Songs

I'm still incredibly busy.  In fact, I still have to go finish packing so I can leave tomorrow for KY.  It's my brother's college graduation, my dad's birthday, AND my oldest niece's SIXTH birthday.  Unless something unforeseen happens, I am so there!  ...and I should be there until Monday.

That means that I may or may not be updating the rest of this week.  Just in case, do not be expecting a Fiction Friday or a SEW Sunday this week.  I might get the opportunity to post something, or I might not.  Either way, I don't have much to say and I doubt people are really waiting on the edge of their seats for my newest blog update.  If you are, feel free to let me know so I have another reason to blog.  If you aren't...then feel free to lie to me.

Well, this year has been really interesting so far.  In late March, I found out I owed an extravagant (for me) sum of money to the IRS.  With the help of some VERY GENEROUS friends, I was able to pay the full amount.  Only a couple months later, I have gotten myself into another financial mess because of my lovely car.  Again, I've been humbled by the gifts of some very generous friends. Very humbled.  And part of me just wants to ask the Lord, "Really?  Have I not learned what You're trying to teach me, yet?"

Maybe I have.  Maybe I haven't.  But I know that I'm learning so much about the way God's grace works.  See, there hasn't been any situation that has come into my life without His knowledge.  He has known each situation that has come.  He knows every situation that will come.  And sometimes my dumb choices get me into dumb messes, and sometimes things just happen because life has the tendency to suck sometimes.  But I'm learning that everything that happens to me--EVERYTHING--is filtered through grace. 

Everything that happens to me is an opportunity.  It's an opportunity to trust God.  It's an opportunity to show love to others.  If someone cuts me off in traffic--I have a choice to blow my horn at them or to just let it go.  If someone makes a hurtful remark, I can choose to try to hurt them back or forgive.  If I lose my job or have to pay large sums of money to multiple auto mechanics, I can choose to wallow in worry and saddness, or I can trust God to provide, as He always has before.

And I guess I'm leading up to something I should have just posted in the first place.  Here's a poem/song I wrote.  It needs music, but I'm diggin' the words...which probably makes me vain or something...

Songs

Oh, Your love is like the sun
Bursting through the clouds
Burning through the haze.
And I've been growing used to dark
Of this dreary world
And I have to turn away.

But You burn through me, too
And I'm changing
Changing.

Give me songs
Give me grace
Give me the breath
To sing Your praise.
Great are You, Lord
From everlasting to everlasting.
Oh, Lord
Give me songs
And the grace to sing.

And, oh, when darkness overwhelms
And I can't fight the demons
That steal Your peace away,
Then, Lord, let Your love burn through
Like the promise of Your stars.
Let night shine like the day.

And make me like those stars
So I'm blazing
Blazing.

Give me songs
Give me grace
Give me the breath
To sing Your praise.
Great are You, Lord
From everlasting to everlasting.
Oh, Lord, give me songs
And the grace to sing.

Everything that comes my way is filtered through grace.
Yes.
Everything that comes my way is an opportunity to praise.
Yes.
Everything that comes my way is another chance to trust.
Yes.
Everything that comes my way is just another chance to love.
Yes, Lord.

Give me songs
Give me grace
Give me the breath
To sing Your praise.
Great are You, Lord,
From everlasting to everlasting
So give me songs.
Give me songs.
Give me songs
And the grace to sing.