Beloved, Be Loved.

I was listening to music while cleaning in the kitchen.  The song "Be Loved" by Christy Nockels came on and I felt the need to stop what I was doing and let the words wash over me.  I was brought to tears as I let the worries of the day, the pain and things that aren't perfect fade away.  I feel so refreshed, so alive.  I am His Beloved.  Maybe, like me, you need to hear these Truths today today:

 You are loved.  You are not alone.  You are treasured.  You matter to the one who created you.  He longs to dance with you.  He longs to hold you and let you rest in His embrace.  Will you let yourself be loved today? 

The words are as follows:

Be Loved

have you ever let yourself be loved by the one who made you
have you ever told your soul to believe that his heart is on your side
you could even try to run away but there is nothing you can do
so just be loved, be loved, he loves you
just be loved, be loved, he loves you

have you ever let yourself be held by the one who holds this world
have you ever told your soul to rejoice that his arms are open wide
you could even try to run away but he’d come running after you
so just be held, be held, he holds you
just be held, be held, he holds you

we didn’t earn it, he just chose to give it, and its in our resting that we rise up singing rejoice, again I say rejoice
rejoice, again I say rejoice

you are loved, be loved, he loves you
you are loved, be loved, he loves you

you are loved, be loved, he loves you
just be loved, be loved, he loves you
Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/christy-nockels/be-loved-lyrics/#81OM3WeTRRfhlXqV.99

Hope When the Leaves Fall

As the air grows cold and the sun is hidden behind the clouds it brings a sense of weariness. I am tired.  Sore.  Worn out and in need of renewal.  I am tired of being strong, of doing extra to keep our household afloat.  Since summer I've been running, not taking the time to rest.  Not taking the time to release.  Not taking the time to soak in grace.  I have enjoyed the strength that has been building in my body, some days even forgetting the pain that fibromyalgia brings.  But after going away to the Whiteshell for the week and beginning to relax, it's like my defenses came down.  I began to rest.  To be free of doing, free of all I've been carrying since Linc's accident.  And with that release, my body seemed to crash.

On Monday, the weather changed, and with it, my muscles began to seize and the all too familiar pain began to encase my body.  Like a cage it traps me.  Fears rise, like gophers in a field, popping up.  My mind automatically begins to calculate how many months until these prairie lands will thaw again, and with that the spasms in my muscles will stop.  The cold lasts too long.  Pain is dark and lonely and I find myself dreading it.  The wind has begun to blow, leaves being stripped from trees and the colored beauty tossed to the ground carelessly.  My body stiffens as if frozen.  On Friday Linc and I took the afternoon to go for a walk.  We sought shelter from the wind in trails through the bush.  In places, the wind felt cold and miserable but as we walked along, we found open spaces where the sun shone down, bringing warmth, coaxing my body to relax.

 We sat on the side of the trail, drinking in the sunlight.  The cold wind blew above the trees but I felt the warm whispers of Hope around me.  The truth of grace began to stir and love covered me.  I was reminded that the One who loves me is always with me and He is bringing healing to me.  I am captivated by His beauty.  I am lost when I look into the eyes of Jesus.  I find rest when I let go and wait in His arms.  And even if the pain in my body continues, my eyes are fixed beyond me,  beyond the pain of now and on the One who loves me with a love so deep.  It washes over me.  It carries me through the nights and the days.  And I am filled with hope, that even when the leaves fall, I am not alone.

And As I typed this, I was reminded of the song I heard the other day, which stripped away the layers and brought me Hope and reminded me of the Truth:

 (Sinking Deep by Hillsong United)