next

But we need repetition 

We need to see God

Praise God

Hear God

Speak to God

Over and over

Daily, moment by moment

The same cry

I need You!

Someone needs to start the preaching

It may as well be you

Preach with your words

And deeds

Shine the light

That reflects the Son

Preach to your neighbor

Preach to your own

Doubting heart

The same cry

We need You! 

Someone needs to start the healing

So it may as well be you

Bringing the families 

Back together

Mending relationships

Broken hearts

Fragile frames

Lame hands

Lifted high, crying out

We need You! 

Someone needs to start the prophesying 

It may as well be you

Wisdom and knowledge

Come from above

So look up and dig deep

Pray for workers

With insight

Who fully understand

The simple truth

We need You! 

Someone needs to start the serving

So it may as well be you

Washing feet 

Drying eyes

Carrying a burden 

Lending a hand

Ear attuned to those who cry

I need You!

There is suffering

It gives weight

To our testimony

Anyone can love God

Live for God

Under abundance 

When you see the Saint

Who has every human reason

To give up, walk away

And yet

In the suffering

Eyes never lose focus

Heart remains soft

The Saint who continues

To receive true life from above

And then breathes it right back

To Him

In service and worship

This testimony

In the suffering

Brings hope

Brings life

Open my chest

Pull out this heart of stone

That I may build an altar

To remember Your saving grace

Release the past

Restore the future

In the release

It matters what you release

It needs to be all

In the restoration

It matters what you then cling to

It needs to be only Him

All else will fail

It’s not an if

It’s a when

Open my chest

Let Your words pour in

Let The Word pour in

That I may pour out

From this feeble body

Limited is not in Your vocabulary 

You are forever, eternal

Let me hold fast

To the edge of Your robe 

Heal my being

Heal my motives

Give me supernatural strength

To serve others

To sit at Your feet

To share Your word

May peace be within your walls

The walls of your city

Your home

Your body

Your cells

Sing to Him the new song

Of future hope

Rest in assurance 

Of His mighty care

And love for you

Say to Him

Things you cannot even yet

Believe much less grasp

Allow the past

To release the present

In brokenness He will find you

In weakness He will lift you

And bring you peace

Broken before

The broken King

Restored beyond measure

I want my heart

To burn within me

I want to walk this road

With You

A little less Martha

And a little more Mary

Open my mind

To understand Your word

May I continually praise You

May You cloth me in power

From on high

That I may do Your 

Good and perfect will

I once had life 

Now there is sickness

I overstepped

The boundaries

That You made clear

That You marked with

Stones and songs

Of remembrance 

Truly greed

Was the original sin 

Eyes delighting

In things beyond

Her position

Her hand reaching

I lift my hands to You

Cleanse the intent

Of my heart

Put Your heart

On my palm

That all I touch

May feel Your love

I turn 

And You are there

I turn again

Still there

And again and again

Ever before me

With all my muchness

I strive to keep the Lord 

Keep His ways

Have His thoughts

I turn 

And place a reminder stone

I turn again

Another stone

Don’t forget

Oh my soul

His ways bring healing

His way is truth

He keeps me

When the night is long

When the day is full

Turn

Turn again

Seek the Lord