About Me...or Him

If Jesus had a facebook (and that might be a big if), then I think we would be surprised by who he puts in his profile pictures.

Our Savior...with them?!?!

Yup.

Just how he rolls.

P.S. Love's still winning.

Not In The Thunder

I wrote this for my girlfriend's CD release concert. It explains 1 Kings 19:1-18, a section about the life of Elijah. The title of this post is the title of her track about the story.

"Elijah"

What if God were close?
What if God were intimate?
What if God were real?

What if these questions were not answered by a white cloud or lightning bolts or a long white beard?

What if God were more familiar, a still small voice?

The voice that says yes or no
The voice that says that’s not right or the voice that says this rings true
The voice that that says you are loved, the voice that gives you hope to carry on
A voice that can be hard to hear, confused by others, silenced by ourselves.

A voice that fights on, continuing to draw near to us,
A presence that will never leave

What if God could be heard in the beauty of our voices as well as the silent moments, the gaps?
The spaces that need to be filled.

Where should I look?

The sky, the wind, the trees, demonstrations of a mighty creation?

I could, but what of the sky and its temperamental black and blues, purple, oranges, and pinks, spotted by white masses? And the wind and its howling, whispers, and its stillness? And those trees – dead, alive, and dead again? Are they still growing?

What about me? Can I house something? Can I hear something?

Can parts of me be genuine? If only the ones affected by deep truths, the chills that run through me?

Yes.
Yes, I will listen.
Yes, I will recognize.
Yes, I will choose.
You are a God who still speaks.

© 2009 Josh W

The End of Five Months of Silence

This school year is almost over.

Life keeps getting better.

I'm walking closer with Jesus than ever before. I'm feeling more of my brokenness and failures, yet I am also experiencing the sweet resurrection power of our Savior and this communal effort, the salvation of our souls.

I've learned so much this year. God has poured into me. Even though I believed, I did not know any of this was possible. I didn't know His news was this Good. So I'm a believer, again and again. I'll keep saying, "Yes." Because this is the truest I've ever felt, the most joyous I've ever been. My sorrow is so different now, always lined with grace. This eager anticipation, this groaning in anticipation of Kingdom things provides its own sort of relief. It's coming.

And I'm back, here to stay. There might be a brief interruption as I finish writing papers this year, but I know God wants me to write. It's not an obligation. It's not a chore. It's a gift and a way I can express my love for the One who has shown me so much of His.

Excited for this journey.