Friday Original - Facade

Facade

Perfect smile on a painted face

that hides the truth within.

Bloodshot eyes and bags erased,

another day begins.

On bended knee she finds her place

and strength to lift her chin;

every breath now wrapped in Grace,

by day the grief won’t win.

Evening causes light to fade

as sunset fills the skies.

Darkness mocks her thin charade,

unmasking her disguise.

Silent tears now on parade,

as to the core she cries.

Losing all, she’d humbly trade

her laughter for his sighs.

No one sees the rush of pain

that torments in the night;

aches so deep she can’t explain,

consuming all her fight.

Through it all her God remains.

She rests in Him tonight.

His Love that measure can’t contain –

No depth, no breadth, no height.

Copyright © 2013 Mary Grace Wallace

The Full Story

I recently watched as a person whom I love dearly was convicted of a crime. As they were led out of the courtroom, I couldn’t take my eyes off the chains that were wrapped around their waist. These chains were attached to shackles on the wrists, making it impossible for them to stretch out their arms fully. My heart broke for this one I love. Here was a believer in Jesus Christ, and yet the sins of their past had led them to a sentence of jail time and lost freedom, paying a debt to society.

Somewhere in the depths of hell, I think I heard satan laughing.

But those shackles do not tell the full story.

We all carry the burden of chains in our lives. Ours may not be physical chains put on by earthly authority, but they cost us our freedom just the same. The sins of our past may not be the kind that breaks an earthly law, but they sentence us to a life unfulfilled, living less than God’s best for us. Our chains bind our hands making it impossible to raise them in full surrender to God.

And somewhere in the depths of hell, satan is laughing.

But these chains do not tell the full story.

You see, on the cross at Calvary, Jesus took all the burden of our sins, our chains, and became our sacrifice. The Perfect Lamb of God, drank from the Father’s cup of wrath for the sin of all mankind… now and forever more. Our debt was paid through His blood that was shed on the cross, and through His death our atonement was complete. These chains that we carry that burden us are lies of the enemy! He wants us to believe that we are not worthy of the freedom that came through the Cross of Christ. And truthfully, we aren’t. But God through His Mercy and Great Love has made us worthy by the blood of His Son. We are washed clean, free from our chains by the blood of Jesus. Satan doesn’t want us to remember that. He wants to trick us, deceive us and distract us from Jesus and His blood that was shed for us.

Hear this… we are free! We are able to stretch our arms toward heaven in complete surrender to God, and it’s all because of Jesus. By the Blood of Christ and in the name of Jesus our Savior, satan must flee from us. Do not be deceived any longer… YOU ARE FREE.

Revelation 12:11

And they overcame him (satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony…

And somewhere in the depths of hell, satan is nervous.

And that is the full story.

Be blessed, my friends, in Christ Jesus.

Waves of Promise

2 Corinthians 12:9

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

I remember the first time I visited Clearwater Beach. I was 12 years old. I dropped my towel in the sand, shed my bathing suit cover and ran for the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It had stormed the previous day, and the sand, although beautiful and soft, was littered with seaweed and debris washed up from the ocean floor. The waves were rather large for the Gulf, but I didn’t care. I stood at the water’s edge and let a wave lap its way over my feet. As I watched the water recede from my toes, I was mesmerized. The sand directly under my feet stayed in tact, but all around it disappeared with the tide.

Looking up, I noticed in the distance some people standing about waist deep in the water. I was surprised at how shallow the water seemed at such a distance. I waded into the water and began to walk out to where those people were. I didn’t get far. About 20 steps in, the bottom dropped out from underneath me and there I was, treading water unable to touch the bottom. I have always been a good swimmer, but there is a huge difference between the still waters of a blue chlorinated pool and the push and pull of the ocean. At that moment, a large wave came crashing down over me, sending me down under the water until my arm scraped the bottom. As I surfaced and gathered my bearings, another wave took me under. I began to realize this was not going to be a simple swim. I rode the next wave onto the shore and sat down at the edge of the sand looking at those people who were splashing around so light heartedly. There were no waves crashing down on them, and they looked so happy. I didn’t understand that what I was seeing was a sand bar, until my sister explained it.

With her urging me on, I was determined to get out to that sand bar. I stood up, brushed the sand off my tush, and ventured back into the water. When the first wave came, I could hear my sister advising me from the shore. “Dive right into it as it rises to its peak!” That seemed like a ridiculous thing to do, so I braced myself for the impact, and sure enough I ended back on the shore. Again I tried, and again I failed. One more time I ventured out, this time taking my sister’s advice and did a perfect dolphin dive straight into the wave. To my surprise, I surfaced just beyond the wave not feeling any of the effects of its power. On and on I proceeded. With wave after wave getting larger and coming against me, I continued to dive straight into them and let them just roll right over me. Within minutes, my feet touched bottom and I was standing on solid ground again… in the middle of the ocean. I turned and waved at my sister on the shore with a giggle. Man, was it ever beautiful out there… beyond the waves, beyond the debris.

Are you in the midst of a storm? Are the waves taunting you, trying to get you to scrape the bottom? Is your life littered with debris from the rising tide?

I am.

I am right smack in the middle of what is probably the biggest storm I have ever faced in my life with waves so large and unrelenting that it seems I will never surface. And the harder I brace myself against them, the harder they hit and the further I fall. And it hurts - A lot. I look at those ahead of me who seem to be enjoying the waters of life as I am struggling to touch bottom and I wonder if I will ever make it there. And then I hear the words of Jesus telling me to stop fighting. He is telling me to dive head on into the waves that are trying to push me back, pull me down. And His promise is that He will bring me to the surface on the other side unharmed.

So I forge ahead. Some days, I am hit by wave after wave, determined to take their impact through sheer will of my own. Those are the nights I end up battered and bruised, feeling weak and helpless. Other days I heed the advice of Jesus and I let go and dive into the coming wave, and I surface on the other side unscathed. And on those nights, I rest easy in between the waves, knowing that it is not my strength that got me through, but the promises of God.

Although I have not reached my sand bar yet, I know that if I keep listening to Jesus and relying on HIS strength and HIS promises, I will get there. It’s not easy to let go and dive right in, but then again, He never promised that this life would be easy, only that it would be worth it for eternity.

Rest in Him, my friends, and let go.

Runaway

It's times like these I wish I was more proficient on an instrument and writing music.
Here are lyrics just waiting for a tune. Poetry is my normal mode of creativity but every once in a while song lyrics come out instead of poetry. I hope you enjoy... these words come from the heart.

RUNAWAY

This scene is so familiar
and my heart just skipped a beat.
Can't stop my mind from reeling,
tying laces on my feet.

Deja Vu is haunting me
with the sun now at my back,
casting shadows that are reaching
to the pathway down the track.

I want to run, run, runaway
for this pain put out my light.
I want to run, run, runaway;
there's no strength in me to fight.
I want to run, run, runaway.
It's too hard to live apart,
and if I choose the road more traveled
I can runaway...
     Runaway from my heart.

With my body poised and ready
to let go of all I know,
something deep inside is stirring
and it will not let me go.

Holy Spirit, You are calling me
to turn and face the Son.
With a promise of much better days
which can be found in only One... but...

I want to run, run, runaway
for this pain put out my light.
I want to run, run, runaway;
there's no strength in me to fight.
I want to run, run, runaway.
It's too hard to live apart
and if I choose the road more traveled
I can runaway...
     Runaway from my heart.

Oh, You are the light that cannot be denied.
You are the victory, You're fighting at my side.
You will never leave me here, we will never be apart.
You are the road less traveled bringing peace to my heart.

So I will run, run, runaway
from the doubt that's creeping in.
Yes, I will run, run, runaway
and let Your healing now begin.
Oh, I will run, run, runaway
from this death wrapped up in fear.
If I tune my ears to listen, Lord,
I can runaway...
     Your voice is all I hear.

Jesus I will runaway...
     Runaway with You.