The Importance of Walking in the Light

"... walk in the Light, as He Himself is in the Light..." 1 John 1:7

Walking in the light is important to the life of every mother. Every single season of a mom's life is personally and relationally taxing. Being a godly mother demands our emotional energy, our spiritual wisdom and walk with the Lord, our brains, and our time and resources as we focus on investing love, encouragement, and wisdom into our children's souls. Because the nature of motherhood is to always give out, her mind, soul, and body are always expending resources. If the soul becomes weary, dark, exhausted, and depleted, then she will no longer have anything in her heart from which her children, husband, and friends can draw. There will only be shadows and discouragement instead of enough light to be shared with everyone nearby."

 Though I wrote these words many years ago, I know their truth more strongly today than ever!

There are many things that draw life from us. The empty vacuum of the world can suck it out as rush and hurry, darkness and trouble threaten to overwhelm. Negative people, whether those close to us who don't understand and always seem to be questioning our motivations and decisions, or even those we encounter only briefly on the highway, the grocery store or even at church have a definite drawing-off quality all their own. Illness, natural disasters and circumstances beyond our control can assault when we're not expecting it.

And then there are the situations intrinsic to being a mom. A feverish baby will need cuddling and cool baths and doses of medicine, often in the middle of the night. A husband needs a listening ear and attention. The kitchen counters have to be wiped down once in awhile.

If you walk by the stained glass windows above in the middle of the night, they're not very pretty.

Similarly, a soul drained of life doesn't display much beauty. If the light isn't shining within, life isn't shining without.

John 1:4-5 tells us this about Jesus: "In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." Mark tells us that Jesus said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Then in Matthew we hear that He also said, "You are the light of the world."

If I light an oil lamp, it burns beautifully. But when the oil runs out, the flame disappears. In the same way, we are unable to burn and burn and burn without replenishing the oil in our own lamps. And when we fail to shine, the world suffers. It lacks the beauty we are created to bring to it; the beauty intended to help us lead people to Him.

The light of Jesus in us shines through the multicolored panes of glass that make up our own stained glass windows. It shows the brilliant purples and blues in the pieces that without light look dark and lifeless. It enlivens the golds and reds, makes the greens and oranges glitter. It is the light that brings out the true beauty of the window God is creating in your life.

There's nothing wrong with feeling weary, exhausted and depleted. All of us feel that way sometimes; it is the nature of life in a fallen world.

But Jesus has light for you. You must only slow down long enough to make space to seek Him, reading His word, asking to be filled again with His Spirit. You will find He is always willing and able to flood your soul again with light.

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You can also find me writing today at Thebettermom.com

Keepers of the Light

"The people who were living in darkness, have seen a great light,  on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.""

First, let me say how amazed, humbled and overwhelmed I am from all of the entries and comments last week in our giveaway for The Mom Walk and Journeys of Faithfulness, as well as the time of mentoring. Knowing that there are so many precious moms who long for a friend, someone to help, someone to talk to, creates in me a desire to figure out how I can help grow a network of women who would reach out to young moms in their demanding years of raising children. Let's pray for God to show us a way!

When Clay was still single, he dabbled in stained glass. This light house captivated his imagination as a symbol of what he wanted his home to be and so it has become for us in our own home.

The verse above, "those living in a shadow of death, a light has come," reflects what I have been feeling the past few years and especially the past few weeks.

When my children were very young, I used to despair of the many terrible things my children were exposed to--on the news, through movies, on all sorts of media and in real life. Even as I reflect on my children's lives: they have  been through 2 shootings (one at our church where a very close friend and her family was personally involved) and another on Friday, with another sweet girl. (her video follows.);  a devastating car wreck this weekend of family friends, the fires with friends losing their homes, and having evacuees in our home; two pastors who committed adultery; a couple of friends divorcing and leaving families abandoned; domestic violence near by; and oh so much more.

It did not jive with my Anne of Green Gables world that I wished for my children.

And yet, I heard His voice whisper, "Be still and know that I am God."

And so, I resonated with Frodo, in the Lord of the Rings where he says, "I wish the ring had never come to me, I wish none of this had ever happened!" To which Gandalf replies: "So do all who live to see such days; but that is not for them to decide. All we are to do is to decide what to do with the time that has been given to us…"

And so, for many years, I wished I had been born in another --more g-rated-- time--but I have finally realized that God chose this time for me, and for my children, that my sacrifice of praise was to worship God by walking faithfully, courageously, each day that came my way.

Yet,walking through these times with my children with the purpose of bringing His light, His love, His comfort to darkness and teaching and training them to become warriors of light, has prepared them for the many battles they have already, in their young lives, faced.

Giving hope, pointing to His comfort and truth, teaching His word, preparing them to become purveyors of light, is a call on my own life I did not understand as a young mom. All of the incidents we walked through, together; the many fears faced, the late night discussions in our home, have become the training  and teaching grounds for my children's ability to minister to others and their strength and perspective to face the battles.

One of my friends, who is a Christian writer, speaker and leader, recently said that she thought the greatest Christians who have ever lived are alive now. Who can really know, but what if, .....,

This is one of the most strategic times in all of history to be faithful? to show courage? to live by faith in Him who is real and will redeem and restore all things? To live in the light of His resurrection, after the darkness of the night when he was crucified?

What if God has called you to be a warrior, a hero, a redeemer for such a time as this?

And so, each day, we say, "How can we be a light house to those in need of truth, wisdom, comfort to those in need and to send our children out, not as victims, but as those who have been redeemed and strengthened to become light-bearers in their own sphere.

http://youtu.be/OFoB89ypaFY

Learn to think, worship God with your mind

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. C. S. Lewis

Gathering my closest local friends for a time to study the word and discuss different issues has been one of the pleasures of my summer. Meeting weekly over tea and coffee and snacks and sharing, and then 2 hours in the word, deeply studying what He has left for us to know and understand. I want to grow in truth, knowledge, thinking clearly and well until I see Jesus face to face.

He said to, "Love the Lord your God with your heart, (center of our emotions, dreams, all that we value), your mind, (thinking, developing convictions, understanding truth, walking in wisdom), and all your strength-- (with all of our power, energy, strength, devotion.)

Our Bible study this week was from a number of passages about God's word, wisdom, counsel of men, and Jesus as the word and as the word incarnate. Christianity is not just a work to be done--but it is the truth through which we may come to see all of life as it really is--it is the grid through which we will view all of life's issues--and when we walk as women who have been stewards of our brains--women who think well and clearly, we will then be teachers and leaders of truth and conviction.

Yet, I have talked to countless women, (even this week after my Bible study), where women say the same thing. "I don't meet many women who know how to think Biblically or who really walk in their personal convictions of God's truth and wisdom being the foundation of their lives. I haven't been able to find a mentor whose life is worth following, when I look around me. That is why I love this Bible study group--we push each other to think well and to live by our convictions developed in His light."

And how ironic that this is the week that in the last two days, I have had 640 comments from women who talk about needing a mentor--someone to lead them in truth and wisdom.

No matter what else you are doing, you cannot please God and become closer with Him and understand His ways--so that they will be a light to your path--if you are not studying His word, reading wise people, thinking Biblical true thoughts.

So many women and men I see in this generation want to rely on someone else to tell them what to do--and the thing is, you can almost find any book or authority to give you permission to do whatever you want to do--

But what does God require of you? How does God want you to live your life? What lies of men does He want you to avoid because you have learned how to think Biblically because you are a seasoned student of His word.

Each of us must take responsibility for our minds because it is what Jesus said was the essence of the commandments--to love the Lord our God with all of our mind.

And this is one of the best gifts I gave to our children--not to trust in the words of men, not to follow the crowd--whichever crowd they are surrounded by, --but to fill their minds with truth, to wrestle mentally with what is true, to measure life by His wisdom and insight and as C.S. Lewis says, "by it, (the truth, wisdom, insight, commandments, stories) I see everything else in its light.

So, today, make a plan for your mind--choose a course of Bible study, and plan a time every day to do it.

Find books and authors who have truly walked with God and can lead you to think clearly, (C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and many others)

Ask at least one friend to meet with you and to study and discuss together God's word.

Learning to think clearly and Biblically, in order to be able to fight the formulas and ways of other men takes practice and investment of time---and it is the one way all children need to grow--to learn to think well, to learn to see the fallacies, false doctrine and rules that are man made and not in scripture--it requires thinking and being a steward of the word.

They need to see you doing it and be learning from you for them to learn how to be excellent in these skills, but oh how the world longs for purveyors of truth who know how to think.

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Remember to order Mom Walk and Journey's of Faithfulness for 25% off this week, ending Monday, and enter into the giveaway for books, and for a 40 minute mentoring session! Right here.

Have a blessed day and enjoy reading and thinking!

Nurturing A Faithful Heart in your Daughters

I know you will be so blessed by Sarah's newest book--she was my mom's favorite author--even above me! :)

Here is a blog by Sarah about her newest book! and be sure to look at the bottom for how to enter a giveaway for this book and for a 40 minute phone  mentoring session with me!

On a cool autumn night last fall, I settled on the bed in a little cabin room deep in the Colorado mountains and thought hard about what I was about to say to seven curious girls. I was there as a mentor at a semester-long program. That night was my one great chance to capture my girls hearts with a vision for developing a deeper walk with God during their time away. Out of the thousand things I could say, what, I asked myself, was the one message burning in my heart about God and what it means to follow hard after him?

I thought back to that night as I began this post because the message of my new book, Journeys of Faithfulness, a devotional for young women, is the answer to the question I asked last year. This message is the outpouring of my years of following hard after God, loving him, learning to be faithful through difficulty, to bring beauty amidst pain, and this is the one thing I want every woman I meet to understand. The God who flung stars into the sky, tumbled mountains across the earth, and formed every soul alive is ready to meet us, to encourage us, to use us to shape the world every minute of every day. God desires our friendship, our daily relationship. He searches throughout the earth to find the people whose hearts are completely his, and the great heroes of the faith were simply those who turned their hearts to God with zealous love. That choice is available to every single woman alive every day.

That is really the message at the heart of my book. I first wrote this devotional when I was just out of high school, hungry for spiritual input, and frustrated that there were so few Bible studies of depth offered to girls of high school/college age. I determined to write a book that would encourage girls like me to be serious in their pursuit of God. I chose to focus on the lives of young, single women in Scripture, because through their stories, I understood that God can reach right down into the very normal life of any girl who loves him, bringing his beauty and grace to bear in the world through her obedience. This was the idea I wanted to present by creatively telling the stories of Bibical young women, examining the habits of character and response that made them the spiritual heroines they are.

Ten years later, my goal is the same. But I have had a good amount of time to deepen my convictions, to understand the struggle that comes with following God, and the challenges of loneliness, frustrated ideals, and seeming isolation that beset many girls today. I have greatly rewritten the stories and and written entirely new Bible studies, focusing on the inward journeys and hard choices that were required in the lives of the young women in my book. Choices of beauty, sacrifice, celebration, and courage made these women the heroines they are, and I hope that this book will challenge contemporary young women to be the same. 
Sarah
Here is the synopsis of my newest book. I hope you and your daughters will enjoy reading this together!
Ruth. Esther. May and Martha. Mary, mother of Jesus. Their stories in the Bible reveal how God can reach into the life of an ordinary girl and, through her love and obedience, reveal glimpses of His beauty and grace in this broken world. In this unique collection of inspirational stories and devotions, you will celebrate the sacrifice and courage that made each these young single women biblical heroines and models for all times. InJourneys of Faithfulness, Sarah creatively and respectfully retells their stories and explores each of their journeys along God's path of life. In a personal devotional after each chapter, she opens her own heart and shares stories from her own journey of faith. She writes in order to challenge today's young woman to reach higher and go deeper in her relationship with Jesus Christ by choosing well and walking faithfully with God. The book includes a Bible study with each chapter to dig deeper into the lessons of that chapter, as well as "Journey Journal" pages for recording personal thoughts and insights.
BE SURE TO GO HERE TO ENTER AND JUST FOR 1 WEEK, THE BOOKS ARE DISCOUNTED 25% AT WHOLE HEART! 
AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL FRIENDS WHO WERE AT THE TWITTER PARTY--SO MUCH FUN--AND TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE LEFT SUCH AMAZING, WONDERFUL COMMENTS! I AM SO VERY HONORED, ENCOURAGED AND FEEL SO VERY LOVED! MAY HE ABUNDANTLY BLESS YOU TODAY!
Click here to Reply or Forward

Looking For a Mentor? I've Got a 40 Minute Session With Your Name on It

Clay and I realized last week that this summer we celebrate our 20th year of our ministry--Whole Heart Ministries and Mom Heart Ministry. So, with the reprint of one of my books, The Mom Walk, we want to celebrate with you!

I was not prepared for the journey of motherhood.

I was idealistic and wanted to be a good mom, but I was in store for several of the most difficult years of my life as I struggled my way through each twist and turn.  the sleepless nights, the constant demands and not having been trained for the job and coming face to face with my own selfishness created guilt and stress in my heart.

It is really why we started our ministry so many years ago. We wanted to offer encouragement, training, support to moms just like me, in case they felt a longing for the same kind of encouragement in their journey of motherhood that I had felt. And we did not want them to feel alone.

So, today, we are celebrating this journey as well as two books we have put back into our Whole Heart Resources in the past four weeks.

The Mom Walk is about the journey of motherhood--the long journey--and how to manage all of the twists and turns with God's grace fueling each day to make it meaningful, joyful and fulfilling.

You love being a mom. You are wholeheartedly committed to your children. You long for them to grow up to be mature, loving, fruitful, and faithful followers of God. But you know that means you are called to be that kind of mom. It means you must be faithful on God’s path of motherhood for you.

That is your mom walk. It is how you walk with God as mother. It is how you seek Him, trust Him, live in His grace, and draw on His strength one step of faith at a time.

Stories, antics from my own life, scripture at the end of each chapter, and application questions will hopefully encourage you in your own journey as a mom.

I will be doing several things to celebrate this week, starting with a giveaway for YOU!

Giveaway:

Two readers will win:

A copy of The Mom Walk 

A copy of Journey's of Faithfulness (by Sarah Clarkson)

And then there will be a GRAND PRIZE Bundle that one reader will win:

A copy of Mom Walk
A copy of pre-release copy of Desperate
40 minute mentoring session with me

...

In addition to the giveaway, I will also be a part of a Twitter part tonight at 9pm EST under hashtag #momwalk. I will be answering your questions regarding motherhood and your mom walk. Also, there will be prizes at the party! Please join us!

Where you can purchase The Mom Walk:

You can get The Mom Walk for 25% off in the WholeHeart Store (Journey's of Faithfulness is also 25% off)

OR

You can purchase on Amazon: The Mom Walk | Journey's of Faithfulness

Be sure to also join me at Momheart.org for a short video about this week and more good information on The Mom Walk!

And a big heartfelt thanks for all of you who have followed us, attended our conferences, read my blog, supported us, and helped with our ministry outreach for so many years. We are so very grateful to you and to the Lord for all that He has done. We love each of you and pray daily for you. May He continue to bless you and your precious families with His love and grace!

SALLY 

Enter the Giveaway Below:

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Getting to the deepest heart, a secret treasure of influence

Emile Claus

The beauty of a moment captured in sharing deep friendship--I see the life of intimate relationship in this painting.

Seeing these precious girls sitting together in a lovely outdoors, sharing hearts--it is what I love to do the best.

Sharing the deepest places and wisdom and dreams, fears, loneliness, struggles, joys is what I love best about being a mother. Since I have been home from Italy the past few days, I have had hours and hours to hear the heartbeats of my precious children--

This kind of deep relating of lives is what all of us crave and long for--to know and be known.

It is also what God wants from us--intimacy, heart sharing, love consummated in hearts bound together.

So, this week, I chose,

Carving out the time, leaving my suitcase packed, dishes on the counter, emails unanswered, texts unread,

I have made my choice, because I know choices have consequences, 

And this is the best choice--focussing all of my heart, eyes, attention and love on my precious treasures that God entrusted into my hands.

not allowing the moment to slip away to the dark abyss of busyness,

or "wait for me one more minute" as they slip away, not waiting, but going on.......

or pretending to listen while having my eyes on the computer,

But these real moments of life shared deeply, live in my heart....

one on the porch in jammies, with tea in hand and blankets folded up to our knees in early morning chill of the mountains.

Another, leaning against me, knee to knee, on my small love seat, with a hand to hold and stroke, sharing life time dreams, wishes and secrets and prayers,

Another, coming to lay on my big king size bed in the dark of night just after I had climbed into bed, and talking deeply about life and all that is taking place.

A phone call, long, filled with antics, robust laughter, fears, stresses and asking for affirmation--"Do you like what I wrote?"

"Yes, I value you, your work, your efforts, your integrity. I am beyond blessed to be your mother."

Love, deep sharing of life, stimulating thoughts in the counsel of wisdom,

the facing of deep doubts and despair  of God, about a lack of answers to prayer,

this is the core of discipleship,

the deep longing and satisfaction of our souls--

to know and to be known and to trust someone with our heart and know it will be held with grace and tenderness.

This is my joy of being the best friend and most trusted counselors of my dearest children.

But the getting away to a secret place and the sharing of hearts requires a commitment of time--the putting away of all other distractions

Saying, "At this moment, you are the most important person in the whole world to me, and I adore being in your company."

It starts on the rocking chair when you sing lovely lullabies to infants,

the cuddling and rocking and playing childish games with toddlers and whispering secrets and songs and silly stories,

The reading of sweet books, playful touch of back rubs and gentle listening to all their little hearts, in early years, will pour out at bedtime,

The quiet, "Come to my bedroom, as I have prepared you a cup of hot chocolate or cinnamon tea and a small treat and let's be friends,"

The staying up late beyond midnight and listening and allowing teens to question, to pour out, to vent, to share insecurities with out criticism or lectures,

the sharing of life--

the pointing them to His truth, His ways, His love, in the warp and woof of life moments,

this is the essence of discipleship,

this is the secret of a blessed motherhood.

The small pleasures of today, satisfying me deeply

Nightly walks around the course of my neighborhood and seeing the pinks of clouds

knowing the fires in my beloved mountains are gone,

laughing and talking with my 3 children and our fat, old dog, Kelcy

Her hair was shaved too closely, but still if we say the word "Walk" in any sentence, she dances, wiggles, shakes her tail--a sight to behold.

early morning walk and breakfast downtown at our French cafe with Sarah

Opening a college bank account for Joy and dreaming of life ahead

Searching for apartments in Denver and pondering composing, friends, churches as Joel moves to Denver

Praying, one more time for Nathan and a new audition--looking for that open door and living by faith. (anyone wants to pray extra prayers for him, I would be most grateful)

Talking dreams, disappointments, book ideas, weariness, beauty, living in a home alive--

that is my great pleasure this weekend

and ending tonight with a summer celebration, a barbeque, with friends who will all bring a dish from their own kitchens to talk and share friendships that have been perking for years and made deep from life shared and marveling at how fast all of these precious ones grew up, and how faithful God has been through all the years.

Fighting the Dragon

This bronze statue sits outside a castle in Krakow, Poland, where I was a young missionary many years ago. Known as a city of churches, this town has a fascinating legend about its founding. It is said that King Krakus built the town on Wawel Hill, atop the cave of a ravenous dragon. The dragon, aptly named Smok, ravaged the village, demanding to be kept at bay with the sacrifice of its inhabitants. After many years of this, King Krakus finally offered a reward: his daughter's hand in marriage to whomever could slay the dragon. Many warriors came to try and win the prize and failed, presumably becoming food for the dragon. Then, one day, a poor cobbler came up with a plan: stuff a lamb with poisonous sulphur and leave it for the dragon. The dragon took the bait, became insatiably thirsty, drank half of the Vistula River, and eventually burst of fullness.

Now, this legend can't be presented as history of course. But isn't it an interesting story? And I think its charm lies partially in its truth.

Because there really is a dragon who rages. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy. Many fall prey to his fiery breath, hide from his snarling growls, or try to avoid the battle altogether out of fear.

But there is also a Lamb ... 

A Lamb not stuffed with poison of the normal sort, but the type that would destroy this dragon absolutely-- the all-powerful blood of the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God. Able to destroy the works of darkness wherever He finds them. Able to overcome fire and fear and infuse us with courage.

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and theelders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

“ Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,

“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

And the four living creatures kept saying, “ Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

~Revelation 5

Does the battle rage around you? Look to the Lamb.

The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8

The Building of a Palace takes time

Biltmore Estate

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” 

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity 

Twenty-four hours of flying and waiting and standing and carrying bags left me a bit weary and exhausted, but the feeling was a familiar one for me, and I knew that in a few days I would be over jet lag. But on my journey, I sat next to a young mother from Paris who had a 9 month old baby to wrestle with through out the wakings, feedings, playings and keeping her precious little boy sequestered in one seat on the plane.

As I was watching her in constant motion--changing, cajoling, nursing, bouncing, and doing it all over again, I was reminded again how much being a mother of my children has shaped, stretched and enlarged my soul.I could fairly see the soul and character of this young woman being stretched.

Often times we consider our tasks as being performed for the benefit of the children or babies.

But from God's point of view, he gave us children that we might learn how to become unselfish, to love generously, to work more heartily, to understand forgiveness, perseverance, endurance, graciousness, creativity, the skills of life-giving--because through this great work of motherhood, we are slowly being conformed into the image of Christ--and from this commitment of motherhood, we come to better understand His fatherhood, His sacrifice, His unmerited favor for us. His plan has a purpose that will create beauty of soul and heart and mind.

The very act of submitting to His plan for motherhood, became the long term instrument through which He shaped and crafted my soul.

But to become this vessel where He is willing to dwell and to become the soul that reflects Him and his gentle love and powerful reality, we must submit to the building and crafting that He has designed by making us mothers after his own heart and submissive to His design. I did not know that this journey was about soul-making, but now I see that in the shaping of my soul, He also designed the end result to be deep fulfillment and happy pleasure. For being with my adult children is my greatest joy and brings me the deepest happiness in my days of living on this earth.

I have had such great pleasure being back where I belong, in the company of my family--and it feels so very good to be in the place that I belong.

Words to fill a hungry soul--Who owns the Kingdom?

My lovely daughter, Sarah, a pilgrim after truth and following hard in His steps

Yesterday, home fresh from a journey of meaningful moments in Italy, the phone rang early.

A sweet friend, spilling her heart, "I realize that I do not trust people much, because if they knew what was inside of me, I am afraid they would be repelled and not like me anymore."

Aren't we all a pile of contradictions? We love sometimes, we pull away in selfish smallness at others. We want to runaway from ideals or perhaps discouragement, while  knowing our calling is a good one, and we should be stronger. We are all of us, a mess.

But, as I am home, I read an article from my sweet, humble, gentle Sarah and it soothed my soul. Read on for God sees you as you are and He will comfort your soul through her words as he did mine.

The following poem is not so much poesy as conviction in rhythm.

These words formed in my head three months ago when I began to read through Matthew once again. His telling of Christ’s story is, to me, of all the gospels, the one whose core thought is “the kingdom of heaven.” Like a theme, it plays throughout the first chapters of the book, leading to the sermon on the mount when Jesus states just this kingdom is. Again, as I am each time I read it, I was struck by the way in which Jesus begins by deconstructing every earthly idea we hold of what a kingdom ought to be and who ought to inhabit it.

The values of his kingdom are opposite to all we value here.  We think the strong conquer kingdoms, but Jesus says his comes to the weak. In his economy, the poor are blessed, not the rich, or even the able. Blessed are those who weep, whose words are gentle. Blessed are those who make peace, who hunger, who suffer. All of it the opposite of what we know on earth. The poem below came as I read and was convicted of my own worldly mindset. Unconsciously, even I who have long loved God slip into thinking that the strivers, the takers, the winners of the prizes are the ones who gain his love and conquer heaven. How wrong…

The humble shall inherit, Yes, the weary and the Scared, bent-shouldered beggars Shall be give God’s own Earth.

The poor are blessed, that truth’s A hard, fast slap right in The brazen, stylish face I’ve Set to guard the hard-won Places that I’ve gained By dint of battle with My brothers, by my grab The prize and crush the gentle Hearted, mourning other Ones whose quiet eyes, And shattered pride reveal them As God’s sons.

Be still and know, He says, But I instead grab hard, Live fast in fevered chase of Rest. By work and wit I win a fractured ease, And name it peace, I build A fortress for my heart And call it purity, My love locked deep away Lest any stranger think it Fair and free and for The easy taking. I am Swift and sober, never Weak or lonely, locked Up tight within my towered Integrity.

Until there comes a dawn, A dim and weary day, When grief has caught me, loss Strips off the gilded smiles, And the gaudy, pyrite Kindness, all my sleights Of soul to keep God’s glance At bay.

I never really heeded Christ; I thought that favor Could be claimed by deeds; No charity for me. To earn, and own, my tiny Piece of heaven was My goal, to play the gracious Host to God Himself, For he might be the savior, But I liked to think That I was still, at very Least, the keeper of My soul.

"Fisher Girl" by Ilya Repin

I am impoverished now, And know I always was. No gold or golden deed Can buy me worth. Alone I bear the ancient dark Of ruined pride, and in it Find I am but dust A bag of bones made quick By holy breath, and even That is not my own.

The silence grows, a calm As of the grave descends, At last I rest. Now still, I am supposed to know… Just what? The shadows stir with breath, The dimness lifts, and I Grow taut in answer As the dark is brimmed With laughter, one small hand Slips into mine, a mouth Is lifted to my ear and says “Be still, be still.” I yield, and find that love Can be so deep it feels like Death. Perhaps it is, The swift collapse of self Beneath the weight of grace. The Christ, the child speaks Again, “I am Your God, Your humble God. And now You’re blessed beyond all men. For my sweet kingdom comes Unto the poor. And that You finally have become.”

Sarah Clarkson

You can find other writings of my Sarah at her blog: ThoroughlyAlive.com