12 August 2015

To be Lost

I have a feeling this is what strand will be looking like tomorrow or Saturday. I my city
source
If life was an ocean, I'd be lost in it. Even now, as the waves of turmoil and change beat upon my little skiff, I fear it might sink. It's taking a lot of water in, and the sail appears to be in shreds. If only it were faster, stronger, more sea-worthy...

No.

It does not have to be all of those things. I have learned to forget praying for my own strength, forget saving for better wood and better sails. I don't need my strength, because He is strength.

So I grip wet rope and let the wind rip at my clothing and my hair and beat against my skin.

And most days, I can't imagine the other side, the emerald shores that are just beyond the horizon, the still waters that I may rest in. Most days I just feel emptied. 

Yet faith is never the assurance of things seen and never hoped for. Faith is blindness, for our Captain never called us to see. Faith is knowing that there is a lighthouse by the glint of light on the dark waves, because hope says that there is one around the bend. 

Faith is knowing that behind the clouds, there are a million stars. 

So emptiness? I count it as fullness, for I may be emptied of every eloquent word, I may be emptied of every emotion or feeling, I may be emptied of everything, stripped bare of all that I hold dear, yet I am never emptied of my God, who makes His sanctuary within me. 

So silence? I count it as deafening, for He has called me to a time of silence, that I might learn to rely on the strength of His hand, not on what I can perceive or understand. 

So being lost? I count it as being found, for when I have lost myself I have found my true identity in Christ.

The storm may rage and the waters may roil, but my Captain is sure and is true, and we are headed, steady as she goes, to the Other Side. 

21 comments :

  1. This little ninja was empty a moment ago and now is filled. Thank you, sister.

    ReplyDelete
  2. HANNAH JOY I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. This is my life right now: lots and lots of waves and getting nowhere. Thanks for pointing it back to our site and true Captain. I love this SO SO MUCH.

    xoxo
    ms

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THANK YOU THANK YOU! Agh. You are way too kind. :-)

      Delete
  3. YOUR writing reminds me of chocolate or honey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MY writing does that? That's cool. I like chocolate and honey lots. :-D

      Delete
  4. Lately My ship's been moving near the rocks because I have to spend the next several months visiting hospitals and being out with the numbing stuff... But thank you for this.

    xoxo Morning

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mm, yeah. I get that. But man, our Captain is the best of the best and He can navigate perfectly, even though the rocks seem impenetrable.

      Delete
  5. gOOD GRIEF this was powerful and took my breath away.

    thank you thank you for this <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my goodness, Elisabeth, thank you! You are so sweet. Your comment made my night. :-) <3

      Delete
  6. SO LIKE.... why you already a better blogger than me? *does Sokka facepalm*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SO LIKE.... I'm NOT. But thanks for the compliment.

      Delete
    2. ALSO. I CAN NEVER LOOK AT MY NEW PROFILE PIC THE SAME SINCE YOU THOUGHT THE BUN WAS A NOSE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I might have to change it. XDDDD

      Delete
  7. Can totally relate to this. Your writing is amazing by the way :)

    The Velvet Black // UK Style & Beauty Blog

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow, i think you are an amazing human being.
    seriously. i needed this. i'm not even joking.
    thank you <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow thank you. XD I was not expecting that. THANK YOU AUTUMN, YOU ARE SO SWEET I CAN'T EVEN. But really, it can't be me--it must be God. Thank you for your sweet words. <3

      Delete
  9. Oh...my...gosh. Hannah Joy...you are a beautiful soul. You put the desires and thoughts of our hearts into words and language. There are so many lines I could copy and just tell you how much they blew my mind. I absolutely adore this.

    "Faith is blindness, for our Captain never called us to see." <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AGH KATIE. Wow. Thank you. Just... yeah. That means a lot. Like I said to Autumn, it can't be me. God is so faithful to speak through my stammering mouth or stuttering keyboard as the case may be.

      Thank you so much for the encouragement. I totally needed that today. <3

      Delete
  10. "Faith is blindness, for our Captain never called us to see. Faith is knowing that there is a lighthouse by the glint of light on the dark waves, because hope says that there is one around the bend." ADUSKDNXJCK WHAAAAAT YOUR WORDS ARE DOING SUCH THINGS TO MY HEART. ♥ I can't deal with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AGNOSDNFOWNEOW ABBIE YOUR COMMENTS MAKE MY DAYYYY. Thank you so much for reading and commenting... it means the world. <3

      Delete

Hey-o! I like comments a lot. Please comment. I'll write back. I'll send you virtual chocolate and all that good stuff if you do. I'm not desperate. Maybe. Just comment, wouldja?