This time we found mostly broken things. The beach was beautiful, maybe the most beautiful I have ever seen it. Pristine blue water, white beaches, cloudless sky. But as we walked the endless sand each day, on the hunt for shells, we found only broken pieces. At first I found myself full of melancholy that … Continue reading A reminder
Martha. Friend of Jesus. Of all the ways to be defined, this one is the best. Beloved by the Messiah. But you are used to defining yourself by what you do. Martha, the helper. The servant. The one people count on. You love passionately and loyally. You give yourself completely. Poured out to the uttermost. … Continue reading When Jesus Doesn’t Come
God, To those this day who have no peace, be their peace. We want to see you bursting through clouds, coming down in rage and fire to end evil, to rout the rebellious proud, to bring to justice the liars, to put down those who would seize and savage your people. We, the outraged, want … Continue reading Peace (Five Minute Friday)
Let us adore him. For rivers and stars, for forests breathing praise, for mountains rising to point the way, for deserts holding secrets for seekers, for the riotous jungles, for the unknown ocean deeps, for plains of provision hiding kernels of life. Let us adore him. For evening light falling into corners, … Continue reading Adore
Jesus, Here we are again, approaching the day of your birth. We’re thinking of that hushed and holy night, imagining ourselves under the legions of angels singing of peace, kneeling in the dark of the poor place where you came to us. Here we are again, Jesus, and if we have comfort from singing and … Continue reading A prayer of the hurting at Christmas
I am reading the Christmas story differently as a mom this year. Maybe it’s because my children are no longer little, when it’s easy to kiss away tears and put band-aids on the boo boos, when they fit snugly in my arms, and I can hold them until they are happy again. My son is … Continue reading A light for weary mamas
You are standing in the shadows. Maybe you didn’t realize it at first because everyone else seemed to be there with you. Maybe your back was turned to the light, or maybe you were just so used to the sight of that brightness on the far horizon you didn’t think about it anymore. Funny, you … Continue reading From the shadows
As the dawn breaks after starless wander, after black thrashing, after huddling cold spent blank, a lessening. A thread of thinnest gold. As the fire rages unconsuming holy in the brush, night rising guardian over nation beloved, falling furious to lick up Baal’s pride— meat, water, stones, and very dust— blazing into faith’s furnace where … Continue reading How the light comes
Sometimes the light hurts. Sometimes the light comes and we find we are not ready for its brilliance. The light exposes. We see our mess. We see our failures. We see our deep wounds and the things we tried to bury away and hide. And others can see them, too. We crave the light, but … Continue reading When the light hurts
Advent, Day 6 Once God came to Job, that saint of suffering, and asked, “Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home?” (Job 38:19-20) We do not know the … Continue reading Listening in the dark
viewfromthevalley.blog 