The Hand of God
Watching, waiting, seeking, blindly
I stumble
I stretch out my hand to find
Find bearing and grasp the void
Nothing, nothing.
Nothing do I find

I walk in darkness,
Buffeted by harm,
By pain,
By fear
Broken, crippled, paralyzed I lie
My body broken

I lie exposed - a desperate call for help
I cry
Silence, loneliness, despairing defeated
My voice destroyed and blank

For strain in silence I petition
Void, nothingness and naught.
In vain I grant my futility.
Useless, helpless I yield
Brightness
Strength not my own
I feel coursing through my brokenness
My mind made whole

I feel a restoration of my innocence
My voice renewed
Its cries of fear bid way to songs of joy
My body healed, the pain of paths once known is gone,
I am again a boy
A hand stretched - to me it grasps, and grants my stability
Granting, being, yielding, blindly
I am saved.
Source: "If" by Amy Carmichael.



Light and Beauty

I love You dear Lord,

For Your gentle promise

To hold me and keep me throughout the rain

To give Your Spirit Who helps me be honest

With myself even in the midst of pain

The Spirit searches my heart and lets me see

Just what is missing to cause this great void

Only You can fill me and restore me

I see the way to peace and am overjoyed

I see once more Your love so pure and good

Shining brightly in Your beautiful face

It will light me and help me be all I should

And it's so easy to accept Your free grace!

Lord, make me realize the wonder of You

The fullness and depth of all that You are

Just to behold Your glory makes me brand new

You can take my hurting, empty life so far

My tiny, little aching heart yearns for You

With all that's in me I long for Your light

Oh, fill my darkness with Your brightness and truth

Shine Your glowing rays through the heavy night

And open my eyes and make my heart tremble

In awe of Your boundless measure of love

And the chance in You my life can resemble

The goodness and greatness of my God above

Let me never again lose sight of You, God

In the passing strains and fleeting affections

Searching for fulfillment in a world that's flawed

Yet satisfied with naught but Your perfection

To take just one look at Your perfect face

Makes me wonder what I ever saw out there

To have just one taste of Your boundless grace

Makes me wonder why I hold on to these cares Lord,

Your beauty transcends all this world can give

So also Your life and power to restore

Which belongs to a soul You've shown how to live

And I've found nothing anywhere I want more



The Two Boxes

I have in my hands two boxes
Which God gave me to hold
He said,
"Put all your sorrows in the black,
And all your joys in the gold."
I heeded his words, and in the two boxes
Both my joys and sorrows I store
But though the gold became heavier each day
The black was as light as before
With curiosity,
I opened the black I wanted to find out why
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole
Which my sorrows had fallen out by
I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be."
He smiled a gentle smile at me.
"My child, they're all here with me."
I asked,
"God, why give me the boxes,
"Why the gold, and the black with the hole?"
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
the black is for you to let go."




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