(C) Cheryl Howard 2008

Life at times can turn with slow, monotonous grind,

Dreary, pallid days linger listlessly in your mind,

A dull and flat horizon turns into years that endlessly unwind,

The dreams that once enthralled you are somewhere left behind.

 

 

You wonder how you got here, on such an arid ‘scape,

When hope began to wane, your joy with it did take,

And somewhere in the grey, dim past your heart began to break,

And now you grapple desperate, for a way out, an escape.

 

 

Your future looms before you, an uninspiring plain,

When did you trade your mountains for this lonely, flat terrain?

You gaze about with sadness, regret - you sense its pain,

And then you hear HIS echo, “To trade death for Life I came!”

 

 

Remember the refrain of grace, by distraction, neglect - abused!

And do not turn your back on HIM, by your unbelief accused.

As faltering you reach out, with rusty faith, poor used,

Let HIM take your heart in HIS, in love and hope be fused.

 

 

HE will strip the mist away that grips you in its sway.

HE will blow the darkness, fill you with HIS light, a ray.

HE will take your dreams, and breathe in HIS hope this day,

If you but yield your heartsong and trust HIS will to have its way!

 

 

 

thought for the journey …

Perhaps you find yourself in a place you never dreamt possible - a place of hollow hopelessness and grinding boredom? Did your heart once drum with excitement, expectation - and hope? Do you find yourself disturbed, confused and dismayed at the empty and arid condition of your heart? Did faith in GOD once burn brightly within, was there a time you loved to draw aside and simply spend time alone with JESUS, did HIS word once inspire and ignite your heart? Has passion and love been slowly replaced by cool indifference?

 

How did this happen to you, what went wrong? How do you get back? Are you afraid of your own entrenched cynicysim? Can you ever ‘return’?

Jeremiah 3:22a “Return you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings!”

Hosea 10:12 “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek The LORD, till HE comes and rains righteousness on you!”

 Isaiah 55:6-7 “Seek The LORD while HE may be found, call upon HIM while HE is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to The LORD, and HE will have mercy on him; and to our GOD, for HE will abundantly pardon.”

 

It’s not complicated - it takes a simple act of your will, a determination to ‘return’, to ‘repent’ - to come home; HE awaits you more eagerly than you could ever dare to imagine - for to HIS heart you have ever been most dear!

HIS call to you echoes HIS call to the Corinthian church, and to the lukewarm Laodiceans - ”Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2a). Don’t delay even a heartbeat longer, return to HIM in all your wretched need - Now! 

 Revelation 3:19-20 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears MY voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with ME.” Can you not hear HIS voice calling you? For it is HE who is reaching out to you, calling you to return home to HIM!