Friday's Faith - Heights and Depths of Mommy's Love

Is it true, as Jung says,

"There are no heights without the corresponding depths"?

Friday's Faith

Heights and Depths of Mommy's Love

Baby girl, if it's true, "there are no heights

without the corresponding depths," then you

and I have flown through God's blue skies like kites

since I now visit hell without you...

Who would know a child's love could capture hearts

Taking them to the earth's greatest reaches,

So that when that child suddenly departs,

Holes form, deeper than earth's greatest breaches.

There is no way that Mommy can explain

Th' depth of hurt that your loss has created

To taunts when non-child-loss grievers complain,

"Almost five years now, your grief's not abated?!"

Can they not see this crater in my heart

Sinking me into darkness sans the sun?

The only hope I have since you did part

Is the light of God's comfort through His Son...

Life is now a journey through Death's Valley

Taking me to depths, never I'd have known,

But like th' sun rises, my spirits rally

When glimpses of you in Heaven are shown...

Thank You God, just as You say,

"Blessed are those who mourn,"

Through Death's Darkness You whisper,

"Joy cometh in th' Morn!"

*****

"Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted."

~Matthew 5:4

"Weeping may endure for a night

but joy cometh in the morning."

~Psalm 30:5b

*****

It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life.

~Joseph Campbell, The Joseph Campbell Companion

*****

Had you restrained your love, you would be free of sorrow. The greater the love, while one possesses it, the greater the sorrow when one is deprived of it.

~Von Tepl

*****

Melancholy gives the soul an opportunity to express a side of its nature that is as valid as any other but is hidden out of our distaste for its darkness and bitterness.

~Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul

*****

When we have for so long been judged by everyone we meet, just to look into the eyes of another who does not judge us can be extraordinarily healing.

~Jack Kornfield, A Path With Heart

*****

It always comes back to the same necessity: go deep enough and there is a bedrock of truth, however hard.
— May Sarton

*****

If you’re really listening, if you’re awake to the poignant beauty of the world, your heart breaks regularly. In fact, your heart is made to break; its purpose is to burst open again and again so that it can hold ever-more wonders.
— Andrew Harvey

Poem - Heights and Depths of Mommy's Love - Angie Bennett Prince - 5/5/11

Picture - Charlie Borland: Dramatic storm cloud and sunburst:

http://www.picassomio.com/dramatic-storm-cloud-sunburst-poster-1001692.html

Monday's Mourning Ministry - Helpless / He Will Carry Me ~Mark Schultz

Monday's Mourning Ministry

Helpless

~

He Will Carry Me

~Mark Schultz

Helpless. I feel helpless to fight Satan

When he wants into our home. Lord help me!

Save me when to evil I awaken,

Seeing it attack my loved ones ‘round me.

Perhaps it’s because it took my baby;

Charmed and lured her—a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing,

Then destroyed her—my baby’s gone; maybe

That’s why I detest all his forms of doping.

Help each of us to see th’ lion stalking,

Sneaking ‘round us to catch us in his snare,

Lurking ‘round each corner where we’re walking—

In th’ constant battle o’ spiritual warfare.

Who could find a home, a safer bastion

Than this one steeped in our Father’s sweet love?

So how could Satan come in and steal one—

A lamb as precious as th’ innocent dove.

Our enemy prowls ‘round like a roaring

Lion, looking for someone to devour;

God, how could You, midst parents’ imploring,

Allow him t’ lure our child t’ such an ending, dour?

God, I cannot understand this side of Heav’n

How such a little lamb could be smitten

With such a deadly act of vile vengeance

By such (a) diabolical, treasonous Henchman.

. . . Until I reflect back on Heav’n’s own Lamb,

The Beloved Son of the Great I Am

Th’ Father’s own Perfect, Holy, Chosen One

Who was wounded, bleeding, beaten, broken,

Unmercifully slain ‘midst God’s abandon,

Not for sins o’ His own, but for my lamb’s ‘n my own.

My child, you won’t understand now, but know Him

Who died for you ‘n your lamb’s sorrow; just adore Him.

Child, this is a broken world, so broken,

My Own lamb had to break in, be broken:

You’ll see her again when by death you’re woken,

For He, for your lamb, by His death has spoken.

*****

He Will Carry Me

~Mark Schultz

I call, You hear me
I’ve lost it all
And it’s more than I can bear

I feel so empty

You’re strong
I’m weary
I’m holdin’ on
But I feel like givin’ in
But still You’re with me

Chorus:
And even though I’m walkin’ through
The Valley of the Shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I’ve been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will ever need
He will carry me

I know I’m broken
But You alone
Can mend this heart of mine
You’re always with me

And even though I’m walkin’ through
The Valley of the Shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I’ve been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will
Ever need
He will carry me

He will carry me

And even though I feel so lonely
Like I have never been before
You never said it would be easy
But You said you’d see me through the storm

And even though I’m walkin’ through
The valley of the shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I’ve been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will
Ever need
He will carry me

He will carry me

He will carry me

Poem - Helpless - Angie Bennett Prince - 1/13/2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSXs6f2LMvk

Monday's Mourning Ministry - Shifting Sand

Monday's Mourning Ministry

Shifting Sand

In Merry Katherine's early high school years of her journey of faith, her older brother Rollin (five years older than she) introduced her to this Christian band whom she grew to love. Their songs are very realistic about the struggles as we stumble and fall and learn to get back up, learning more and more our need for complete dependence on the Lord to help us walk.

This song "Shifting Sand" was one of her favorites as it captures that very tenuous walk and our desperate need for God's grace, or we will never make it. This same singing group ministered to her in her latter teenage years of struggle as well. I am sure I will share more about Caedmon's Call's amazing role in influencing her life in later posts. So I want to share with you today

Caedmon's Call - Shifting Sand

Caedmon's Call

Shifting Sand

Songwriters: Tate, Aaron

lyrics

Sometimes I believe all the lies

So I can do the things I should despise

And every day I am swayed

By whatever is on my mind

I hear it all depends on my faith

So I'm feeling precarious

The only problem I have with these mysteries

Is they're so mysterious

And like a consumer I've been thinking

If I could just get a bit more

More than my 15 minutes of faith,

Then I'd be secure

(Chorus)

My faith is like shifting sand

Changed by every wave

My faith is like shifting sand

So I stand on grace

I've begged you for some proof

For my Thomas eyes to see

A slithering staff, a leprous hand

And lions resting lazily

A glimpse of your back-side glory

And this soaked altar going ablaze

But you know I've seen so much

I explained it away

Chorus

My faith is like shifting sand

Changed by every wave

My faith is like shifting sand

So I stand on grace

Waters rose as my doubts reigned

My sand-castle faith, it slipped away

Found myself standing on your grace

It'd been there all the time

(Chorus repeated)

My faith is like shifting sand

Changed by every wave

My faith is like shifting sand

So I stand on grace

May God hold us grieving parents close to His side as we too walk this very difficult terrain of Shifting Sand in our "walk-of-faith" through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,