We grab the end of summer by the reigns.
Get away.
Just us girls.
A time to refresh. Reflect. See family. Be family.
Away from it all.
Dishes.
Chores.
Home.
Frustrations raveling around us like vines pulling us away…
To something.
Anything…..other than Christ.
And my list of “need to do’s”…..
A mile long.
Ignored.
Happily.
And I find the road an open freeway to the freedom I have known in Christ.
Rejoicing in the barrenness of my soul.
With eyes fixed on the emptiness of this earth.
Dirt and dust stretch out before me….
Like a blanket of summer soaking up the sun.
And even the tumbleweeds are not able to cling in this wide open, where all is brown and hearts are undone….
Yet, while the earth is in deficit of color reflections of God….
This lifeless, destitute place….Somehow….
Reveals God.
The openness of His arms…..the road before us beckoning.
And the land spread out as far as the eyes can see…..
Calls me to Higher places.
A place where “stuff” can’t get in the way.
Dave Crowder plays.
And the simplicity of His sound resonating with the starkness all around…
And I find, “Holy”…in the lyrics…and in the voice of The Music Maker calling me deeper….
To a sweeter place than I have known before.
And the land. The desert drive that I had dreaded….becomes the awaking ground….
To my thirsty soul.
And the earth cries out…..“Greater is He still.”
And the intensity of nothingness all around…..makes way for peace.
Quiet brushes across my mind….sweeping out all temporal worries.
All plans and preparations to do much…fade in the pertinent need to praise Him.
And it is enough.
This praise that comes from barrenness.
This worship found in emptiness.
This place of desert openness…revealing more than vast, open skies….but my own soul.
And I see the Israelites in their desert place with different eyes.
And I wonder….
If the desert was a gift not to be despised.
A gift.
Where they could not miss their God at work. A season where they knew….fully…their mana was not from them.
In the cloud by day and fire at night.
And I wonder why we fight the God voice all around. The stripping of self.
Drowning out the open skies with towers made by our own hands.
These silent sounds of heaven all around….
And I see how easy it is for faith during desert seasons to rise.
How God’s people….lay waste….also….became strong. Wise.
And how obedience was easy when it was time to walk around Jericho….seven times.
And how God obedience always breaks down walls.….Crumbles castles of sand made by human hands.
And I long for obedience…..even more.
To the one who stretched out His hand and made the waters rise up and touch the land.
The one who lifted these heavens above the land.
To the one who at a word spoke the hills and valleys into being.
And my heart thunders at the truth of His impact.
His base drum playing…when we have nothing but Him.
And I rejoice as I drive in this desert of faith.
With Him.
Alone….
In deserts place.
Linking this post with http://cyndispivey.com/
& Emily at Imperfect Prose & Brag on God Fridays
18 Comments
Wow! This is really very good! It has lifted my spirit this afternoon. Take care.
Your a gifted writer…”THe drive I dreaded…becomes the awaking ground… I love the sweet suprise gifts from God.
Blessings~
You just followed a blog just put up today called ‘To Africa and Back” That is my daughter!!! I couldn’t be live you followed it!
Judy – So glad this post lifted your spirits!! Great to hear! Blessing this day!
Ells – It’s all God, sister. All God! Praise be to Him!! :0)
Shanda – Ya, funny story. I just “happened” to be messing w/ my twitter page & came across your tweet about your daughters blog. Checked it out & love her heart for the poor & straight forward, boldly writing. Can’t wait to follow her story. My heart echoes her heart. Africa…watch out!! 🙂
Love ~ jen
thanks for the post. also encouraged by the comments! so cool how God works.
Happy Wordfilled Wednesday!
How beautiful, how serene! Thanks for bringing a bit of peace to my soul. God bless! Visiting from Wayback Wednesday!
You write just beautifully. I loved this so much, spoke right to my own thirsty soul. God is so good! Blessings!
Compelling words! “Obedience always breaks down walls”…the walls that my self-centered flesh has erected.
Wonder – Yes, isn’t it cool how He works! 😉
Alida – Happy Word filled Wednesday to you!
Cathy – Thanks for the visit.
Heidi – Isn’t He good to give us just what we need…right when we need it.
Rebecca – Yes, and how easy to erect walls and how difficult a life of obedience can be…
~ jen
Beautifully written. These words speak to me, “And I wonder why we fight the God voice all around. The stripping of self.” God has taken me to that place of stripping of self and I’m learning to love this place. Many blessings!
Beautiful, encouraging words. This place does become the awakening ground…i love that! and that has been my experience for the last several years, although i have called it the wilderness, it too has awakened my soul…and yes, prompted my faith to rise 🙂
“i long for obedience. . . even more.”
yes. beautiful words here, Jen. beautifully composed. i love the flow, how i can hear it spoken in my head as i read it. it’s very compelling. you have a lovely heart 🙂
Lisa – Good for you…embracing and enjoying no barriers between you & the cross.
Shelley – So glad you can relate with this post. Yes, so many of us has walked the desert path. And like you, I know….His hope is that we are not driven from Him….but to Him….during this season. Bless you Shelley.
Hope – Thank you. So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!
The desert. So barren. This was a beautiful commentary on God’s blessings and not our own doing. Thank you for writing so beautifully and reminding me of who God is and what I am. 🙂
Happygirl – Your comment made me stir with joy…as my greatest, most important purpose…revealing who God is. ~ jen
Rejoicing in the barrenness of my soul.
love this. love that you got away with your girls to worship God… they’ll always remember that. beautiful post, friend. xo
very inspirational.
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Thanks:)