Tuesday, September 28, 2010

how hard #2...

“how hard,”
You said, “it is for a rich man
to enter YaHWeH’s kingdom.”

“the odds
are better for a camel
to get through a needle’s eye,”
You continued.

we laughed.
it was a comical image…
then
we quit laughing.
it wasn’t so funny anymore.
“Lord, who is there that CAN be saved?”
we asked.
You were quick to reply,
“God makes it possible.
there is no other way.”

really, Lord?
no OTHER way in…
than YaHWeH’s grace and mercy?
no great acts of charity can do it?

or
was that Your whole point, Lord?

at first we’d thought
You were asking the young man
to give up his money
as a sacrifice…
to earn YaHWeH’s notice…
His favor.

then
it dawned on us
that giving it ALL away
was the minimum
requirement
to join You on the road…
&
joining You, Lord,
is the ONLY way into the forever-kingdom
of YaHWeH…
the kingdom that
hums with LIFE…
full-on-LIFE!

(for the back-story
to this post...
see Mark 10:17-31)

Monday, September 27, 2010

how hard #1...

“how hard,”
You said, “it is for a rich man
to enter YaHWeH’s kingdom.”

“the odds
are better for a camel
to get through a needle’s eye,”
You continued.

we laughed.
it was a comical image…
then
we quit laughing.
it wasn’t so funny anymore.
“Lord, who is there that CAN be saved?”
we asked.
You were quick to reply,
“God makes it possible.
there is no other way.”

really, Lord?
no OTHER way in…
than YaHWeH’s grace and mercy?
no great acts of charity can do it?

or
was that Your whole point, Lord?

at first we’d thought
You were asking the young man
to give up his money
as a sacrifice…
to earn YaHWeH’s notice…
His favor.

then
it dawned on us
that giving it ALL away
was the minimum
requirement
to join You on the road…
&
joining You, Lord,
is the ONLY way into the forever-kingdom
of YaHWeH…
the kingdom that
hums with LIFE…
full-on-LIFE!

(for the back-story
to this post...
see Mark 10:17-31)

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

in his arms #3

big
people want blessings that are
quantifiable...
profitable...
&
usually impersonal.

why is this true, Lord?

is it
that mostly we don't want
to be bothered?
to be distracted?
to be handled?
or
is it as simple as the
fact
that we like to be
in control?

little
people LOVE being
handled...
held...
cuddled...

is that why You
pointed them out to us
as living pictures
of heaven?
of grace?

is that why You
insisted
on HOLDING them
as You pronounced GRACE
into their lives?

is our refusal
to stop
long enough for You
to hold us
close...
the main reason we
notice
so few of Your gifts
to us?

(for the back-story...
see Mark 10:13-16)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

in His arms #2

big
people see things
differently
from little people.

You knew this, Lord...
so
is that why You stopped us
as we tried
to prevent Your words of
blessing
from being spoken?

big
people think words
are cheap...

little people
know
that words can kill
or
at least make them cry.

big
people curse
life...
&
other people...
&
barriers to their plans...
&
frustrating circumstances.

little people
haven't learned
yet
to curse
although they do know
frustration...
& sadly...
cursing will come easily
to their lips
soon enough.

Lord,
Your words of blessing
exposed
our "protection"
of Your "valuable time"
as the curses
they were.

heaven
loves blessing.

death
despises it.

(for the back-story...
see Mark 10:13-16)

Monday, September 20, 2010

in His arms

turned
away, Lord...
we turned them
away.

You stopped us in our
tracks
telling us that
they
were what heaven's
citizens
most resembled.

then
You held them
in Your arms
blessing
them & their lives.

squirmy
&
already dirty from their morning
travels...
they stopped their
movement
for a moment as
words
too strong for any of us
big people
to remember
much less comprehend
rolled
over their little heads.

then
once again full
of energy
they ran off to play.

heaven
stopped & noticed.
the cosmos-Maker
smiled.

indeed...
it was good!

(for the back-story...
see Mark 10:13-16 & Genesis 1:10 )