a new kind of normal
and
god in a brothel
and i have to admit....
they scared me
not the stephen king kind of fear
but the
i-can't-believe-these-things-happen kind
and now i'm sitting on my corner
of the couch
staring out at the sun as she rises,
despite
she rises every.day.
even though people's worlds
turn upside down in an instant
even though children are sold
into slavery every minute
sometimes it's hard to
believe
that god is here
piercing the dark with these
incessant sunrises
so
today i'll borrow the words of a
distraught father speaking to
jesus
i do believe;
help me
overcome
my
unbelief
what about you? what challenges your belief?
despite the really yucky stuff in the world, i believe that all good gifts come down from heaven. and so i'm continuing to count them to 1000 -
693. time with relatives on the chickahominy river
694. coming home to garden, kitty, chickens and dog
695. books that challenge me
696. a new curriculum for next year
697. my girl, the one i mentor. thankful for the cheer in her texts yesterday
698. my husband's opportunity for travel to papua new guinea
699. getting together with friends
700. a seventeenth birthday for my son
linking with -
michelle for hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for 1000 gifts, l.l. for on, in, and around mondays
joan for sharing his beauty, laura for playdates with god jen for soli deo gloria shanda for on your heart tuesdays and kat for titus 2 tuesdays
I'm not familiar with these books, but they sound like eye-openers. And like you, Kendal, I need a boost in my faith this week. Thanks for reminding me to rely on Christ for that need. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, the way you have new eyes of perspective and the sunrise becomes miracle all over again. Inspiration from others that aren't like us - priceless.
ReplyDeleteWow, both of those books look good. A fellow blogger wrote Ransomed, linked below. It is a short but emotionally charged read about a little girl caught in the sex trade. To be honest, I haven't read anything in a while that has touched me deeply. That's really sad. I will have to check out your recommendations.
ReplyDeletehttp://mountaintopmemories.blogspot.ca/p/my-book-ransomed.html
This world is filled with so much pain and sorrow, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, God gives us those moments of joy throughout...if we learn to watch for them. The joy of a new sunrise...of a full moon...of a bubbling brook...of a shady tree...of a child's laughter...
Mostly, though, the joy of the hope we have in Christ...the one who chose to enter our world and share in the aorrow and pain of humanity, for the purpose of bringing about our redemption!
Thank you for the beautifully inspirational post!
Kendal this is beautiful...it does make me stop and breath deep...the sunrises on us all...those in pain...those who rejoice...He sees it all. and wow...2 books in a weekend...that is pretty impressive.
ReplyDeleteOh I have heard Carol kent’s testimony...hard to wrap my mind around.
That was exactly the verse we talked about yesterday at church! It is those stories of abandoned children, people in slavery that get me doubting. It is also in counting gifts that I find my perspective shifting to be able to see God in the mess.
ReplyDelete"Piercing the dark" -- that's what He does! Love it.
ReplyDeleteYou inspire me, Kendal.
I read A new kind of Normal too and it does stir the compassion within you. Unsettling in our warm safe comfort zones, God piercing in and says Come with Me!
ReplyDeleteYou write so beautifully, Kendall. love how you express yourself.
Checking out those books for sure. And I join you in prayer today, "Father help me with my unbelief!!!" Amen.
ReplyDeleteI don't know the books but have befriended some women recently out of prostitution, drugs and alcohol and amazed at the stories and the redemptive power of Christ.
ReplyDeleteOh, Kendal thank you. Yes, I share your fear- can't imagine the darkness that looms. But sometimes I feel something worse than fear. Apathy. The injustices seem too big, too vast, and I just need to shake myself awake to CARE like Jesus cares. To CRY over the woman chained to a bed and the child sold and the baby abandoned to die. Makes me long for HIS return. Thank you for sounding that wake up call today. As always, your words are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBless you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your son! I've prayed that same prayer as that father, asking God to help my unbelief, to help me stand in faith in these growing-up challenges of my sons. Maybe not in a child-selling kind of challenge - but a soul-losing kind of challenge. I will say, He does help our unbelief - and He does pursue and standing in Faith on that, I have seen prayers answered - and hope and faith fulfilled:)
ReplyDeleteYour poem describes, though, the daunting abyss of the struggle.
Both books sound inspiring in an I don't want to read them kind of way.
ReplyDeleteI just had this conversation with a friend. What about all of the truly yucky stuff? What then? My conversation didn't end with us counting blessings. Maybe it should have.
I read your comment over at Laura's post at The Wellspring on 7/9. Praying God's Word from Isaiah 55 for you. Hold on, sister. - Laure
ReplyDeleteHow good of the Lord to send the sunrise to remind us everywhere that He is good and gives good gifts even among the evil. Thankful, too, that we can ask Him to help us overcome our unbelief.
ReplyDeletei feel you in this...there are def some deep dark places in our world that are very scary....but still the light pierces on...and we can take it there too...
ReplyDeleteThese are such the hard things. He is the God of it all. He sees it all. And one day...all will be set right. So hard. so, so hard.
ReplyDeletei'm saying that very verse too, so much these days it seems. prayer, His word, companions who love Him and me--these things keep me.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting perspective in this one, and definitely fanning the interest in those books.
ReplyDeleteI struggle with this a lot as well. Even thought I know the Truth, it's hard to rest in it and believe it some times. Thank you for your honesty. I'm with Amy, those books sound good in an "I'm scared to read them" sort of way. :)
ReplyDeletethe older i get, and the more children i care for, the less i'm finding i can read sad stories. particularly ones to do with children. i used to LOVE sad stories but now, my heart breaks so very easily, all it takes is a child's tear and i'm shattered.
ReplyDeleteYour poetic words are so touching here. Thank you for sharing your gift. I stopped over here from Thought Provoking Thursday and its so nice to meet you here. I am intrigued by the books you referenced and will need to look into them. I will see you around the writing and the blog world. Bless you may you experience His Peace today.
ReplyDelete