Solitude

Lord, You call us from loneliness to solitude;
From the sulking void of isolated absence,
From the bottomless pit of hopeless abandoned grieving,
To Your soul-refreshing inner room of calm
Where the windows open on the sunlight and the shadow
And easy companionship with our better than best friend.

Lord we get jumpy with silence;
We want to fill it up with chitter and chatter,
dizzily doing distractions to fill this inner emptiness;
we comfort-nibble, or disappear into our iPods,
or chase our tails, trying to feel connected.
Lord, pull out our plugs for a second!

Somewhere inside us,
Where we’ve often lost the key to,
Is a longing just to sit at Your feet in the still.
Help us find the ways to discover the thrill of walking alone with You!
You’re not a headmaster, or an angry boss,
We’re not on the carpet, so why should we run to avoid You?

Doesn’t have to be on a mountain;
Doesn’t have to be a boat on Lake Galilee;
Doesn’t have to be a desert miles away;
Doesn’t have to be staring impatiently at the clock;
Just a quietly closed door, or a moment’s heart-space
Deeply to drink You in.

Lord, may our words be few,
Not quick with our mouths or hasty in heart
But like salt in season,
Drawing near to You, drinking deep from You, rooted and ready;
No jabber to justify ourselves, the sacrifice of fools,
Lord, we adore You, and trust in You alone
For the fruit of your Spirit, the fruit of silence shared.


Our thermometer tongues we quieten,
May we only speak Your words of grace and blessing.
Lover and Beloved,
In our soul’s darkest night the righteous radiance,

Hush
Hush
Hush

The hush of Heaven


Breathe peace upon us
Breathe unspoken, unspeakable benediction

Freeing us from ourselves
Freeing us for Your dear sake
Freeing us to find You.

Peace that passes our understanding,
We lay down all our plans and powers;
Scoop us up into Your heart
Dependent, expectant, hushed by Your heart’s hopeful wholeness:

Hushed
Hopeful
Whole.