more tears

Friday, April 10, 2015 (6:54 a.m.)

Blessed Father,

Thank You! Thank You for love. And beauty. Imperfections. Mistakes. Family. Friends. Thank You that we get to look. See. Listen. Hear. Smell. Taste. You provided all our senses. As well as compensations [counterbalances] when things don't work as designed.

Father, You are good. Holy. Perfect. I am not. I try. Work. Fail. Regroup. Try harder. Fail again. I look to You with wonder. Longing. Hope. Hmm. Yes, there's that word again. And now, more tears.

Will they never cease? I guess I really wouldn't want them to. For me not to cry at the drop of a hat would represent such a drastic change that I might be unrecognizable to myself and/or others.

Father, struggling to make any bit of sense this morning again I turn to You and Your unfathomable love for each and every one of us. We are truly blessed to be loved by so great a God as You. Thank You.

Thank You that Your Word deals with every single situation we could ever come across. We are never so alone that we don't have somewhere to turn for comfort. Often in the least expected places.

So often I approach You head on. This morning for instance. I thought for sure we would be discussing imperfections. Like the one right outside my window in a rose growing crooked instead of straight.

Turning to Your Word I looked. Sought. Read. Searched. And the tears began as I read again of Your unending love for Your sinful people in the book of Hosea.

You repeatedly treated the wayward Israelites with mercy and compassion. Although You never stopped loving them, You did allow them to suffer the consequences of their sins. And then You used Hosea's committed relationship with his wife to serve as a symbol of Your own unconditional for Your people – including us.

Father, thank You for a heart that cries out to You of my own disobedience. Thank You for leading me to Hosea 2:14-15a this morning that I could be reminded again of Your unfailing love.

“But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.”

The Message uses these words “I'll give her bouquets of roses. I'll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope.” Roses. Hope. Imperfections. Unconditional love. Why wouldn't there be more tears?

Thank You that You allow me sadness mixed with joy. Heartbreak counterbalanced by hope. Tears accompanying smiles. You are the God of all and I am blessed to be considered Yours.

Thank You Father. Use me well this day. I love You. I need You. I want You. Thank You. Amen.

(473 words ~ 8:24 a.m.)