I have nothing this morning, nothing to bring to the One who made worlds from nothing and shaped hummingbirds and hydrangeas from formless, empty darkness. Nothing except the half-written post that refuses to complete, my own weariness, and a prayer of willingness.
He accepts them like a parent holding out hands to a child bringing a broken toy and a breaking heart. He holds them gently, and my heart heals a little as I see again that what matters to me matters to him because I matter to him. Then he sets them down carefully beside him and gathers me close, his arms reminding me once more that his delight in me isn’t affected at all by whether I have anything to bring him, or whether what I bring is broken or whole. He loves me just because he loves me, and sometimes the greatest thing I can offer is the vulnerability of my honest need.
When you have nothing to bring
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Your brief devotional today reminded me of Augustus Toplady’s wonderful hymn rock of Ages and this verse in particular.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
Blessings,
Gordon Rumford
What a lovely reminder! Thank you!
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Yes, that is why the Beatitudes become more and more meaningful as time passes…thank you…
Oh, yes. Thanks, Jan. Going to hang out there for a bit . . .
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Thanks you! Words I needed to hear today. ❤️
Blessings,
Delora
Being vulnerable …. broken ….. and yet we come Lord ….. I come ….. this is what I need …. this is Love.
Carolyn, your posts always touch deep places in my soul. This, from last week, as well as today’s, have spoken to some needs. Thank you for sharing the concept of seeking God together in the context, I assume, of providing spiritual direction. I was once hurt/scared/confused when a person I went to for some cleansing prayer didn’t quite know what to do with me. I felt–as I so often do–that there’s something innately wrong with me that makes me beyond hope. It took some time to come to terms with that event. But if I’d been able to see it then as seeking God’s face together, I think I would have been spared some pain.
May God bless your August. I look forward to the first Monday of September.
Sent from my iPhone
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Thanks so much for sharing this bit of your story, Tamara. I’m so sorry for the hurt and fear and confusion you experienced. We truly do walk on holy ground when we dare to accompany each other into the deep places of our lives, and your words are another reminder to me of how crucial it is to stay small as we do so. We are all so human and so fallible and so dependent on God for grace and healing!
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Last week as I was relaxing on the beach I read a Psalm that says that God delights in his people and I really had a hard time understanding why. However, then I also thought of another place that says we are the sheep of his pasture, and the sheep under his care. Thank you for this post and reminding me again that he loves us because he created us. I also wondered if because he cares for us, does that make Him love us more? Thank you for your post!