Where does he live? In what heart?

A young girl grows up. She grows up in a home, they go to a church. Their neighbors have a problem. The husband is abusive to his wife. Terribly physically abusive. The wife, out of fear and terror, out of sadness, heartache, and hurt, gets a divorce. The church tells her that she cannot come there anymore. She has sinned. The young girl is still growing up. She wants to be a choir boy. She can’t, she’s not a boy. A young girl grows up. She learns lessons of love, of pain, of heartache, and of joy. She survives cancer, and so does her daughter. She denies that a God exists. How could he. But she knows love exists, and she gives of herself to everyone freely.
I met this young girl grown up today. I have to say that never, ever, have I seen God so clearly in a stranger’s eyes, especially one that says he can’t exist.

I learned a lot from her today. I learned a lot from her about my Father, about my God. It seemed that she, who claimed that He was not, knew him far better than I.

“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law”
Romans 2:14

Reflections II

Of all the things that I could see, this was not one.
Of all the possibilities, none have come
True

Except for you,
Because you knew my heart when I did not.
You waited till the fire was hot
To burn the chaff, loosen the knot
Which with blindness held me down
crimes done against your crown
forgotten
All be cause one begotten
Knew that though my heart was rotten
He could make it whole
He turned my filth into Gold for your temple
It was so simple

But still, I make it complicated
When to the Deciever I listen
When he tells me I’m jaded
By you.
My Father, if anything less true
Had ever been spoken

Would I trade for all my days as a king, one truth which you have shown me?
The Love with which you own me in Freedom binds me fast
You’ve given love to last
You’ve given love, the past which tempts me,
Tells to me is empty
And tells to me I want

But One look and I see that I am full
I was deiceved until
I looked again for your face
I lack wealth But there is no room in one so full of Grace
I lack wealth but for just one taste
Of Heaven
Consider all wealth given
And so to You, I’ve written

This song, to speak my love
So much as these human words can reach above
To your ears

And though fears from time to time grab me
You will never let them have me
A saviour, Mine
Every, single, Time

on a side note - reflections

before I address the question I posed (which was the subject of a rather interesting and recent converastion I had with someone else), just thought I'd take a little time for reflection.

I find that often I return from lesson to reflection.
To that line of thought that either is or was at confusion's inception.
As though my mind comes full circle to its original insurrection.
Where I thought that what I had did not match my predilection.

And I think to lessons past I've learned of off track expectation.
Those mis-led which I have of my wholliest relation.
And those I see which to believe have become my temptation.
and I wonder if from deep within me stirs this skewed sensation.

I look to right and left and see a fulfilled generation.
Of those who look to you and receive boundless pledged elation.
And those with whom you would have eternally spent creation.
Those to whom your Pleasure'd be to grant entire nations.

and with patience
I look on.
I see those who you've made strong
I see those with whom you've taken long
strides
I see those with whom you've taken long
rides
on a wild steed
through wild feilds with rustling trees.
Up wild mountains with a sweet smelling breeze.
And accomplishments to them to give your pleased.

And I have seized upon this every instance
To pause and look to you and give thanks
Because through this I am covered at my flanks.
through this I am protected, your ranks, and encouraged.
It gives me coruage.

But when I look my hands seem empty
No map to where you send me
and My enemies they rend me
when I look to them lost along the path
and when in wrath I cry out
you hear my shout and whisper back

perhaps too soft for me to hear.
This turn too sharp for me to steer.
This hope, so far, at times I fear.
That here alone I shed this tear
that you are no where near
and through darkenss, I try and peer
and I see nothing.

Darnkess all around
from brothers, often not a sound
though I call oput in the dark.
some voices miss thier mark.
Would you send spark, or light or torch
would you send heat my freeze to torch

But again although I try
Does your ear pass my voice by?
or am I fed a lie, which I follow as a doubt

As if Socraticaly

Here's a big one:

"And what is it, then, To be a Christian?" he asked, as if Socraticaly?

any ideas?

More to come.

Dedicated to Mike and Tom, and Paradox Lake

Ok, Mike, Tom, Paradise Lake, this one's for you.

Please reminesce with me:

"guys! I just kicked something! It was solid!"

You'll be entertained to hear that, last night I kicked something. It was solid. I was, in fact, a bear. A bear that thought my feet smelled good, and tried to lick them through the tent wall. I kicked it, and it tried to make off with a shoe. I chased it with a nalgene bottle full of quarters, and it dropped the shoe and ran.

Funny now. But if at the time there was anything in my colon, it surely would not have been there for long.

Salty

Freinds, appparently, we are the salt of the earth. We are that which makes this Earth flavorful, desireable, lasting, to our Father. But what happens if the Salt loses it's saltiness? What happens if we can't find our faith, if we doubt, if we find it hard to love, if we feel unloved? "
It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men." (Matthew 5:18).

We have a responsibility to each other. We have a responsibility to preserve each other's faith. WE have a responsibility to LOVE each other, to help each other along the road. My God, people, Love is the most powerful thing that ever has entered our lives. And we have it, and we can use it. It can bring down mountains and walls, and keep safe the most delicate of all things. But the most delicate of all things, when left to fend for itself, gets trampled by men. It gets attacked, it gets ruined.

We are all fragile. No matter how strong, we all have weaknesses, we ALL fall, we all come up short. We all have weakness, and when that weakness is capitalized on, we NEED to be there for each other.

A freind calls you asking for help at work. Answer the phone! If you can save your friend from afalling, it is worth any setbacks, any losses. I speak partly from experience. Recenlty a freind called me, asking me to help him. I had a responsibility to help him, and it was a responsibility born out of love. But I failed him, and in failing him, I failed our Father. His weakness was capitalized on, and I should have been there.
BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER. Be there for me! I need to be there for you too! That is part of love. It is what we all need. It is what I need.