I'm Moving ... Again

No, we are not leaving Knoxville. I am moving my blog to WordPress. So if you'd like to "follow" me on over there, just click this link: http://stacyjstanley.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/hammock-season/ The Follow option is in the upper right corner. Much easier for readers to be notified of new posts and comment as they wish.

Hope to see you there!

Week 3: The Gift

In that humble place
Mysterious men from the East
Lay down their gifts
At his feet:

Gold for the King

Frankincense for the anointed One

Myrrh for Him who would die for humanity.

I don’t think anyone in that room

Fully understood
The meaning of those gifts
            Or all they foreshadowed.
How could they?
But they didn’t have to comprehend
In order to give.
Just believe.

In this humble heart

I try to comprehend the mystery
Of this gift of grace.
            I am a child of the King.
            I am anointed to serve.
            I will live forever.
I struggle to embrace
The full meaning of this
Indescribable gift.
But I don’t have to understand
In order to receive.
Just believe.

Advent Week 2: The Name

His coming
Included so many miracles –
The angels’ announcement to shepherds
The gifts from the magi
The star they all followed.
But the greatest miracle just may be
His Name.
Immanuel.
God is with us.

Roll that over in your head a while.
Let it settle into your heart.
All the longing of man to
            Be
            With
            God,
And He chooses
To be with us.
To be with … me.
And not just when I call Him
            Shout His name in praise
            Cry it in a tearful plea
            Whisper it in my exhaustion.
Not just when I would run to Him
For safety,
But even when I try to hide from Him
In shame.
            Where can I go from His Spirit?
            Where can I run from His presence?
Nowhere!
He is always
Right here,
Never to leave me or give up on me.
God is with me.
Immanuel.
What a miracle!

Advent Week 1: The Promise

We knew well the promise,
The promise we had clung to
Because it was our hope
In slavery
In wandering
In battle
In captivity
In every ceremony.
But we had nearly forgotten the promise,
Had drifted away from the truth.
Then the prophet Isaiah
Called us back
And declared again the promise of salvation
That would come in the Messiah.
                "And the Spirit of the Lord
                Will rest on him."
So encouraged,
We continued our expectant waiting.
 
Years later
Another man declares the same promise
Keeping the hope of salvation alive
In our hearts.
As a long line of believers is baptized,
From among them
One stands out.
When he rises from the water,
He stops.
The sky opens
And the Sprit comes down
To settle on Him.
                "This is my beloved Son
                With whom I am well pleased."
Our wait is over.
Salvation is here!

Should

I should be better by now.
I should be settled
Into my new normal,
A routine that no longer
Includes you.
I should have moved on
At least a little,
Taking steps toward healthy.
I should be beyond
Denial, anger, bargaining
And well on my way
To acceptance.
 
But in grief
There is no should.
Only is
Or isn't
Can't ... for now.
There are no deadline or timelines.
No finish line.
One day, there will be
May, will, shall.
Acceptance.
Today, I simply take the next step
And move along as best I can.

Fresh Start

You see, the thing is
I didn't ask for this
Fresh start.
I was comfortable.
Really.
I had all I wanted.
I had enough.
But now I'm here.
Way out here.
And I miss everything,
        Everyone,
I left behind.
I'll never have that again.

I know.

You had so much --
        Home, friends
But you needed more --
        Me.
You were comfortable
But I needed you to be strong.
And I love you
Enough to move you
Anywhere
So you'll draw closer to Me.
Depend on me.
Let me be all you need,
And you'll have more than enough.

 

 

Or Not

You promised

That nothing would change.

You knew me better than anyone,

Including me, sometimes.

You would stay with me,

Sustain me,

Defend me,

Need me as much as I need you.

I believed you to be

True

And honest

As you spoke of blue skies

For us.

But now

Everything is different.

You don’t even know me,

Nor care to.

But I’m getting reacquainted with myself.

You are gone

And I am alone

To face the enemy –

Loneliness.

And face the piercing truth

That the sky is gray

For me

For now.