"Nevertheless"

  Don’t you hate it when the electricity goes off and you are in the dark? You scramble to light a candle, or feel your way through the dark to that multi-purpose drawer that holds the flashlight.   Of course, once you find it amongst all the other gadgets, tools and junk that has accumulated over the years, the flashlight usually has dead batteries and you are still in the dark.   Pitch black.   Can’t see your hand in front of your face.   Dark. I much prefer light. God is light. Darkness is sin. So why would we want to sin?    Why would we  want to walk in the dark?  You can’t see where to put your feet.  You can’t see what is in front of you.   You stumble around.  So it is with sinning. We may not like it, but we are all born in sin and are natural darkness dwellers.   If we don’t admit to that one essential fact of our life, we can not know any truth. Fortunately, there is a way out of the darkness. But first:    Why would we try to deceive ourselves about our sin? Well, for one t

  How do I worship You O God Through the fog of praise And vague understandings? My mind cannot conjure the image of You, Though Your Spirit within swells joy at Your Name. You are elusive and shaded from vision, Yet one in spirit and love and truth. Even covered by the smoke of worship The weight of Your righteousness is crushing, Breaking the shields covering my unbearable truth, My face unable to hide from You. Yet the balm of Christ’s blood covers And You claim me as Your own. One day… one day the haze and fog of smoke …gone. One day… one day to know as I am known. Written May 2013 - published on splatteredfaith.blogspot.com

 T his really is a true story.   I wrote it in 2012. In the last few years, I have gone through several stages and changes in my life. God changed my life drastically! For 2 years it was like a honeymoon with Jesus and then...My church family fell apart, My children had consequential situations to deal with and my prayers for them went up continuously. My marriage of 34 years fell apart and I am now divorced. I've been single for almost 3 years now. These are not unusual circumstances. It happens to everyone in every walk of life. It's life. Jesus said "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." But it is my life. Personal. Intimate. Affecting me. Tearing me apart. Breaking my heart and mind and spirit. Through all of it, I have believed God's promises and trusted Him. Asked Him to intervene. Asked Him to change things. Asked and begged Him to restore things. Asked Him to use the tribulations in my life in some ma