“Hand-Me-Downs”

 

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m still dressed in my mourning clothes.  I’ve had them on for a while now.  They are hand-me-downs. My closet is full of them.  Apparel from the past, worn in the present and kept for the future.  They are pretty worn and shabby, but I can still read the labels.  .  .shame, guilt, self-condemnation, fear, anxiety, despair, regret and without strength.   Right now I have my winter clothes on.  Life is hidden below the ground and there are only memories of the Fruit on the Tree and the Flowers in the field.  The only birds I see are the mourning dove and the lonely sparrow on the rooftop.  The Eagle has disappeared and I can’t find Him.  I need a Hand.

   “Then I said, Woe is me!  For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips…”  Isaiah 6:5

I am undone in the moment.  It is an Old Testament word and the Hebrew meaning is, “to be done or silent;  to fail or perish;  to be cut down;  destroyed in the moment.”   The season when the heart is cold and numb in feeling .   .   .and it is clothed in an old and worn-out robe that was handed down to me.  The only words that my lips can speak are hand-me-downs, engraved on my frozen heart.  Winter words.   Yet my True Heart knows, that mourning the winter is but the Pledge of the coming of Spring.   .   .and there is Hope.

       “Although the fig tree shall not blossom and there shall be no fruit on the vines, and the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat.  .  .and the flock shall be cut off from the fold, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.  I will feel the Joy of Spring in the God of my Salvation.”  Habakkuk 3:17

Hand-me-downs: “Owned or used by someone else before; ready        made and passed along for further use by another.”  I’ve spent my whole life wearing them.  .  .and spent the last thirty years in the office looking at others display them.

Yesterday I was at my daughter Rachel’s house to baby sit my                  granddaughter Shelby.  Rachel asked how the ride went, knowing that the car I drive is a 1994 Buick Park Avenue and in the past has been somewhat suspect as to its dependability.  I told her the car is a dream-boat and running great now.   It is a hand-me-down from friends of mine.   .   .Handed down to me from my Father, Who clothes the lilies of the field in beautiful apparel; feeds the sparrows every day without fail and gives His children wings to soar like the eagle.  Will He not take care of me?

       “Every good and Perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights, with Whom is no variableness (fickleness) neither shadow of turning (no variation in His Love), it is always the same.   .   . yesterday, today and forever.” James 1:17

My heart has a little smile now as more thoughts arrive.  The shirt I wore to the office yesterday was from my friend John.  The stylin coat that kept me warm was from my son-in-law Mark.  We keep the clothes in the family. My bedroom is filled with family furniture.  The bed was my brother Jay’s.  The desk and shelf is from my daughter Jessica. Many of the decorative items are from my daughter Rachel and my Shelby.  They are gifts from the ones I love and keep me close to them.

Sometimes hand-me-downs grieve my heart.  My thoughtless, selfish,  unkind ways, handed down to the people around me.  .  . make me sick to my stomach.  And yet, an email filled with Love and Mercy was just handed down to me from someone whom I have hurt.

       “I was walking our dog early this morning and thinking about a verse in Isaiah 65:1 that talks about our God revealing Himself to those who didn’t seek Him and then it hit me.  That verse was meant for me.  I was so far from God when you walked into my life and I had no truth in me or as my friend Mike Cooney would say, “when Your words came, I ate them”.  Well, I had no words to eat. I was thinking about you and how people are sometimes placed in our lives for a season. .  .it hurts but through you God has given me my Faith and a Love for His word that once was dead.  Thank you Mike.  I wish you Love and Peace this Christmas season.”

Love from a friend that is undeserved, unconditional and Handed down  from the Father of Lights, Who forgives and is full of Mercy.  Who spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for us all.  The Son providing a Robe.  A Robe of Righteousness.  .  .a Hand-me-down from Heaven to sinners like me.  .  like all of us.  A Robe that covers our sins, makes us Beautiful in the eyes of God and enables us to obey Him.  The Robe provided by the Father for all of his little flock. His prodigal sons and daughters.  A Hand-me-down from His Son.  Always hanging in the closet of the children’s Heart.

 

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord.  My soul shall be joyful in my God.       For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation.  He has covered me with the Robe of Righteousness.  .  .the Lord will cause Righteousness to come forth in the Spring.  .  .” Isaiah 61:10-11

I sing because I’m happy.  I sing because I’m Free.  His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me. With His hand wide open to give Love, Joy, Faith, Peace, Patience, Wisdom, Forgiveness, Power, a Sound Mind.  Hand-me-downs from Heaven.

Freely Given.        Freely Received.      Free, My Loves.

 

Father’s Day. A Day of Miracles

A day for my three Miracles.  Each one coming forth from the womb of their mother, Diane.  Each one coming forth at just the right time, in just the right sequence, in perfect order.  Each one resting in the Eternal womb of God, waiting for marching orders from His Spirit, hearing  the word, “Charge” from the Word of God, His Son Jesus. Born in time at the very moment predestined for them. My heart is full at this Good Moment as I consider the Father’s Day gifts that they are to me.

My first born, Rachel.  Her name means “To journey;  a ewe.  .  .a predominant female of the flock;  a good traveler;  the favorite wife of Jacob in the Bible; beautiful in form and countenance.” God gave her that name and it fits her to a tee.  She has been on an extraordinary journey.  .  .through mountains and valleys, through rivers and streams, sailing across the ocean of life and like the Titanic, pierced in her hull by an iceberg.  But rescued by the strong arm of God.

    “But now says the Lord that created you oh wife of Jacob and that formed you oh daughter of the flock of  Israel, ‘Fear not for I have redeemed thee, I have called you by My Name;  you are Mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you and when you pass through the rivers, you shall not drown.”  Isaiah 43:1-2

Rachel is beautiful in form and countenance.  Her trials, her failures, her                    shortcomings and her own personal pain have all worked together, to make her who she is today.  A devoted wife to her Jacob, Mark;  a Loving mother to their sweet daughter, Shelby  .  .  .the spitting image of her mom;  and a daughter who has blessed her parents with her kindness and thoughtfulness.    She is a friend of Bill W’s and a friend to others who struggle in life.  She is returning to school to become a social worker and use her own personal experiences in life to help others.  I call her Rachy.  I love her.

My middle child, Jessica.  The bridge between her sister and brother. Her name means, “To stand out;  there is great substance;  accomplished;  a beacon;  God sees.”  God certainly knew what He was doing when he gave her that name.  From the moment she was born, she was unique.  .  .a standout in her personality and full of determination as she navigated through life.  In her weakness God sees her and she has found Strength.

    “And God said to me, ‘My Grace, My Divine Influence in your heart and its reflection in your life, is sufficient for you;  for My Strength is made perfect in your weakness. So I can boast about my weakness because it is only there that God’s power rests on me.  When I am weak humanly, God is Strong in me and through me.” 2Corinthians 12:9-10 

 

She too has gone through some difficult times; but it was in those very moments of despair and pain that God has filled her with Great Substance and made His own light to shine in her that has made her a Beacon of kindness and love to others.  She is a fearless explorer and delights in the wonders of nature.  Jessie is an all natural gal with a supernatural soul.  She loves her family and her friends with her whole heart and soul.  She brings light into the darker shades of my soul and makes my heart smile.  I call her Gigi.  I love her.

My youngest, Benjamin.  His birth coincided with my second birth, when the very Life of God became a reality in my soul.  His name means, ” Son of the right hand of God;  a builder of the Father’s name;  a strong, male sheep; a gentle lamb;  very fruitful.”  A name given to him in Heaven, before time began.  From the moment he arrived, he was the apple of his sister’s eyes.  They couldn’t get over it.  A live doll to play with!  We still laugh when we talk about the time when they were pushing him rather briskly down the driveway in his buggy and the girls tripped together and catapulted Ben onto the concrete.  The right hand of God had gripped him tightly that day and other times, when he was kept from danger and disaster.

     “The steps of a Good man, a son of God,  are ordered and arranged perfectly by the Lord and He delights in his child.  Though he falls many times, he shall not be seriously harmed for the Lord holds him with His Strong Right Hand.”  Psalm 37:23-24

Ben has been challenged with disappointments, frustrations and bumps in the road.  But he continues to learn that the strength needed to be a leader in the flock and the gentleness required to be a lover in the flock, can only come from trials and tribulations.  He is a genuinely sweet man who is discovering that being fruitful is a gift from God.  When he and I have a good heart to heart moment, I am blessed with his vulnerability and trust.  I marvel at God’s own workmanship in the character of my son, who sits at the right hand of his father’s heart next to his sisters.

I have many regrets for those moments that something other than Love embraced their precious, innocent hearts and caused them pain and anguish.  It grieves me to think about it.  I am so sorry.  There is a promise from God in the Bible that says, “I will restore the years the locust have eaten.  .  .the giant locust and the locust swarm.  These are the things I will do.”  I am so grateful that He found me, one of His lost sheep and that His Love, His own Son, found a Way into my heart.  .  .and found a Way to forgive me.  He found a Way to change a locust into a Lover.  It is this Love, His own Love that now embraces their hearts through this simple man that I am.  It is this Love that restores and reunites broken hearts.  It is on this day we celebrate “Our Father Who art in Heaven.  Hallowed be Thy Name.” These are my children.  My Father’s Day Miracles.  Such a Happy Father’s Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medicine for the Sick in Heart

“My God, my Father!  Blissful Name!  O may I call Thee Mine?

May I, with sweet assurance claim a portion so Divine?

This only can my fears control and bid my sorrows fly;

What harm can ever reach the soul beneath my Father’s eye?

 

 

This God is the God the sheep adore, our faithful, unchangeable Friend,

Whose Love is as great as His Power, and neither knows measure nor end.”

The First New Year’s Eve

My brother Jay posted a bunch of pictures recently on Facebook, taken from a family album.  Many of them included my mother when she was a very young woman, posing with Jay, my sister Lynn and myself as youngsters.  There were a couple of her when she was still a teenager, just before she married my father.  I have just glanced at them, avoiding the inevitability of what is rising up from the depths of my soul as I share this with you.  I am very sad at the moment and feel alone.

My mom (her name is Jane) was my hiding place from the storms.  She was sweet and gentle.  She spoiled us with her Love.  I could never get enough of her, regardless of how much she would give.  And then, without any warning, she could give no more.  She died suddenly at the age of thirty-seven and left my father without a helpmate.  .  .and three kids alone with their grief and sadness.  .  .and asking, “Why Lord”?   I ask Him that to this day, when grief and sorrow fills my soul like it is right now.  I feel so alone.  .  .but not left alone long.  .  .and not left without an answer from Him.

       “To everything, there is a season.  A time for every purpose under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die.  .  .a time to kill and a time to heal.  .  .a time to weep and a time to laugh.  .  .a time to mourn and a time to dance.”

My parents would always celebrate New Year’s Eve by joining a group of friends at a neighborhood “watering hole” as it was called, back in the day and they would get soaked from head to toe.  I would hear them laughing and clowning around when they got home.  My grandmother, Svea who lived with us and baby sat when my folks would go out, would tell me the next day about the antics the night before.  I loved to hear my mother’s laughter.  As I got older, I heard less and less.  .  .and it saddened me that she was so burdened at times.

Today, it’s New Year’s Eve, 2020. This will be my seventy-fourth celebration. The earth has celebrated thousands.  .  .and some believe millions.  But these are only a drop in the ocean compared to how many God has celebrated.  Which leads us to the very first New Year’s Eve celebration.  There were only three Celebrants who Participated and the universe had not yet been Created. It happened during a period referred to as Eternity past.

There are three frames of reference for existence:  Eternity past, which is existence before time;  Time, which is existence from the creation of the universe till the end of time;  and, Eternity future, which is existence after time is over.  Eternity comprises an infinite measure.  Eternity past had no beginning and Eternity future will have no end.  Time is finite and measurable, and therefore has a beginning and an end.

Eternity past was inhabited by only God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  They dwelt together in Love, because God is Love. They Delighted in each other and They Delighted in the coming of the first year, for it was the rising of the Son on all that was to be created.  They were celebrating everything that was to arrive and be born  in time.  .  .having predestined everything that would happen in every way, shape and form.  Everything.  But most importantly,  they Delighted in what was going to happen to the objects of their Eternal Love, the apple of Their eye. .  . the sheep of Their flock.

        “I have made an everlasting, eternal covenant (contract) with you.  .  .predetermined in all things and sure.  .  .I have Loved you with an everlasting Love; therefore with Loving-kindness I will draw you to Me at the exact moment determined by My Love.  .  .My Delights were with the sons of men, the sheep of my flock .”

It was my Mom’s destiny to die when I was sixteen.  A time for every purpose    under heaven.  In Eternity past, on the eve of the first day of creation, God the Father celebrated choosing my Mom to be one of His.  God, the Son celebrated the moment in time when He would die for her so she would be acquitted and found not guilty and cleansed from all sin.  God, the Holy Spirit celebrated, knowing that at a particular moment in time, He would draw her with Love and Mercy and fill my Mom with a Faith that has carried her into Eternity with Him.

The First New Year’s Eve celebration and resolution.  To find His lost sheep and bring them home.   God’s resolutions all become a reality in His children. He who spared not His own son, but gave him up for us all; how will He not also along with the Gift of Christ, freely give us all things.

 

Homemade is the Best, Ever!

One of the culinary delights that was served up for my family this Christmas was real mashed potatoes and home made gravy.  Yum.  Home cooking.  I don’t get that treat very often.  Just this morning a good friend sent me a picture of a carrot cake that she made from scratch.  .  .making something using no prepared ingredients; starting from the beginning with no prior preparation.  Homemade, like Creation.  Home is a Golden word.

Home free. . .Charity begins at home.  .  .Come Home to roost;  Hammer home.  .  . Home is where the heart is.  .  .To make at Home.  .  .Man’s home is his castle.  .  .Nothing to write home about.  .  .a Home away from home.  .  .The home stretch.  .  .The lights are on but nobody’s home.   .   .Til the cows come home.  .  .Home brewed.

I was rummaging through a box of Christmas decorations that have been on the family tree for years.  I found a precious homemade Christmas tree that my daughter Jessie made in her pre-school years.  I got teary eyed holding it my hand, thinking about all the years that have gone by and what a wonderful young woman Gigi (my nickname for her) has become.  She is homemade.  .  .a very special home-brew, filled with ingredients that her parent’s made from scratch.

       “I will praise Thee Lord for I am mystically and wonderfully made in secret, in the Home of your soul and was curiously embroidered as a marvelous work of your Hands.”  Psalm 139:14-15

In the early days of my gypsy pilgrimage through church experiences, I found myself memorizing verses from the Bible.  One of the first to be Imbedded in my soul was, “If you are at home in Me and My words are at home in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you.”  Prior to 1980, I was never at home with God.  Home is where your heart is and back then, my heart was focused on the tree of good and evil.  .  .the same tree that Adam and Eve roosted on.  They ate the forbidden fruit and were driven from their Home.

The original home of everything that has existed in the past, that exists in the present and will exist in the future, is in the Eternal womb of God, waiting to be Born in time.  Everything is Home Made and Hand Made by Him.  In each moment in time, events of life come forth in every way, shape and form.  They become a present reality as His Son, the Word of God speaks them into existence and His Spirit brings them forth.  All of it.  .  .Home Cooking from the Master Chef of the Universe.

       “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was at Home with God, and the Word was God.  .  .all things were Hand Made by Him and there is nothing that exists that was not made by Him.  In Him, at Home with Him, is Life.  .  . and that Life is the Light to lead His Flock Home.”  John 1:1

The Light is on and He’s always Home.  .  .till all the little cows come home, the sheep of his flock.  He washes them up and makes their wool as white as snow.  He makes them feel at home with Him and feeds them some Good Old Home Cooking.  .  .Cuisine made up of the finest of spices and wine.  Garnished with the Fruit of Heaven:  Mercy, Forgiveness, Freedom from guilt, Hope for tomorrow, Faith to Live with Power and Love.  .  .and a Sound Mind. To be  Home Free.  The check has been paid by the One Who Loves you.  Truly,  Something to write Home about.

Homemade.  Handmade.  The Labor of His Love.

Christmas Presents (Presence)

If we made a list of the most difficult things to do in life, I’d be betting that “waiting” would be on it.  Just this morning I was reading something about the faith and patience of Bible characters who had to wait for God to come through for them.  They pleaded and prayed.  They cried and called out to Him.  And sometimes in their anguish and despair, all they could do was utter sounds from the depths of their soul that no man would understand.  And He Told them to be still.  And He Told them to trust.  .  .and have faith.  And He told them to wait for His promise to be fulfilled.

       “He gives Power to the faint (weary ones) and to them that have no strength, He increases their strength. Young and old men and women shall stumble and fall. But they that wait for the Lord will renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings like the eagles.  They shall run and not be weary.  They shall walk forward in difficulties and find a Way out of them.“  Isaiah 40:29-31

The word wait in the Hebrew language in which it is written, means “to bind together in union;  to expect;  patiently wait for.”  I remember the first time I waited for God to come through for me.  It was a few weeks before Christmas when I was six years old.  There was one thing I wanted for Christmas.  It was a Lionel train set.  Santa was aware of my request, but I found myself counting the days, waiting impatiently for them to pass and praying at night, trying to seal the deal with God.  On Christmas morning my present was there. My dad had gotten up earlier than the rest of us and had it all set up and chugging around on the tracks.  He was standing there with a smile on his face, waiting for me when I walked into the living room.  I am teary eyed as this is being written and in this Moment I am held captive by some deep feeling inside me that is attached to my father’s presence that morning.  He was happy with me.  It wasn’t often.

I have spent the last twenty-five years sitting with people in the office who were waiting, waiting, waiting.  .  .until they could wait no more.  Trusting, trusting, trusting until they could trust no more.  Be patient, be still.  .  .don’t fret, don’t worry.  .  .be happy.  The well intended, “religious seal of approval” advice they were getting was only bringing them to despair and they felt the indictment within, that they did not possess the faith they needed.  They just needed to know that faith comes as a Christmas Present.  .  .a Gift from God.

      “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable, indescribable Gift…It is by grace that you are made safe and sound through Faith, which is a Gift from God so that He can smile on you on Christmas morning by giving you His Son, the Lamb of God, Who alone possesses Faith.  .  . and Who takes away the sins of the sheep and dwells within them to Do all things for them. ” 2Corinthians 9:15;  Ephesians 2:8-9

When God Speaks to His children and tells them what to do, it is His Son Who He is speaking to who dwells within the lambs and it is the Son who always Does what His Father commands.  He will supply your every need.  What do you want for Christmas?  Is it forgiveness.  Is it freedom from guilt?  Is it self-control?  Is it the power to forgive yourself or someone else.  Under the Christmas Tree of Life is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Self-control, Faith, Hope, Trust, Wisdom, Power.  .  .all wrapped up in His Son.

God the Father’s unspeakable, indescribable Present.  The Presence of Jesus in the soul of His Sheep.  .  .and the Father is Always Happy with His Son.

“ROCK” Stars

Over the last ten days of my life, I have been Graced with a personal experience with not just one Rock Star, but two.  You can go your whole life with never meeting one in person.  I’m still Star-struck over those two Good Moments. What Good Fortune. What Good Luck. Who Knew? The Lord of Luck Knew.  He Arranged the meetings before the creation of the world.  His Eternal Love Arrived right on schedule Sunday, with Son-shine in  my daughter Rachel.  Then the Book of Life turned over another page and Love Arrived on Thursday with the brilliance of Son-beams through my sister Alisa.

There are a number of definitions for the phrase “rock star”.  The one that I relate to the most is, “someone who can stay up and do some hard core partying all night long and wake up and take care of business in the morning.”  I can’t tell you how many similar stories I’ve heard at the meetings I go to.  I heard one on Sunday.  .  .from the lips of my daughter Rachel.  She was the main speaker. . .or better yet, she was the mouth-piece of the Day Star, the Rock of Ages.  Her Rock Star.

     “A Light that shines in a dark place until the Day dawns and the Day Star arises in your heart.”  2Peter1:19

In Twenty-five minutes, she shared her autobiography.  A relatively normal childhood, frequent moves from one place to another, changes in schools, finding new friends, excelling at school, developing perfectionistic traits by learning early in life that people valued you for how much you accomplished or achieved.  By the time she went off to college, it was time to be a rock star.  But here she stood years later,  sharing the personal consequences that result from an absence of self-control and yet in that Good Moment, with Love in her heart.  .  . celebrating five years of sobriety. . .ten months of Motherhood with my granddaughter Shelby. . .four years of partnership with a man who is determined to respect and love her. . .and like other rock star celebrities, she raised her eyes to heaven and pointed her finger to the Son and said, “I owe it all to God, my Higher Power.” At the end, we all stood hand in hand and recited the Lord’s prayer.  I was unable to utter one word.  My heart was filled with so much Joy that I couldn’t speak, but instead my tears applauded the Day-Star on High, the Rock of Ages Who has filled Rachel with Light.

      ” In my misery, I waited for the Lord.  He turned to me and  He   heard my cry.  He pulled me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. . .and He Set my feet upon a Rock and Established all of my future steps.  He put a new song in my heart with words of praise to Jesus Himself, Who is the foundation and  the Chief Cornerstone.                   Psalm 40:1 Ephesians 2:20

Another definition for Rock Star is, “someone talented and unique;  a famous singer of Rock music;  living at the top of your game;  one of a kind.” On the following Thursday, I was at another concert with a very select group who always attend Rock Star events.  My sister Alisa was Singing.

       “We are made a spectacle, musical theater to the world, and to angels and men, who see with wide open eyes, something Remarkable.”  1Corinthians 4:9

I have caused great pain and distress to Alisa’s soul.  I deserted her when she was younger and needed me to Love her.  I failed miserably and have walked around for many years with self-condemning guilt and shame.  It never was about anything she did wrong.  There is no explanation that would be worthy of presenting as an excuse or reason for abandoning her and other members of my extended family. It is all my fault. My fear has kept me from dealing with it. I have been without courage.  .  . yet Courage Arrived.  We met Thursday and I listened to her sing.

She sang lyrics from her heart that were written in the Moment, full of honesty and truth, powered by the deeper emotions of the soul.  Such pain I have caused her.  As the melody reached higher cords and the angels watched in Wonder,  Mercy was in her heart and Forgiveness was on her lips.   I am teary eyed as I write this.  Our tears flowed, but this time they flowed together. . .brother and sister, together.  Love covering over a multitude of sin. God’s Love. The Rock Star’s Love.    His Love never fails.

      “And the Holy Spirit says to the sheep, I will give you a White Stone and a new Name Written in Stone.”  Revelation 2:17

THANKS for GIVING Your Son

“God tells me not to labor to put away my sin;  I am so weak and sinful, I never could begin. . .But blessed truth I know it, though ruined by Adam’s fall, Christ has my soul redeemed;  Yes, Christ Has Done it all.

I have not first to seek Him because in Love He sought for me;  when far from God I wandered and was lost in sin and misery, He opened my ears and gave me to listen to His call.  He sought me and He found me;  Yes, Christ has done it all.

And when in Heavenly glory my ransomed soul shall be, from sin and all pollution forever and ever Free;  I’ll cast my crown before Him and loud His Grace extoll;  Thou Lord has Thyself redeemed me;  Christ, Thou has done it all.”

Jesus, to His Eternal Name our spirits long to raise this theme that Who from His Father’s bosom came, His chosen people to redeem.  In wandering mazes dark and deep, where evil roams  in quest of prey;  it was there He caught the wandering sheep and did him on His shoulder’s lay.

No dreary waste however remote, shall hide the sheep from Jesus’ eye;  He’ll have the number that He bought and on His shoulders they shall lie.  Though often they slip and sometimes fall, no prowling wolf shall ever destroy.  He’ll on His shoulders lay them all and bear them to the flock with Joy.

He bore their sins in days of old and hid their sins in oblivion’s sea, and thus secured within the fold. . .all those who on His shoulder’s lay.     John Kent

A Prisoner’s Confession

I have spent the better part of the last two weeks in jail for a felony I committed against the heart of someone close to me.  I was arrested for aggravated battery, found guilty and given a sentence for what seems to be an indefinite period of time.  .  . because I am a repeat offender.  .  .and a three time loser.

My only comfort during the incarceration are the daily Losers Anonymous meetings that I attend. . .with losers of a feather, who like sheep, flock together.  Each meeting is filled with stories about the grief and sorrow felt about the crimes committed.  Regrets for the pain and suffering, the unthinkable indifference and insensitivity, the wounds and bleeding of the hearts that were victimized.  Just this morning, one of the convicts shared a Heart-felt song that was a blessing to all of us.  It was a melody she learned from a fellow inmate Who became a Friend, closer than a brother.

“How can you mend this broken man, how can a loser ever win?”   And as she sang, something Remarkable happened.  All of the prisoners, with one voice began to sing.  .  .

      “I can think of younger days when living for my life, was everything a man could want to do. I could never see tomorrow but was never told about the sorrow.”                                   

Living for my life.  Working hard at getting my own needs met even through meeting the needs of others; but not seeing it that way until the blinders were taken off of my eyes.   Striving to possess whatever my heart desired so I could be happy. Isn’t it what every man could want to do?  No one ever told me about the sorrow though.  .  .about the pain and  suffering I would inflict upon others and the torment it would bring to my own soul.  A man with a broken heart, unable to truly love in the moment.  Full of despair.  Handcuffed to his selfish needs.  Shackled to the shame and self-condemnation.

       “And how can you mend a broken heart?  How can you stop the rain from falling down.  How can you stop the sun from shining.  Please help me mend my broken heart.   .   .and let me Live again.”

All of the sheep of His flock are repeat offenders.  .  .Incarcerated in a Maximum Security Facility.  Prisoners forever.  Reminded daily of their misery and their perfect helplessness to change their behavior.  But their prison contains a Rehab that Promises to Heal their broken hearts.

       “For the Lord hears the poor, those destitute of the power to change.  He does not despise His prisoner, those He Loves.   .   .The Lord God has appointed me (Jesus said) to preach Good News to the meek, to those depressed and lowly because of their guilt and shame.  God has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the inmates and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” Isaiah 61:1

How can you mend this broken man?  How can a loser ever win?  How can you mend a broken heart?  Who.  .  .not how.  Who can Mend.  Who can Heal.  Who can Forgive.  Who is full of mercy.  Who is Love, the only Cure for a broken heart. Jesus, Name above all names.  Blessed Redeemer.  Living Word.  Speaking Life into a troubled soul, making them Live again.  Freeing the prisoners .   .   .  It is for Freedom that Christ has set you free.

  Free Love.     Freely Given.      Freely Received.     Free to all Prisoners.

 

No Rest for the Wicked?

     

Christ has done the mighty work, nothing left for us to do;

But to enter on His toil, enter on His Triumph too.

His the pardon, ours the sin –great the sin, the Pardon Great;

His the Good and ours the ill;  His the Love and ours the hate.

Ours the darkness and the gloom; His the shade dispelling Light;

Ours the cloud and His the Sun;  His the Day-spring and ours the night.

His the labor, ours the rest;  His the death and ours the Life;

Ours the Fruits of Victory, His the agony and strife.

  “Jesus said, ‘It is finished.  All work has been completed.  And He bowed His head and gave up the ghost.”  John 19:30