a love poem

love's desire

love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
but if you love and must have desires,
let these be your desires:

to melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night

to know the pain of too much tenderness.

to be wounded by your own understanding of love;

and to bleed willingly and joyfully.

to wake at dawn with a winged heart

and give thanks for another day of loving;

to rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

to return home at eventide with gratitude;

and then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips

Kahlil Gibran 

dance*

Dancing is music personified. Poetry in motion. The heart laid bare. The soul expressed. Freedom realised. Passion performed. 

[I love to dance*]

it has come to an end

Space and time. Stretching out before her. Endless. Suffocating darkness. Running and running and running... screaming pain, searing exhaustion, stumbling forward, a drunken dance. Shadows loom ahead of her, but she runs and runs and runs... the gasping, the struggling, the fear, the tears. Her outstretched arms grasp at the immaterial, her hands claw at the fleeting. It is slipping away.

She runs and runs and runs and...

Time has run out.

always and forever*

My vow:

I am yours, always and forever.

I promise to love you with all my heart. To stand by your side. Remain with you – when it is easy, when it is hard – until we have no breath left. To fight. To forgive. To grow in godliness together with you.

I am yours, always and forever.

dark shadows and weariness.

Week after exhausting week. Dark shadows cast beneath weary eyes. The constant struggle to stay awake, let alone throw body and soul into numbing work. Tired. So very tired.... But. This is an eternal promise. An indestructible hope. An unfathomable comfort. An unshakable strength. 

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

 {Isaiah 40:28-31}

Goodnight.

"The art of marriage"

Tonight my person and I attended a workshop called "The art of marriage." Besides being beyond hilarious at times, it was insightful and very challenging. Here are a few thoughts from the evening:

"The woman may be freaking-out, but the man is freaking-in! So before it becomes a freaking mess, grab her hands and pray!"

"The woman becomes the crocodile and the man the caveman..." 

"Your differences compliment each other, don't let them bring conflict. God created marriage to be 'togetherness' - becoming one, an unbreakable connection, and not emotional distance or isolation."

"The heart of the problem is the problem is the heart."

"You are marrying a sinner - so plan for sin!" 

"Marriage is God's idea - not man's. It is a gift! A union that reflects God's love for us, demonstrated in the selfless act of sending His Son (the cross!) - the ultimate portrayal of love."

"Love is self-denial. Sacrifice." 

"Basis for a marriage: spiritual partnership, friendship, intimacy. Your spouse is God's instrument to help you, to encourage you in your faith."

"We try to change our spouse into the image of ourselves - because we love ourselves the most! But God's goal for marriage is to transform us, using each other, into the image of His Son!" 

[Or something like that - my memory starts to fail be past midnight!] Relationships are full of love, patience, pain, hurt, failure, forgiveness, joy, pleasure, loyalty, trust and hard HARD work... I'm excited for the future!

But one quick last thought: Never enter into a relationship for a sort of happiness, or sense of fulfilment and purpose. No one can complete you or make you whole. People can not bring you ultimate meaning or belonging. Relationships do not cure loneliness. People WILL fail you... but God NEVER will! He is faithful and true, eternal and unchanging. He IS love. You were created first and foremost for a relationship with Him (and then with others) for He ALONE can bring true purpose and fulfilment, our Creator, our Heavenly Father...

 

 

 

my last thought

"No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no mind has ever conceived

what God has prepared for those who love Him" 

{Isaiah 64:4} 

 

 

The Valley of Vision

This is my favourite prayer of all time - every time it's words pass my lips tears are brought to my eyes. It's beauty and perfect expression reflect the heart. Full of hard truths and glorious comforts. It is called "The Valley of Vision" written by the Puritans: 

"Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, 

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, 

where I live in the depths 

but see Thee in the heights; 

hemmed in by mountains of sin 

I behold Thy glory. 

Let me learn by paradox 

that the way down is the way up, 

that to be low is to be high, 

that the broken heart is the healed heart, 

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, 

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, 

that to have nothing is to possess all, 

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, 

that to give is to receive, 

that the valley is the place of vision. 

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, 

and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; 

let me find Thy light in my darkness, 

Thy life in my death, 

Thy joy in my sorrow, 

Thy grace in my sin, 

Thy riches in my poverty, 

Thy glory in my valley."