God, give me patience!!!!!! What we are really saying when we pray this is or scream this (let’s be honest) is, “God remove me from this tension that I am in. I don’t like it.” Tension is uncomfortable. Tension is vulnerable. Patience creates tension. This is part 4 of our series on the vulnerability that […]
We continue on with these vulnerable fruits of the spirit. Peace is next. How can peace have vulnerability? It is peace, isn’t it? Can’t I simply have peace in my life? Love Joy Peace is a central promise of the Christian faith. One of the names of Jesus is the Prince of Peace after all. […]
“The joy doesn’t replace the heartache; rather, they tensely coexist each day, fighting for our undivided attention.” –Lesa Brackbill This quote comes from a friend of mine who lost her baby to the horrible disease Krabbe. She wrote it in the midst of the long suffering death of her baby girl. (Read their story here.) […]
As C. S. Lewis famously said, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung out and possibly broken.” Some months ago “along the way” of life (mentioned here first), a big “firework thought” went off in my head. Every one of the fruits of the spirit requires […]
Yes, the Father’s heart is all about healing. The best Biblical story about that is a story we hear again and again and again—the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). It’s a beautiful parable of a father on the lookout waiting and waiting for the prodigal one to turns towards home. Then the father […]
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it. I walk down another street. (Read the rest of this poem here.) This is the end of the poem and the hope for your journey out of the hole. Falling into the hole time after time takes a […]
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it there. I still fall in… it’s a habit. My eyes are open. I see where I am. It’s my fault. I get out immediately. (Read the rest of this poem here.) For this week we begin and stop […]
I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I’m in the same place, But, it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out. (Read the rest of this poem here.) For this […]
I walk down the street, There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost…I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out. (Read the rest of this poem here.) For this week we stop here. There are holes in sidewalks everywhere, some large and […]
We’ve been at this Bravester living conversation for over a year now. How are you doing? What progress have you made? Thank you for staying with me as I continue to provoke your vulnerability. I’m provoking you into a brave life. How is your growth? Where do you fall in this poem today as you […]
