Lord, Give me the words…

It’s been quiet here. 

Not in the house – two wonderfully rambunctious boys make this house their playground on a daily basis and I am GLAD for that.  Not in our lives – ministry and volunteer activities and boy’s judo and swimming all make life very noisy sometimes.

The quiet comes within.  Wanting to type posts, thinking of sitting down at the computer, then… quiet.  The words flutter around in my head, here one moment, gone the next, and I give it to God.  Any words I put together to make a post for this blog need to come from Him.  Or else why do I do this?

It’s been like this in so many ways this Lent season.  Taking an inventory of my life.  Everything is weighed in the light of eternity.  Does this stay in my life, or does this go?  Is this still necessary?  Is this pouring into our family?

The most important question to ask… Does this come from God?  Is this a good thing or a God thing? 

Life is so full – wonderfully full. 

I want to empty it of all that hinders, all that comes from me and not Him.  I want to make room for the things that are from Him.  I want to keep my life in balance with what He’s doing. 

I dream up so many ways to keep myself busy with good things.  I want the dreams to stop unless they come from Him.  I want to be busy with His things.

I test everything these days, not just activities.  I test attitudes, thought patterns, eating habits, exercise habits, faith-at-home ideas, home improvement projects – everything.  How do they measure up?  Does this meet all the criteria in our already very-busy lives?  Can this stay or does this go? 

I ask God.  He is helping me put to death a lot of things in life, a lot of things in me. 

For a time the words were gone as well and I wondered if they would come back or if they were just another thing to keep me busy. 

Just as Christ’s journey leads Him ever-closer to the cross, as He lets go of all that hinders to seek after His Father’s will, hardest though it was… I know I would lay down the words if He asks.  If they truly come from Him, He can do what He wants with them.  He can give them back to me or He can free me of them. 

Christ’s journey didn’t end at the cross, it was never meant to.  Life follows death.  Not just life, but resurrected life.  Grave-busting life that comes after the most broken death. 

And the quiet lifts.  I feel the words return.  I am thankful. 

May the words I type, the words I string together be pleasing to You always, Lord.  Do what you will with them.  Use the words to bring new life – to me, to others.  May the words honour You alone and fulfill Your purposes.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.