Showing posts with label thank you. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thank you. Show all posts
The Love of God
My child, why do you worry?
They love you a droplet, I love you an ocean.
They love you sinfully, I love you perfectly.
They love you at times, I love you always.
They love you for now, I love you forever.
They love you a little, I love you a lot.
They love you for a lifetime, I love you for eternity.
And I love you because I am love.
Hear my words, oh you of little faith.
They love you a droplet, I love you an ocean.
They love you sinfully, I love you perfectly.
They love you at times, I love you always.
They love you for now, I love you forever.
They love you a little, I love you a lot.
They love you for a lifetime, I love you for eternity.
And I love you because I am love.
Hear my words, oh you of little faith.
And Then The Rain Came
I ran from task to task, marrying myself to business in my decaying state of affairs. I watched. I knew. God slowly dropped into the background, even though I tried my best to keep Him involved. We both know it wasn't adequate. The weekend brought a lot of relaxation, and with it a lot of great effects. A lot of time spent focused on God... But we both knew it still wasn't adequate. Monday rolled around, life got busy. He didn't disappear, but He wasn't nearly as evident as either of us would have liked. It was the same old problem. The same old daze. How was I to fight something that ate all my time? I couldn't drop it, lock it down and crop it, and I certainly couldn't stop it.
So, I prayed for rain.
And then the rain came.
You'd think paralysis would be extremely disorienting for someone who spends all of his time in physical activity. It wasn't.
I reach down and try to grab my phone, but I can't hold on to it. My finger won't clench, and the sensation is numb. I should be concerned right? All I feel is peace though, despite my lack of control. I realize that I'm losing control of parts of my body, and I surrender that knowledge to God. "Take it God, you do all things for the good of those you love, according to your purpose."
Paralysis should be frightening. Perhaps my emotions were paralyzed. I don't think so. I kept everyone else's spirits up, they all seemed so frightened by the prospects. I can't let them worry, after all, I'm at peace, they should be too. I joke, laugh, and make bad puns. They still seem concerned. Why?
I've been praying for rain.
And then the rain came.
Paralysis is strange because you're so disabled and yet so able. My mind ran a mile a minute, working better than it often does when the rest of my body is functioning. Maybe because its load was lightened. My heart rate exploded, that was okay. After all, if I died, what then? Heaven right? Sure, that sucks for everyone else that knows me, but not really for me. Freedom, that's what I've always longed for. True, God-dependent freedom. And I was pretty close to having what I wanted, at least closer than I'd ever been before.
And then the rain came.
Losing sight of God in a world that is filled with distractions is easy. Solomon saw that, "All is vanity and a striving after the wind." I certainly read that phrase enough that I should have been able to recognize its application. I misunderstood my distraction, I thought I was distracted by one thing, when, in truth, I was distracted by a great many. Each one tugging at my heart, beckoning me away from Christ. Good gifts, some of God's best, but gifts not the giver. We both knew it wasn't adequate. I knew it. He knew it. It was merely a matter of time until something happened.
"STOP!"
The voice reverberated around the mental chamber of my imagination. I stopped. I had no choice after all, God had spoken. He pulled me to my knees, quite literally, and cried out Be still and know I am God. I looked up and saw him looking down, and understanding flooded my eyes. Pure, divine light filtered through the cracks of my heart, illuminating its dirty exposed core. I lay there and waited. And waited. "Can I get up now?" Be still and know I am God. "Can I get up now?" Be still and know I am God. I knelt, and waited, and looked up into the lantern of God's wisdom. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." and waited. Do you not know? Have you not heard? "Yes, Lord." Then he who has ears let him hear.
And then the rain came.
Retrospect. A word generally understood but not generally applied. What good is experience without the ability to learn from it? To forget the past is to relive a thousand agonies. God started to blend, against His nature and against my knowledge. And when He did, life became a thousand shades of grey. I can't fall into that trap again. I need the diligence of friendship that pulls me closer to God. If you're reading this, be that person. So I prayed, and then the rain came.
Don't forget, why you're here.
Don't forget, to keep standing.
Don't forget, what's he's done.
Don't forget, what you're meant to do,
because you were made for so much more.
So don't forget.
So, I prayed for rain.
And then the rain came.
You'd think paralysis would be extremely disorienting for someone who spends all of his time in physical activity. It wasn't.
I reach down and try to grab my phone, but I can't hold on to it. My finger won't clench, and the sensation is numb. I should be concerned right? All I feel is peace though, despite my lack of control. I realize that I'm losing control of parts of my body, and I surrender that knowledge to God. "Take it God, you do all things for the good of those you love, according to your purpose."
Paralysis should be frightening. Perhaps my emotions were paralyzed. I don't think so. I kept everyone else's spirits up, they all seemed so frightened by the prospects. I can't let them worry, after all, I'm at peace, they should be too. I joke, laugh, and make bad puns. They still seem concerned. Why?
I've been praying for rain.
And then the rain came.
Paralysis is strange because you're so disabled and yet so able. My mind ran a mile a minute, working better than it often does when the rest of my body is functioning. Maybe because its load was lightened. My heart rate exploded, that was okay. After all, if I died, what then? Heaven right? Sure, that sucks for everyone else that knows me, but not really for me. Freedom, that's what I've always longed for. True, God-dependent freedom. And I was pretty close to having what I wanted, at least closer than I'd ever been before.
And then the rain came.
Losing sight of God in a world that is filled with distractions is easy. Solomon saw that, "All is vanity and a striving after the wind." I certainly read that phrase enough that I should have been able to recognize its application. I misunderstood my distraction, I thought I was distracted by one thing, when, in truth, I was distracted by a great many. Each one tugging at my heart, beckoning me away from Christ. Good gifts, some of God's best, but gifts not the giver. We both knew it wasn't adequate. I knew it. He knew it. It was merely a matter of time until something happened.
"STOP!"
The voice reverberated around the mental chamber of my imagination. I stopped. I had no choice after all, God had spoken. He pulled me to my knees, quite literally, and cried out Be still and know I am God. I looked up and saw him looking down, and understanding flooded my eyes. Pure, divine light filtered through the cracks of my heart, illuminating its dirty exposed core. I lay there and waited. And waited. "Can I get up now?" Be still and know I am God. "Can I get up now?" Be still and know I am God. I knelt, and waited, and looked up into the lantern of God's wisdom. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." and waited. Do you not know? Have you not heard? "Yes, Lord." Then he who has ears let him hear.
And then the rain came.
Retrospect. A word generally understood but not generally applied. What good is experience without the ability to learn from it? To forget the past is to relive a thousand agonies. God started to blend, against His nature and against my knowledge. And when He did, life became a thousand shades of grey. I can't fall into that trap again. I need the diligence of friendship that pulls me closer to God. If you're reading this, be that person. So I prayed, and then the rain came.
Don't forget, why you're here.
Don't forget, to keep standing.
Don't forget, what's he's done.
Don't forget, what you're meant to do,
because you were made for so much more.
So don't forget.
Friends
The people that
make you laugh
cry with you
and remind you
that in the darkest moments
there is still hope.
My Elder Brother Leo
If you've never met my older brother Leo, first and foremost, you're missing out on a lot. At first sight, most people can identify we're related. We look a good amount alike, and the second you hear him talk (and especially sing) you wonder if I somehow stole his voice. I did. I share many things with my older brother, including many of the same mannerisms. This includes vocabulary including the word "brilliant." Yes, you have Leo to thank for the name of this blog.
But, my appreciation for my brother goes way beyond all of that... He is one of the most powerful examples that God has set before me in my life. In many ways, I want to be like Leo. There are certainly areas where I don't but his passion for God is so incredibly inspiring to me. This wasn't always true, at least not to the extent that it is now. Leo always had that fiery passion in him, but along with it came a lot of other emotional turmoil and conflicting agendas in his life. But... That was the Leo of the past, the brother that I grew up with. He beat me up when I was younger THAT most be known, but also treated me with love and care, and included me when I was younger in ways that I've just now begun to appreciate.
The Leo that I know today, the brother that I love even more deeply than his younger version, is one that is shaped by his passion for God. Where he once sought God with passion, he now seeks him with wisdom and passion. There are few people in this world that I care more about than my brother. He is very near and dear to my heart. I've had the pleasure of watching him mature, especially in the years leading to his marriage, and the years since then. He is not the same Leo that I knew as a child. He is a better one; more sanctified and more dedicated to living for his savior. When Leo encourages me, the world is a brighter place, filled with opportunity, and the grace that God has given me becomes infinitely more clear.
I'm tearing up writing this. I'm a sucker for emotion, but only when I really care about something. I have so much to be grateful for in my life, and one of those things is my brother Leo. If you have a chance to meet Leo, don't waste that opportunity, he is one of the most wonderful people I have ever met, and I look forward to a life spent along side him.
Dear Leo,
I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you on your birthday, but I hope this makes up for it. The first thing I want to say is I love you bro. Thank you for being an inspiration to me, both as a child and now as a teenager. You inspire me to live for God. Thank you for all the ways you built our brotherhood and friendship when I was just a kid. There's so much I owe to you. You often point at me and say, "That's my brother. He's like Leo 2.0" and if that's true, it's only because of 1. The grace of God and 2. Your diligence to pursue friendship in our lives. To echo your words brother, there is so much that is commendable in your life. I cannot encompass all of it. So, I'm left with a vague thank you and I'll let you fill in the rest of the blanks.
I love you dearly brother.
Thank you,
Stevie Patric Parris
Popcorn Snowflakes
If snowflakes were actually popcorn, I would be a happier person.
[Insert image of Stevie skipping through fields of popcorn here.]
No... of course I'm not running out of things to post about. I'm just lazy.
A Formal Thank You
Thank you.
You're probably wondering who I'm thanking. Well, the answer to that is most likely you. This is a formal thank you to everyone and anyone who has ever done anything for me for which I did not properly thank them. I tend to take a lot of things for granted so just to make sure I cover my bases, I'll say it one more time.
Thank you.
Oh God, fill my heart with endless gratitude for the good gifts that I receive every second of the day.
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