Tears?

Monday, July 18, 2011 (12:11 p.m.)

Heading south to San Francisco

Most Glorious and Loving Lord,

I didn’t expect them. I really didn’t. It’s all been so easy. “Stop. Look. Listen. And live.” Words I read at a railroad crossing in Alaska. Words I readily embraced. I’ve sat. Watched. Relaxed. Enjoyed. So why am I this surprised that at the end of another trip I find myself in tears?

Because Dear Lord ~ the surprise was beautiful! In so many extraordinary ways. The colors. The ocean. The clouds. Perfectly beautiful.

Then there was the delivery of early morning coffee, followed by the love of one cousin for another expressed by the reenactment of a long ago established birthday tradition of an early morning singing of “A very important announcement...”

It’s too much Lord! There’s fear. And love. And joy and sadness all mixed together with the task of packing and leaving and returning home. To what then?

Lord God ~ I love You! I thank You for this precious opportunity. I turn myself over to You. Honestly. Openly. Lovingly. Yieldingly. I’m Yours Lord. To do with as You wish. To become what You want.

And You lead me Lord. I come to You willingly. Wanting only to spend time in Your presence. Asking only that I be counted as one of Your own.

I look to Your Word and am immediately blessed by the hope found in Psalm 42. There is so much evil in the everyday world clamoring for our attention, You are our only hope! I thought I wanted to look at the other verses mentioning tears. But no. Hoping in You here in this particular Psalm is where I want to stay.

You are my God. My Father. My Lord. And Savior. My hope. My joy. And I am grateful Lord. I have no answers to any of the things I can think of to fear – except YOU. You are our Guide. Our hope. Our future. Our Shepherd. And we are Your sheep. Dumb. Helpless. Needy sheep. Thank You Lord! Thank You for calling to us to “Stop. Look. Listen. And live!” Teach us to more and more hear, know and obey Your voice. You are perfect. We are in need ~ of You. Thank You for Your never ending willingness to supply Your love, grace, mercy, hope, forgiveness…

I love You SO very much Dearest Lord. Thank You. Even for tears!

(406 words ~ 12:48 p.m.)