"Breathe me back to life" -

It's late .... and I'm finishing school. But I've got music playing in the background and it won't let me go. I was trying not to blog, but I just have to write and listen to these words over and over.

Because something broke last week, and it is always underneath my words. This week I spoke on the phone, and I realized that what I spoke, I couldn't fix. Only God heals.

As tears ran down my face in grief, the shadow of my favorite bird swooped through my vision. The bird above, hidden by the roof, the shadow dark against the bright light, slicing past the grass, into the floor and past my house .... in a surreal moment that is my special and rare reminder that God is with me. Mercy, bend down to me, and breathe life in me. Breathe hope in me. Breathe trust and peace and restore what has been lost. Redeem my years. Redeem my heart from brokenness and burning ashes into the garden of Your grace.

Bind up these broken bones! Mercy, bend and breathe me back to life...

I absolutely love the voice of Audrey Assad. Listen and read ....

"You could plant me like a tree beside a river,

You could tangle me in soil and let my roots run wild,

And I would blossom like a flower in the desert ...

But for now just let me cry.

You could raise me like a banner in a battle,

Put victory like fire behind my shining eyes,

And I would drift like falling snow over the embers,

But for now just let me lie.

Bind up these broken bones,

Mercy bend and breathe me back to life,

But not before You show me how to die.

Set me like a star before the morning,

Like a star that steals the darkness from a world asleep,

And I'll illuminate the path You've laid before me,

But for now just let me be.

Bind up these broken bones,

Mercy bend and breathe me back to life,

But not before You show me how to die,

No, not before You show me how to die.

So let me go like a leaf upon the water,

Let me brave the wild currents flowing to the sea,

And I will disappear into a deeper beauty,

But for now just stay with me,

God, for now just stay with me."

~

Praying for all my friends who are suffering and grieving -

For empty arms tonight. For treasured, smudged picture frames kissed a million times.

For arms finally filled after waiting and waiting, and for siblings gone on before.

For hurts unspoken and undiagnosed diseases and saying goodbyes.

For no-one to buy a grandma card for, and for too many sympathy cards in the P.O. box.

For realizing we cannot fix and we cannot heal, but our Precious Savior can ....

and we hold onto our Hope. He is Life, unending. Come and drink of Life everlasting.

I love you, dearest friends. My prayers are lifted up for you.

~ Jean Marie ~

"Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice,

and your joy no one will take from you." ~ John 16:22