Some Encouragement

To my hurting friends.  All of you.

 

To the women.

The girls who have been waiting, wanting, serving, and mourning.

To you who wonder "will it ever be my turn?"

 

To you who have been called and who have moved from your stationary position into the scary and tantalizing heart of God, alone.

To you to went and stayed after the novelty wore off, to you to are faithful and funny and smart and freaking beautiful and creative and stronger than you think.

To you who have been stolen from, lied to and made to think YOU are the crazy one.

Did you ever think he didn't call because it's better if he doesn't?

They take your stuff, they take your peace, they take your bodies... they just take.

Take heart, God has chosen you, he chose to make you because he wanted a YOU in this world.

Take heart because we are not here for very long and some of it IS ridiculously beautiful.

Take heart because prayers move the heavens and suffering is sometimes the most merciful and beautiful gift God gives.

Which sucks. I wish the tags on the gift of suffering were left on so it could be returned. It's not something I would pick out for myself.

I hate how it looks on me.

Take heart because you are amazing and I'm not sure why you don't see and I'm not sure why they don't see. I'm not sure why I don't see.

 

 

 

 

To the men.

To you who work and engage and love.

 

To you who raise families. To you who sacrifice.

To you who serve and give and teach. To you who are here and haven't checked out.

To you who have been exposed as weak.

To you who are still idiots, even though you are God's idiots.

You are warriors.

You need to act like them, but I need to forgive you for not being them.

I need to pray that you will rise up and lead because we need you to. We want you to.

I pray that other men will lead you, and teach you to lead, because you have been left sooo many times.

I pray the distance stops with you.

I pray this because she needs you, the little ones need you, we need you. It's a selfish prayer in some ways.

We failed you, controlled you, nagged you, seduced you, and taken the wind out of your sails, taken jobs, taken your roles, and accepted your duties, and responded to your callings.

We have stopped inviting you in, and definitely stopped trusting you.

We questioned when we should have trusted, we have kept silent when we should challenge, and we spurn your movements toward us because we are sin sick too.

Take heart, God has chosen you, he chose to make you because he purposed a YOU in this world.
Take heart, because you are not here for very long and some of the victories are better than Guitar Hero scores.
Take heart, because prayers move the heavens and the exposure of your weaknesses prove God strong. 

Take heart because he's wild and crazy even in his simplicity of his commands.

 

To God, the lifter of our heads.