|
SubscriptionsSites I Read
|
|
|
|
| 
she turns -- today. the better part of her pilgrim's journey has been through life's valleys, walking alone with little else than a desperate faith in our Lord's goodness, pouring herself into her stubborn son's life. it was not a life that a soul anticipates or hopes for ... but she endured out of necessity ... she persevered because hers was the journey decreed by the Lord, and grace carried her.
they don't wear capes or fly at supersonic speeds ... the weight of a car would crush them, and bullets would pass through them fatally. but their soulheartminds race unceasingly to nurture those that lay in their stewardship, and they bear the weight of a world to protect and teach the lives they created. i've asked her how she endured ... how did she persevere through the unending ebb and flow of trials. and without fail, she gives me her small, contemplative smile ... she tells me that she loves God ... she loves her son ... she understood the life for which she was made.
our heroes, in the frailty of their bodies and delicate balance within their hearts, abandon self because agape gives and gives ... because agape is solely rooted in and imbued through the Vine ...
she knows i can never repay her ... but she didn't sacrifice to be reciprocated. my mom has lived under the grace of our Lord because she knows no other path through her pilgrimage ...
for our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. philippians3.20-21
| | |
| they were quiet, unassuming days. meals with old friends, a day at universal, meeting and sharing time with the girl who captured j.'s affection, no real agenda aside from p. and j. escaping the east coast's frost. the boy, who during college was unencumbered by the drama and distractions that can accompany dealings with the fairer gender, had found the woman who could match his calm and maturity. and in those days under southern california's mild winter months, there was an undeniable privilege in stealing glimpses into their relationship.
there was a soundness in their relationship from the beginning. j. had always been emotionally steady, capable of random outbursts and quirkiness, but never letting circumstances shake his trust and security in God's provision and sovereignty ... he's a rock of faith who understands that times of want and plenty or difficulty and blessing should not move the soul from confidence in a good God ... he's a man of few words, speaking only that which is necessary and profitable, giving his speech gravity and value. and j. had pursued a woman who was equally anchored ... in God's character and faithfulness, in His abundant grace. p.'s self-control and calm were woven into a warmth and affection for j. that made the soul smile ...
sauntering out of universal under light diffused by an overcast sky, we laughed easily, spoke freely ... about years brought out of memory's archive, about them, about everything, about nothing. the park was half-empty, and p. seamlessly settled into a walk that was not her own ... it was her man's distinctive stride, and she'd captured every subtlety, down to the way he holds his hands. and in a gaze that spoke volumes more than any tome or poem, they shared a smile, holding each others eyes ...
in love's natural progression, they exchanged sacred vows over two years ago ... and their small family has just given life to a new soul to be nurtured in their walk, under their gaze ...
... happy birthday, e. ...
... happy belated mama's day, p. ...
... happy early poppa's day, j. ...
| | |
| life is such a selfish endeavor, waging war against a heart that refuses to relinquish self ... stewardship over life and talents and abilities becomes a hoarding of resources and a ridiculous desire for unrighteousness. so we battle with soulheartminds too often clouded and deceived, praying for clarity and resolve ...
... then God brings a morning like thursday's, when perspective and understanding crash down in inundating waves that tower over the soul ...
there are so many who know them far better than i could have ever hoped to ... there are so many others who would pay a fitting tribute to the life of this man and the strength of his wife. but the imprint of their lives, through means of communication that a previous generation could have only dreamed of, lay deep and effectual on the heart and conscience. and there are so many of us who feel the gravity of their situation, and though we may not know them, we love them through prayer and in what little else we have the opportunity.
addison once said that God displayed His wisdom in bringing this upon andrew ... God only gives what a soul can handle, and andrew's faith and humility was such that the worst of circumstances could be and was laid on him ...
why God apportions long years to some and too few breaths to others remains confusing ... but it is not the clay pot's place to question or doubt. God never called us to live until our hair greys and our eyes dim ... He calls His people to love and obedience, at every age and moment, through every joy and difficulty ... and the souls moved to resolve by this faithfulness will be a testament to God's hand.
grace is a testament ... their children are, and they will grow held fast by the strength and sacrifice and love of their mother ... and they will be raised rich in the memory of their father ... and God will use the imprint of their lives to show Himself greater than we could ever fathom on this side of eternity ...
*sigh* words escape me ... there's nothing written here that isn't already understood by you ... all this poor soul can do is reiterate what so many have already pleaded ... please pray.
| | |
| 
you are our superheroes, with bulletproof chests and immeasurable strength. we sleep without hinderance because of your shelter ... we wander with wonder over this world because we know your voice will keep us near. we feel the stubble on your face and the embrace of you arms and understand what it is to be secure. your laugh resonates in our chests, your smile reflects in our faces, and joy becomes more tangible. you love your wives, our mothers, and our hearts are settled, at peace, because the only world we know stands strong, impenetrable.
we remember ... we remember the hours before dusk you spend teaching us to ride without training wheels ... we remember the ice cream you didn't want mom to know about ... we remember the way the lights at chavez ravine would reflect off your smile, and the rhythm of your walk while you carried us home. we remember how tired you were every night ... and because we didn't understand the ordeal of the day, you gave a glimpse into the heart of sacrifice, when weariness did not keep you from pouring the last hours of the day into us. we remember the way you love our Savior, our Lord, sometimes with words, always in deed. your head bowed, kneeling at our beds, praying for a thousand things we'd come to understand with age ...
God may grace you with long days, wizened faces, memories running deeper than the stillest waters ... and we can bow in adoration for time granted, time shared drawing wisdom. God may call you home before your child can fully grasp the depth of your faith and character ... and in life's madness, God will not leave to waste the time you've redeemed ...
one more catch ... words shared between a father and his child ... no amount of money, no gift, no tangible object can replace a voice, laughter, an embrace, a soul that hears and understands and instructs. we try so hard to attain ... not for naught, but because this world will not relent ... but we remember, not the provision, but the love you pour through provision ... you are superman, not because of your stature or status, but because responsiblity of our lives, for you, surpasses mere responsibility. and whether for ten or thirty-one years, God will use the vapor of life to imprint the soul ...
 | | |
|
