Pressing.

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As Jesus went, the people pressed around Him.  And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment and immediately her discharge of blood ceased… Jesus said, “Someone has touched Me…” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before Him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”  ::: Luke 8

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and:

on a morning barely light, while I stumbled over my slippers and my broken way, and gave my love a kiss and a thermos on the way out the door and I settled in to listen to the message in the quiet with my coffee and my bible and the my day-plan already spinning tired in my head:

The pastor, he spoke these words of God’s truth straight to my thought-whirling-weary heart and said something like this:

We have to “press our way through”.

We have to be “desperate enough to say I want to touch the hem of His garment”.

And I heard it.

And I replayed it.

And I inhaled it deep.

And I listened again.

And the tears welled.

That was it.

That thought.

The one that has been settling slow over three days past, that I hadn’t put into spoken word.

Like her.

That’s what I want for.

That’s what I hope for.

To be so singular in focus.

Like her.

To be like her:

To be faith-pouring- out like her.

To be proud- dumped- empty like her.

To be Him- only- truth- seeking like her.

To be on-my-knees-humbled-in-awe like her.

And her?

The way she hemorrhaged sin and blood twelve years.

How she lived lonely- lost on the fringe:

of life.

of community.

of hope.

and then was desperate.

desperate enough.

enough.

she had:::

enough.

And He knew she would come:

to bore a one-way-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel through the mobbed and dusted street to reach- touch the fringe

:::just the edge

of who He was.

Who He is.

She knew:::

it would be:::

::: enough.

To save her.

To heal her…

her once- forever- bleeding heart:::

that plagued her and followed her and chased her and shattered her and forced her to live less than who she was created to be.

And she knew.

He could make her whole.

She knew.

Just the hem…

Could hem her close to Him.

Comforted, close and kept.

So she reached.

and in her trembling before the King,

::: she found what He had called her to.

Hope.Joy.

Healing.

And, in just a while,

He would bleed for her.

Instead.

To heal:::

the hard- heaving : bound- up : fallen- down world

And, in forever- gifted grace, and abounding, love- filled mercy- words, He would say to us, like He said to her:

“Your faith has made you well; go in peace.”  ::: Luke 8

Press on.

Through the crowd.

Press on.

He loves you.

Reach for Him.

Be desperate for Him.

Taking her by the hand he said to her… “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”  ::: Mark 5

Psalm 93.

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Nothing lasts here.

Nothing is eternal.                                      His eternal power…   +Romans 1:20

Not the trees or the sea or the dirt or the clouds or the flowers or the grass.

They wither and evaporate.

Just like that. A breath.

Nothing is forever here.                 The Lord will reign forever… +Exodus 15:18

Not the cars or the boats or the bikes or the houses or the iPads or the shoes.

They rust and disintegrate.

Just like that. A blink.

Nothing continues here.                  … because He continues forever… +Hebrews 7:24

Not the money or the land or the country or the government or the goods or the agreements.

They fade and fall.

Just like that. A wisp.

Nothing is endless here.             God’s works are so great… endless enjoyment… Psalm 111

Not the rivers or your starry sky or the horizon or the depth of the ocean or the height of the mountain reaching into the clouds.

They all cease somewhere.                 …Love of the Lord never ceases… +Lamentations 3:22

Just like that. A twinkle.

Nothing is abiding.                    …His deep and abiding presence in us… +1 John 3

Not the coming or the going or the up or the down or the over or the under or the through or the around or the near or the far.

They all stop.

Just like that. A moment.

Nothing is enduring here.                 …for He is the living God, enduring forever… +Daniel 6:26

Not the love or the passion or the loyalty or the faithfulness or the belief or the commitment or the mercy or the compassion.

They all finish.

Just like that. A puff.

Only One.

Only One lasts forever and ever.

One steadfast, burning, loyal, all-powerful, unrelenting, unchanging, unmovable, ageless, patient, always, indefinite, boundless, undefined, untethered, tireless, filled up and pouring-forth, majestic, evermore, loving, everlasting, committed, unstopping, awe-some, fixed, lasting, unfailing, compassionate, immutable, you-can’t-find-a-word-for-it, unalterable, mighty, passion-filled, forever, east to west, creating, merciful, beginning and end, solid, time-less, unfading, perpetual, unshakable, glory-filled, no-match, grace-giving, uncompromising, true, established, faithful, irreplaceable thing will always::::

remain:

The Lord Reigns.

The Lord Reigns.

O Lord, forevermore.

Sewing His love

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KingsLanding 003Today, Nathanael learned about Dorcas, or Tabitha, from Acts 9, in his Sunday School class. He told me her story. “She made coats.” “She died.” “People prayed.” “She was alive.” I was so intrigued, I had to read more.

She sewed coats.

and gave them all away.

And sewed together broken lives with her giving.

She sewed coats.

And sewed together weeping hearts with her love.

She sewed coats.

And sewed His lovingkindness into each stitch.

She gave the coats away.

She gave her love away. Like He did.

She gave her time away. Like He did.

She gave her best away. Like He did.

Coated in righteousness and graciousness and Godliness and gentleness

She labored.

for the least of these.

{Truly, I say unto you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me… +matthew 25}

She labored for Him.

Because He is all she saw

in her weaving of this life

in her tailoring of good works

She knew that showing His grace to the least

meant sharing her most

the seaming and knitting of a tattered humanity

With His given-to-her gifts

for His glory…

These things of His that she gave away…

is what made her live.

She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” 39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

+Acts 9, ESV (bible gateway.com)

Hope for the Road

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KingsLanding 061After Jesus rose again on Easter day, he met two men walking on the road to Emmaus. He did not reveal Himself immediately to them. Instead, He walked along with them as they discussed the crucifixion and the account of the women who seemed to have found His empty tomb. He took this opportunity to remind them of the scriptures, to remind them of what was promised to them, to remind them of Who He is.

I love this story in Luke 24. It reminds me that even when He is not “visible” to us, He is right there. He promises us that. That is a beautiful thing.

They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?”  +Luke 24:32 ESV

Third day.

Stone rolled away but they did not see it themselves

Jesus in their midst but they did not see it themselves

Walking the dusted road

weary in heart?

weary in travel?

weary in talk?

dusted on sandals:

and now

with dusty hope:::

like hope was left on a shelf somewhere: hope: a thing worn and tired:

like a Book, perhaps: tattered and known:

dog-eared and ditched:

dog-tired

out of reach and retired there:

on a shelf.

past.

tense.

:::: we had…

Hoped…

They walk.

They talk::

::::::::::::: was a mighty Prophet in word and deed… they said…

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: we had hoped that He was the One… they said…

And on they walked.

Discussing Jesus. With Jesus.

With Jesus.

No, really.

Actually.With.JESUS.

And He opened the scriptures to them and He admonished them and He conversed with them and He loved them and He traveled with them…

and He met them right there where they were.

And He met them right there where they were.

On a road to somewhere.

On a journey to where they were going::: Glory!

He walked with them.

Just like we get to do.

Even when we have left our hope up high, left- weak somewhere

on a shelf.

And they felt Him there, you know.

While they traveled…

“They urged Him strongly”…. +Luke 24 esv

“Stay with us”… they said….

And they broke the bread together and they listened together and they talked together and they walked together and they journeyed together and they returned together…

….together with Jesus.

and their eyes grew wide and they saw Him.

For Who He is…

Alive.

Relevant.

Here.

Today.

With you.

With us.

When hope is depleted and our road is worn and dusty and we have forgotten the hope that is in Him…

He is walking with us.

Even when we do not see Him.

He was born for us.

He died to save us.

He left the tomb to give us life!

“… Jesus Himself drew near and went with them….” +Luke 24:15b esv

Dust off your hope.

He has risen indeed!