This week has been a long one. Full of frustrations born of living life with broken people. And I sigh and grumble and think I'm over this world when I am reminded I have no stone to throw.
April is almost here - the month of Easter. The time to celebrate hope and renewal and freedom from sin.
I've found you cannot rejoice in that freedom until you are convinced how much you need it. For a task-oriented over achiever, it's easy to believe you can check-list your way out of brokenness.
But my way - the way of doing and trying instead of being and receiving - is wrought with failure, worry and guilt. No freedom, no grace, no joy ever comes through this endless cycle.
And so I find myself praying through the Penitence and Deprecation prayers of The Valley of Vision - begging Jesus to remind me day after day of my need for Him and to "give me a broken heart that yet carried home the water of grace." (Valley of Vision, Paradoxes).
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Joining a bit late, but joining nonetheless. Over at Imperfect Prose. Come, too?
4 comments:
Amen. A friend and I do special music at our church and we will be playing "Glorious Day" by Casting Crowns on Easter Sunday.
Only after a year of tremendous struggle, have I been able to truly understand and feel the impact of those lyrics. If you haven't heard it, you should! It's a beautiful song. :)
That song has been playing over and over in my head and in my heart lately. It's so perfect for this Lenten season, and it's a great reminder that "one day He's coming..."
Be strong, friend, and keep your eyes set on Him. You will succeed. Hard times are just here for a season, and they will eventually pass.
i feel this way too, friend... with all of the weeping and groaning of creation, how can the earth take much more? and then the promise of spring, of heaven, becomes so much more beautiful... love to you.
Hi. I've never met you before but I like you. Maybe it's the heart of an over achiever I relate to. I'm in an entire season of denied outer achievement and it's hard and humbling, this learning a new cycle, one focused on my dependently receiving and freely giving away. I really liked the way you explained your old cycle. That was helpful. And like you, I'm more purposefully preparing for East this year. Valley of Vision sounds good. I'll have to check it out.
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