intercession, sky bedrooms, and first sight

1

i have some fear in this, God, and so much uncertainty about what will be. so I surrender my impulse to create and grasp onto certainty before you give it. i only want to step out on what is certain from YOU (no lifeless wood, stone, or ideologies; only You, the Living One). often lift my eyes from the particulars of circumstances and the worries therein; move my eyes to Your face (beauty, kindness, strength, love), which is unseen but eternal (most true of all). i know that i only ever see correctly in your presence. i let go of my management attempts and i take your hand, Jesus, to walk with You. i give up my urgent time table and i submit to Your leadership. You hold and sustain me by the word of your mouth. today, God, will you give to me a thickness of your presence and a deeply intimate fellowship with You? let there be nothing on my wish list except wanting You. remind me of my foundations. amen.

2

chelsea's room is like a little sky of her own,
walls or a cooling, open blue and a fluff of cloud for a bed
(plus a zebra that shares her bed)
and she descends from it's clouds
pulls out tubes from which vibrant colors come
spreads them around on a board on an easel
and what emerges is undeniably art

3

intercession
so i'm already paid to pray, in a sense
how am i using that time?
what if i took that seriously and
wasted less time praying about my precious little life
and wasted more of my life wrestling with God on behalf of
neighbors gathered at Love Feasts
my girls at The Other Way
our territory (4th - 7th, Alpine to Davis)
the Boiler Room and each member therein
the families targeted on our Muffin Mission
women in my Daniel study
the nations He's putting in my heart
my family and other friends
i wonder what would happen to my world
i wonder what would happen to me
so i say God you can go right ahead and
wake me up (literally, in the night, also spiritually)
and put your Spirit in me to pray pray pray
just your words flowing through these lips that
really don't know the first thing about how to pray this way
so teach me how to be an intercessor
i don't want to read a million books,
i want you to show me how to do this thing
and i want it with my SBR family
i want to see us on our knees together
intentionally
interceding
because this is work you've given us to do
and i hope we'll be found faithful

4

these are the things you confess to one another after you've started to call a thing what it is:

we liked one another almost instantly as it turns out: from that first kitchen moment in Grand Rapids, solidified by moments on cushy rugs and another kitchen in Madison. we were telling confidants within days that we were smitten with the other, while all the while remaining rather surprised at ourselves, and keeping a poker face with one another.

it's wonderful when good starts turn into something even better, when gut instincts line up with the actuality of a thing. when you just keep liking someone more all the time.