Alabaster Box

I love you Lord

You make me strong

I’m so grateful for your love

More than anything in my life, I’m grateful for our relationship

Just knowing that there’s that safe place that’s always got me

That I can crawl into your lap even when I don’t understand

That you find ways to make every hurt and pain go away

And even when I don’t hear you, I feel you

Even when I don’t get it, I know you’re working something

I love how nothing I am; nothing I do surprises you

You know me; my every flaw, my every mistake

You know of each stumble before I make it,

And so you planned my life around each fall

Planned lessons and growth

Made provision for healing

Even when I tumbled into depths I didn’t know possible

Started having thoughts I never in a thousand years dreamed I could have because I thought I was so strong

Even when I fell into that pit,

You weren’t surprised, you weren’t appalled;

You were there, waiting, to catch me and bear me up in your arms.

But not before you straightened me out

The fall left me broken and covered in mud

So first you straightened out the broken bones

And then held me close in your arms while I screamed and cried from healing pains

Then like a mother cat with her young, you licked me tenderly till I was all clean;

Bright and shiny like a newly polished diamond

Now I rest in your arms as you lift me out

I have no idea where we’re going

And that’s okay

As long as you’re taking me there

I know it will be beautiful

So I just rest

I’m grateful the most for this rest; this rest in your arms

I never want to be any place else

I never want to forget

Help me to never forget

I have come to realise my own humanity

I can do nothing; be nothing without you

I can’t even love you without your help

My heart is overwhelmed by you and your love and your everything

How you never lie

How you’re constantly faithful

And good to me

I’ve done nothing to deserve this

Absolutely nothing

That’s another thing you did in the pit

Made me see why I stumbled and fell

My head was held high so I couldn’t see with my eyes the stones in my path;

My inner eyes were focused on myself alone so I couldn’t see

But you showed me my blindness, and healed me of it

Like the blind man in the Bible, you used the mud in the pit to cleanse my eyes

And so every day I see more clearly

I’ve done nothing to deserve you in my life

Everytime I cried out that the pain was too much

You rubbed in some salve to soothe me while I healed

Agbanilagbatan

How can you be so strong and yet so tender?

How can you fight off evil so fiercely and hold me so tenderly in those same arms?

How can you so easily plan the lives of over a billion people and still pick out an outfit for me to wear in the morning?

How can you be the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and still be Abba to a fledgling cub like me?

Abba. Daddy Dearest. Darling Daddy. Daddy Daddy.

Mary had perfume.

I have only the words. But even they are so inadequate.

I’m grateful for you. I’m so grateful for you.

It’s not nearly enough. But may it be pleasing.

I love you. You are the centre. You are my centre.

Today you are. Tomorrow, you are.