Light in the darkness,
Peace in the storm;
In wretched stable
Our Savior was born.
Forgiveness for sinners,
Hope for the lost;
Hatred now broken —
At unmeasured cost.
Love brought to sinners,
The ugly made whole;
To broken and battered
He shows heaven’s door.
Friend to the unlovely,
The lost and forlorn —
Caught now in sin’s prison,
The fetters are torn.
Come, all you people;
Sing now His praise.
The One who will save us
Is Jesus by name.
[Headline – Four homeless persons found dead from
hypothermia in recent freezing weather]
On cold and dreary winter night,
He pulled the blanket tighter still,
And tried to push the winter chill
Away from heart and soul – such fright.
Under the bridge
He found his place,
Away from prying passerby,
Away from passing, moaning wind.
He did not find the warmth he sought
And shivered uncontrollably.
That was the night
He fought and lost
His battle with cold destiny.
If all the stars like dust were blown
From palm of God upon the earth,
And fell like snow into the night —
Their glitt’ring shine,
Their silent birth —
And whispered quiet melody
Of dancing angels
Far and wide,
Of tinkling, tiny, windy chimes —
They sing to me
Of happy times.
Oh, universe
Now will burst forth,
In praise and song
To God divine.
O Lord, You brought me low —
A worm in the dust.
I despised myself
And was despised by men.
Mocked and ridiculed,
My hair hung down.
No beauty to attract others,
No winsomeness, nor delight.
I fought to breathe;
I choked in dust.
I grabbed for anything —
My soul was desperate.
But You, O Lord,
Were with me,
Though I did not know it.
I wandered in a parched land;
In desert plains I wandered.
You waited for me.
How You must have cried
To see me thus.
I cannot know your purpose,
Neither then nor now.
Only that You love me,
And I must You, somehow.
The Lord loves the unlovely,
And sinners He will bring to grace.
How dimly do we see,
With clouded eyes,
His purpose great.
His plan, His picture,
His canvas broad and wide,
His tapestry of colors,
Our fears do now belie.
While we are being molded,
Often unaware,
He paints His colors lovely —
Take heart; do not despair.
Tenderly He fashions
Exquisite work of art.
To soul, though torn and shattered,
His healing will impart.
Oh, drink the healing waters;
Oh, come and do partake.
Let all His love enfold you,
And fear do now forsake.
Agony is all I feel
Until I get to You and see,
Until I let You get to me
And set me free.
Struggling, striving,
Ever hiding,
Not abiding,
Until surrender.
When I let myself let go,
When you live in me and grow,
When I let You set me free,
Is when I see.
I catch the glimpses from above,
I’m sometimes drowned within Your love,
But other times I lose the vision,
Have no focus; feel division.
I thank You for the battle won,
I thank You for Your Holy Son,
For Him who died upon a tree
And will complete good work in me.
On jagged cliff
I stand on edge.
For love of God
I take the chance.
Or stand at start
Of tunnel dark
And enter on
A somber lark.
I walk the rope
Twixt light and dark.
Upon His word
I must embark.
I cry and cry,
I moan and sigh,
And then He says,
“Just trust Me now.”
And like a child
I take His hand,
Beginning now
Adventure grand.
Wild and free
Someday I’ll be;
Wind in my hair
And not a care.
To soar so high,
Up towards the sky,
With eagle’s eye
And no more lies.
I’ll run and run,
Out towards the sun.
Thy will be done;
Thy Kingdom come.
But now on earth,
The suff’ring hurts.
Until life’s end,
And to new birth.
[Photo credit: http://animalwalls.blogspot.com/2011/09/white-wild-horses.html ]
Like the beauty of a rose,
My heart unfolds.
The raindrops glistening in the sun
Tell stories of the past storm.
With thorns I may have pricked your hand;
I could not understand.
I hope the fragrance of my flower
Healed bleeding hand.
And when you plucked my rose so fair,
I could only lie there;
And let my beauty speak to you
Of love divine.
[Photo credit: http://www.hdwallpapersplus.com/free-rose-wallpaper.html ]
I’m waiting for that day
When He returns
In bright and shining glory.
I’ve got to tell the story
How He loved me all the time,
But I — confused in mind.
He always walked beside me,
Tried every way to guide me,
But there was no way I would see.
Couldn’t seem to grasp His story
My ears were stopped, and surely
My eyes were blinded too.
I walked in deepest darkness
Lived life in blackest starkness
My heart was frozen.
Now He leads me through the night
I look to Him for light
Like a little child.
clarakatalin 