Have you ever felt nothing and everything all at the same time? Have you ever been so bored that nothing and nobody could cause a change? I would like to tell you I’ve found the answers for these things, sadly I have not. I heard a song by Citizen Way called “When I’m with You” for the first time today just minutes before turning the radio off in my car. The first few lines grab my attention and I immediately I felt a connection.
These are the things that I need to pray
Because I can’t find peace any other way
I’m a mess underneath and I’m just too scared to show it
Everything’s not fine
And I’m not okay
But it’s nice to know
I can come this way
These words captivated me and I felt as if it were being sung just for me. I found myself identifying with the lyrics, there was part of me that just wanted to turn the radio off yet, there was an overwhelming sensation of urgency telling me that needed to hear the words to the entire song. The past few weeks have been extremely emotional for me, I have gained some clarity surrounding the words love, friendship and relationship. These three words are used every single day of our lives in some form or fashion and often they mean very different things to each of us. I would also like to mention that we rarely recognize the people in our lives that exemplifies the beauty and compassion woven into the fabric of our lives through love, friendships and relationships. I am certain some of us will agree upon the dictionary definitions of love, friendship and relationships; but for me, just reading or hearing the words that describe them leaves me feeling brutally cold, feverishly lost and utterly abandoned. The act of giving and receiving love will in most cases be a reflection of what we learned and observed at a very young age. So we watch people who say they love…this or that; we imagine love, we participate in actions of love and ultimately it is my hope that everyone can be on the receiving end of love. The same process can be used while experiencing love, friendship and relationship. It will look and feel drastically different to everyone to a significant degree based upon our authenticity, our cultural practices and our religious beliefs. As humans, we are complicated! Very complicated! I mentioned at the beginning I that I did not have the answers, that is partially correct. If you continue listening to the song or read the lyrics the answer is quite simple….JESUS!
When I’m with You
I feel the real me finally breaking through
It’s all because of You, Jesus
Anytime, anywhere, any heartache
I’m never too much for You to take
There’s only love
There’s only grace
When I’m with You
Nobody knows me like You do
No need for walls, You see right through
Every hurt, every scar, every secret… You just love me
I’m breathing in
I’m innocent
It’s like my heart’s on fire again
I’m not afraid
I’m not ashamed
I’m safe when I am with You
So I’m here just as I am
Bruised or broken
I don’t have to pretend
As humans we all fall short, we are sinful. I can promise only 1 thing with certainty…God loves you and will never leave you. Trust Jesus!
Deuteronomy 31:6, Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; “He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:8, The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Joshua 1:5, No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
1Kings 8:57, “May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may He never leave us nor forsake us.”
1Chronicles 28:20, David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you.He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.”
Psalms 37:28, For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. “They will be protected forever,but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;”
Psalms 94:14 “For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.”
Isaiah 41:17 “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”
Isaiah 42:16 “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”
Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
We may leave God, but He will never leave us!
~Blessings and Peace~
Love:
: a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person
: attraction that includes sexual desire : the strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship
: a person you love in a romantic way
Friendship:
: the state of being friends : the relationship between friends
: a friendly feeling or attitude : kindness or help given to someone
Relationship:
: the way in which two or more people, groups, countries, etc., talk to, behave toward, and deal with each other
: a romantic or sexual friendship between two people
: the way in which two or more people or things are connected
HOPE SEEKER 