Death

Ruth Kirk

This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16; NIV).

The ancient road,
The final hill;
The painful birth,
The bitter pill…

The joy, the tears,
The shortest years;
The dread, the fears,
The shame, the jeers…

The memories,
The festivals;
The desert fast,
The miracles…

The misery,
The mystery;
The agony –
And all for me!

The journey home,
The morning sun;
Your kiss, at last –
Now we are one!

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! (Philippians 3:8-11; NLT).

Speak the truth

Ruth Kirk

Speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ (Ephesians 4:15; NLT).

I will wait for the LORD (Isaiah 8:17; NLT).

When I can’t glimpse your face
I speak the truth,
And when I cannot pray
I wait instead.

When I can’t see your sun
I choose the cloud,
And when my way is rough
I kiss each stone.

When I can’t hear your voice
I eat your bread,
And when my heart is sad
I drink your blood.

When I can’t sense your care
I offer thanks,
And when all hope is gone
I seek your home.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV). 

Therefore, dear friends, since you are waiting for these things, strive to be found at peace, without spot or blemish, when you come into his presence (2 Peter 3:14; NET).

Bright or dark

Ruth Kirk

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5; NIV).

Moses went into the darkness where God was (Exodus 20:21; BES).

Bright or dark,
I love you;
Glad or sad,
I pray;

And when I can
I serve you, Lord,
The best I can
Each day.

Gain or loss,
I praise you;
Sick or well,
You’re near;

And hour by hour
I thank you, Lord,
For always
Being here.

I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20; NIV).

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18- NIV).

Guard, save, help…

Ruth Kirk

I will take you by the hand and guard you (Isaiah 42:6; NLT).

Guard, Lord, with your loving hand,
Our neighbours and our friends,
Our families and enemies –
No matter what life sends.

Save, Lord, with your healing touch,
The strangers in our midst,
The immigrants and refugees –
Let’s greet them with a kiss.

Help, Lord, with your guiding staff,
The homeless, sick and poor:
May we see you in everyone –
And learn to love all more.

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).

References

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35; NIV).

Love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).

Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).

Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).

Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).

Remembrance

Ruth Kirk

Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us (Matthew 6:12; NLT). 

Yesterday was a very significant day for me personally. At my church’s Remembrance Day service I was finally able to let go of my bitterness about my mother’s anger, criticism and emotional abuse. As I prayed at our War Memorial, I was able to begin remembering some of the good things she did for me, to my great joy:

  • When I was a three-week old baby I caught whooping cough. She sat up with me for days, until I could breathe normally again.
  • All the meals she made, the cakes and bread she baked, and the patient way she taught me to make bread.
  • All the clean beds, housework and shopping she did.
  • She bought three new pans and helped me plan how to cook a roast dinner for two friends on my own.
  • The effort she put into making Christmas and birthdays special.
  • The country rambles, picnics and holidays we had together.
  • She took me to her Scottish Dancing evening class regularly, which was how I learned to dance.
  • The money she lent me to help me buy my best violin, an insurance policy, a van, and a house.
  • She came to school concerts, and was present when I was presented with my Counselling certificates and my Master’s Degree.
  • When I accidentally broke my violin bow, she cycled to school to see my teacher and explain, so I wouldn’t get into trouble.
  • When my music teacher got drunk and became sexually suggestive during my A-levels, she contacted the school to ensure he would not be invigilating at any of my exams.
  • She was lively and intelligent, and could be very good company.

I am sure I will be remembering more good things about my mother, both great and small, to add to this list for a long time to come.

So, in the light of this big step forward, here is today’s prayer:

Almighty God, thank you for helping me to forgive my mother, to let go of my bitterness about the past, and to begin remembering the many good things she did for me. Wherever she is now, please bless her soul, and bring her into a deeper relationship with your joy and bliss. I ask this through the name of your dear Son. Amen.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted… to comfort all who mourn, and to provide for those who grieve – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes (Isaiah 61:1-3; NIV).

References

Keep on seeking, and you will find (Luke 11:9; NLT).

Another dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good (Job 21:25; NIV).

Get rid of all bitterness (Ephesians 4:31; NIV).

Kintsugi prayer

Ruth Kirk

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold, so that the cracks shine instead of being hidden. It is rooted in wabi-sabi, the Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection. Treating breakage and repair as part of an object’s story often makes it even more treasured than it was before. As a metaphor, Kintsugi celebrates resilience: our scars become marks of healing and grace, rather than flaws to be ashamed of, or to hide.

Thus, the broken heart above become the beautiful, repaired heart shown below:

We now have this light shining in our hearts… but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves (2 Corinthians 4:7; NLT).

Lord,
May my fault-lines
Shine in your service –
Shine like the purest of gold.

Christ,
Use my damaged
Heart, mind and body –
Don’t let my kindness grow cold.

Lord,
Though I suffer,
May I encourage
All those who long to be bold.

Christ,
Use the broken
Parts of my being
To love, and to heal, and to hold.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted… to comfort all who mourn, and to provide for those who grieve – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes (Isaiah 61:1-3; NIV).

He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me (2 Corinthians 12:9; NIV).

Starting each day

Ruth Kirk

God is with us (2 Chronicles 13:12; NLT).

There’s nothing like knowing
That God is there –
So start each day
With the Lord’s own prayer.

There’s nothing like knowing
That Christ is here –
So start each day
Resolved to face fear.

There’s nothing like knowing
Their Spirit within –
So start each day,
By rejecting sin.

There’s nothing like knowing
What They deserve –
So start each day
Determined to serve.

There’s nothing like knowing
That we belong –
So start each day
With a joyful song.

Give worship to the Lord with joy; come before him with a song (Psalm 100:2; BBE).

References

Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us’ (Matthew 1:23; NLT).

Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? (1 Corinthians 6:19; NLT).

Tears

Ruth Kirk

The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces (Isaiah 25:8; NIV).

God will wipe away
Our tears of hurt,
And also wipe away
Our tears of pain.

God will wipe away
Our tears of grief –
And even wipe away
Our tears of shame.

You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken! (Ezekiel 16:63; NLT).

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4; NIV).

Relax

Ruth Kirk

Given early this morning:

He takes me to lush pastures, he leads me to refreshing water (Psalm 23:2; NET).

Relax in God’s company,
Walk in Christ’s presence,
Dance with their Spirit,
And live in their light.

Rejoice in God’s majesty,
Eat at Christ’s table,
Drink with their Spirit,
And rest in their sight.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:29; KJV).

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest (Exodus 33:1; KJV).

References

He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; and precious shall be their blood in His sight (Psalm 72:1; NKJ).

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23:6; NLT).