Tag: never alone

Sunday Psalm: Wherever I Go

Karla Lees

Everywhere I go
I know
You’re not far away
You’re right here,
You’re right here

-Jeremy Camp

I have wasted
so much time
so much effort
trying to hide
to run away from You
in my shame,
to try and cover up
how undone i really am.

It didn’t matter how far I ran
You were there along side me,
offering me quenching water
as I ran the race
which i secretly wanted
to lead me to You
despite my taking off
in the wrong direction.
I missed the subtle detours
You placed along the path
I ran until
I saw You waiting at the
finish line
as You waited
to congratulate me
for making it back
home to You.

It didn’t matter how deep I dove
to try and cover myself
in the very mud of the pit
You had rescued me from
when You found me,
You continued to serenade
Your love song
of longing and freedom
until I couldn’t take the stench
of the pit any longer,
and reached up to take the
outstretched arms
which had been waiting
all along.

It didn’t matter how high I tried to climb on my own,
the landslide of my pride
once broken
slid me straight
into Your embrace.

Everywhere I go,
You are.

When I take my eyes off
the passionate love that glows
for me
in Your eyes,
and tune out
the devotion, freedom and truth
You speak over me
I falter
and lose my way.

Yet everywhere I find myself,
You are waiting for me there.

You will never let go
of Your bride,
for You are the One
who paid such
a costly dowry
to purchase me,
such is Your great love
for me.

My heart pounds,
my spirit leaps in response:

I surrender God.
I embrace You,
and want to join You
everywhere
You are.
Instead of making
You chase after me,
I chose to chase after You
today.

May this be my prayer
all of my days.

#SundayPsalm
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Karla Lees

All of us are looking for something.

A great deal.
Companionship.
Love.
Respect.
Hope.
To be cared for.
A new start.

Did you know all of those can be found at One Source?

A great deal: you didn’t have to pay the price to be reunited with God, whether you ever knew it needed to be paid or not. We all know we do things we shouldn’t, don’t do things we should, from a very young age. This stains our souls with a soil that can only be washed away with blood. Jesus willingly let Himself be held on that cross because He knew that cost could only be paid for, once and for all, by God. So He, as the Son of God, became the required lamb to be offered up to wash those stains, the slate clean. For us. You didn’t have to pay the cost. You just need to accept He has done so for you. A pretty awesome bargain when you realize eternity in heaven is part of the package being offered.

Companionship: you are never alone when you walk with God. He is always with you. Talking with, listening to you. He values your company enough to die to make sure you understood just how much.

Love: love that never ends. Wants the best for you, all the time. Love that is patient, kind, endures all things. Love that is not just spoken but demonstrated, lived out. Love that isn’t just warm fuzzy feelings, but in for the long haul, no matter what.

Respect: God decided to set things up, before His first people were made in the garden, so we could make our own choices. He respects us enough to not make us robots who couldn’t say no but had to follow all commands. Instead, He equipped us with the ability to say yes or no, and respects our right to do so, honoring the decisions even if He doesn’t like them.

Hope: God gives us a future. Knowing we are not alone, we are loved and valued by God gives us hope on the days when we feel everything is unraveling. Better things are to come, hope whispers into our soul.

To be cared for: Never being alone, having God with us all the time gives us the knowledge that Gods love is also practical. He knows you need food, a roof over your head, clothing. He gives us gifts and talents, and puts people around us to help develop them or provide for us as we need.

A new start: God is able to take what the world sees as not worth investing in, and gives us a new lease on life. The Bible is full of such real life people: Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Ruth, Rahab, Peter, Matthew, Paul. They all had God give them a new start- one that changes their lives forever and influenced those around them & generations yet to come.

Not all roads lead to heaven.
Only one door opens that path, and Jesus hold the key.
If You seek Him, you will find Him.
Your search will not be in vain if you are seeking Him with all you are.

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ten things I like about you

Karla Lees

I really like ten things about you.
Even though i may not have met you yet.

That may sound strange, but as an observer of people, I have finally figured these things out.

And you probably need to know what these things are.

1. I like the fact that you aren’t me.
I spend more than enough time with myself, so I like that you are not me. I find our differences interesting. Think about how boring it would be if we were all alike.

2. You are here on purpose.
You were not an accident, no matter what anyone else had told you. God planned you, on purpose, from the spark that He first set off when He created you in your mother’s womb. You are handcrafted, and a one of a kind original. There will never be another one of you, ever. He designed you after Himself. He intentionally placed you in this place and time.

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3. God has equipped you with talents and gifts.
Sometimes you need to be reminded that you are good at something. We all have strengths, and when we get to know each other, we begin to see these in one another. It may take a friend or coworker to point it out to you before you may begin to see it in yourself. You likely are good at a few things, not just the one you may be best at.

4. God cares for you.
Each and every person who ever has been, is or will be is important to God. So much so that Jesus died for each of us, to pave the way for us to draw close to Him. He is the closest friend you can ever have, will never leave you and always wants the best for you. He is in your corner no matter what.

5. You are here for a purpose.
You are meant to do wonderful things with your life. Bless people through your profession, invent something, raise your kids well, mentor or teach others, encourage and help others. God will reveal the things you are meant to do as you get to know Him, and yourself through His eyes.

6. You are worth being heard.
If no one has ever told you so…what you feel and think matters. You have a story worth telling, and it deserves to be told. And heard.

7. You look great when you smile!
That’s right, a smile makes you look your best. And when you smile, it increases the likelihood that those around you will smile back at you.

8. Things may be tough, but they will get better.
This world is just our temporary home, and it’s a hard life most of us are living through. But its not our final destination if you believe in Jesus, and place your hope in Him. Heaven will be your forever home. No more tears, sickness, disease, pain or loneliness.

9. You always have something to be thankful for.
As bad as things can get, take some comfort in the small things around you if you can’t see any big things to be grateful about. Being able to breathe, read, hear, walk. A roof over your head, food on the table, a job. A cloud in the sky, sun, rain puddles, flowers, cat purrs. Whatever you can find, remember to be thankful for having it.

10. Someone is thankful for having you in their life.
They are. Whether a family member, close friend, coworker or a stranger you helped out…someone has been blessed to have you in their life.

I hope we meet, whether virtually, here on earth or in heaven one day.

Until we do, remember these ten things that you need to know about yourself.

It took many years for me to reprogram the lies and believe these truths about myself. May you cast off what needs to go to make room for these truths you were meant to know about you.

I am glad you are here.