hands lifted up

At kids’ camp, I heard a comparison.  A simple one:  When we raise our hands up while singing during worship, we are like little children asking to be picked up.  I keep coming back to this in my heart so here’s my slightly expanded story version:

A little girl runs up to her father and stumbles on the way.  Skinned knees and teary eyes, she still looks up.  She sees her daddy’s eyes and flings her arms up in the air begging to be picked up. Oh, how she longs to be scooped up into her father’s loving arms!  Her heart is laid bare with its desire apparent: to be held.  She is vulnerable as she half lays on the ground yet knows that he is safe.  She puts herself fully in his care.  Finally, with a swoosh of air, she is shielded from all that surrounds as his strong arms draw her near.  She is so close that she can hear his heart beating.

Lately, I keep finding myself singing my heart out with arms held high. I find myself as that little girl who is working her way toward her Father’s arms.  Stumbling along the way and yet still reaching for Him.  Desiring to be held in His arms and to know that He’s taking care of it all.  Surrendering all to Him and gazing into His eyes. Because, really, it all comes down to….

trusting

that He will pick me up off the ground

that He is making all things beautiful

that He will do beyond all that I can ask or imagine

that His timing is best

that He holds my messy heart

that He will go back to Africa with me

that He is preparing us

that He loves us

—-

what are you trusting?

Works for Wednesday

Work=activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.

Ergon (Greek word): deed, doing, labor, work. From a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act — deed, doing, labour, work.

John 6:27-29

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

I read this passage and walked away wondering…Am I trying to make this so complicated? Am I trying to find a formula or isolate those areas that “work” for me rather than keeping it as simple as believing in Him? Maybe, just maybe, it’s more of a risk in trust to venture confidently with belief rather than reason, logic and oh, yes…experiences or what’s worked in the past. I don’t want to get what I’ve always gotten…I want to let Him take me places that go beyond what I can ask or imagine.

Just a few rough-edged thoughts…what do you think?