Step lightly now
Amidst the hush
Of morning dew
And sleeping dreamers
To greet rising sun
And dawning day
Scattering mists
And breaking clouds
The air it freshens
Breathed in deeply
Cool grass greets
Bare feet and soft touch
Step lightly now
In mornings sparkle
Hearts flame lifted
Life’s hope renewed
The child that was me clutched the covers tightly around her shoulders, her frightened eyes wide in the night. The summer storm roared in as rain pounded the metal roof above her head. Wind rattled the tree limbs outside and buffeted the house.
Sizzle! Bang!
Springing from her bed, she raced to the top of the stairs, calling, “Daddy! Daddy!” … and she heard his reassuring voice above the sound of the tempest outside. His footsteps sounded on the stairs and then he was beside her, comforting her.
… I well remember that long-ago night. Staying with me until the storm passed, calming and reassuring me, my father’s presence brought safety and security. The rumbles of thunder slowly grew distant and the flashes of lightning gradually ceased.
There have been many more storms since then, storms of life, tempest tossed. The faith that was instilled in me as a child revealed our Father God, though sometimes the pounding storms distracted me. The dark has a way of intensifying things doesn’t it? Where is hope in the middle of our storms?! It is difficult to hear God’s voice above stress and pain and His footsteps have gone unnoticed or forgotten.
A browned, slightly wrinkled piece of paper is a remnant of one of those stormy seasons of my life. It reads, “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still” (Psalm 107:29). Posted in my kitchen all these years, it is still a daily reminder that God is always with me, reassuring me and calming the storms.
Even after my father returned to his own room, his presence lingered in my mind. I knew that he was close by. I knew that he loved me, demonstrated by sacrificing his own sleep even though he was exhausted after a long day of work. My family was around me and we had survived the storm together!
Psalm 107 says so much about the storms of life. Wandering in the desert, hungry and thirsty, trouble, and darkness… We encounter and struggle with all of these. In times of distress, we can have hope and reassurance that we don’t face that alone. God delivers us. He brings us through, and His love is steadfast. I’m so thankful for that!
Just as the child that was me heaved a sigh of peace and drifted off to sleep, so can we all rest secure in God’s presence. He holds life in His hands and He’s always close by.
“He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed” … a reminder and a promise for us all. “Peace, be still!” *
*Psalm 107, Mark 4:39
• Places to go and things to explore
• Stay out of the breakers to avoid trouble
• Joy carries us through dark fear and bright hope
• The immensity of one’s world is full of wonders
• Moving through life with others is a dance
• Life’s rhythm flows with energy
• Those gathered around us can bring protection and security
• Quiet presence when needed… is a gift
• When we are swimming freely… we are in our element
• Peace is found in quiet nooks
From “Reflections from the Everyday”
Having a dream, we hear its call
Hold to truth and help each other
Open hearts filled with longing
One desiring to make things right
Pardon offered and praise given
Produce new life and positive change
Ending despair by showing compassion
Encouraged, you matter
…Bring hope
From “My Words to Live By” c-a allen
Anticipation
Hurry hurry
He’s coming now!
Excitement
Hear the shouts
See the crowd
Honor
Palm branches laid
Robes spread before him
See
He comes to you
Righteous victorious
Lowly
Upon a donkey
Only a colt
Ruler
Giver of life
Bringer of hope
Rejoice
Your King comes
Hosanna, save
*John 12:12-19, Zechariah 9:9
Appreciation for provision
Recognizing goodness come
For joy’s soft touch
And simple beauty
Gratefulness for helping hands
Expressing hope along the way
For harm averted
And kind words spoken
Speak our gratitude
Be thankful
From “My Words to Live By” c-a allen
“It’s broken!” the young child exclaimed when he saw the picture of the crescent moon in the boardbook we were looking at. “Yes, it does look broken doesn’t it?” I replied.
When I have looked at my own life and at the world around me, I too have exclaimed, “It’s broken!” Seeing only a part, I have focused on the sharpness and darkness of the crescent moon and not on its light. In the midst of struggles, it can be easy to forget that there is One greater than ourselves and our situations… that there’s more to the moon than we can see!
What can we do when overwhelmed with our own brokenness and the brokenness of others?
Jesus used several illustrations about brokenness… When the crowd of people who had come out to hear his teachings grew hungry, a few loaves of barley bread and some fish were offered. Jesus took those loaves and fish and broke them, not only providing for the needs of the people but also having basketfuls left over.
When eating with his disciples in an upper room, Jesus broke the bread and told them it was like his broken body, soon to be sacrificed for them. The two men from Emmaus were able to recognize Jesus only after the bread was broken. They understood that Jesus had been broken too and they were given the good news of life. Jesus sacrificed himself for all who come to him, seeking healing… seeking forgiveness.
By giving God our brokenness, we are strengthened and able to go on. Out of pain comes light. Like the people who followed Jesus, we too come together to support, share, and encourage.
Out of brokenness, hope and life is born! How amazing is that?!
*Matthew 15:34-37, Matthew 26:26, Luke 24:35
• We all have a purpose and use
• When we are empty there is hope of good things to come
• The imagination of a child turns the everyday into awesome
• Treasures can be found within each of us
• Some of us are gifted in organizing
• Anticipated arrivals are bright spots in a day
• Care for your boxes lest they fall apart in the rain
• The Maker of boxes has a use for all sizes and types
Oh, anticipation and beginnings
Of firsts and next and looking ahead
Of getting up and rise fall rise
Of prayers and plans and seeking quests
Of strength hope joy to follow a path
Of steps begun walk onward
from “OF… Songs of Life” Charlotte-Anne Allen
Brrr!! The calendar says springtime, but cold rain, sleet, and snow have been falling! Some people find the cold season invigorating. For me, those first buds and sprouts are a promise that warmer days are coming and with that promise comes anticipation. Even as the earth stirs as from sleep, I too stir… contemplating the year ahead and the winter past. It reminds me of some verses from a seldom read passage in the Song of Solomon, which my father loved: For lo, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
I look forward to new opportunities and growth, windows open wide to greet fresh air, and summer gardens and lawns. Even the responsibilities of work, church, and family seem more enjoyable. It is easier to turn loose of the “stuff” that tends to pile up during cold, lonely, or difficult seasons. When faced with challenging times, my mom would often say, “this too shall pass” … and she was right! Even as winter passes into springtime, so life moves on. Mom’s reminder and optimism was much appreciated, not that all would always turn out as wished but that we can be assured that God would get us through.
How my impatient or hurting self sometimes struggled to see that though. It is in more recent years that I have come to better experience the peace God provides for each day. Snow melts and sunshine warms! That’s why I love the springtime. Flowers appear. Singing comes. Life is renewed.
*Song of Solomon 2:11-12 (also known as the Song of Songs)
The Still Small Voice 