Little Seeds
by Melissa Campbell
Who can understand the everlasting,
The going on from earth-bound to forever,
The breaking free from time and space?
And who can comprehend,
How the life in a seed so small,
Can yield itself in death,
To bring the greater glory?
Who understands the love of a Father,
Who considers suffering a badge of honor,
And gives His Son as sacrifice?
And how do we adjust,
To the inevitable, bitter-sweet release,
That comes too soon for some,
Snuffing rhythmic breath,
Cutting off all glory seen,
Replacing hopes and dreams,
With fading memories,
And raging grief?
And how do we explain,
The slow delay of healing,
The painful stretch of waiting,
Lingering, watching,
A body once healthy, perfect,
Struggle to remain,
Knowing someday it will betray us,
And leave us gasping for breath?
Death leaves an empty place that no one can fill...
...but God.
In the depth of our pain, He meets us.
When there seems to be no way, He moves us on.
In the darkness, He shines hope,
'Till we have nothing left but holding on.
God takes our senseless suffering,
The ugly mess of dying,
And makes something holy, beautiful,
Eternal, Divine.
Our God is a raging fire,
And He has given us the choice,
Will we shine like stars in the universe,
Or burn with eternal regret?
The answer lies in how we choose to live now.
Will we hold on to our lives,
Or lay them down,
As they were meant to be...
...holy given, little seeds?
Can we learn to let go,
And discover great grace,
More than enough to overcome,
To make it through,
To become the dream of God fulfilled...
...His Sons and Daughters,
Full of beauty, full of glory?
With Christ we can.
All He asks is that we dare to believe,
And look within,
Not to ourselves,
But to Him--the Beautiful One,
And our Hope of glory.
In the last month I saw a friend lose her strong, beloved dad to cancer, and I joined with a mom to grieve and celebrate a teenage son--a happy-go-lucky kid--who couldn't see the light, and believed a lie--that there was no way out but suicide . Today I feel the pain of my daughter's friend and team-mate as she buries her mom and best friend--so young and full of life--she was only 38, taken away abruptly in an ATV accident.
Death is all around us, and threatens to overwhelm us. But God is near. He sees. He knows. He cries our tears. He says that death will not be the end of us! And I believe it. There is greater glory in knowing Jesus Christ. The head of the enemy has been crushed beneath His feet, and ours as well. Death no longer has a hold on us. We are alive to God.
If you look closely, you will see many who have already begun to shine.
Photo Credit: flickr - Darren Shilson
melissa... i'm so glad to have 'met' you. and what a beautiful, holy post... having grappled with death recently on a very personal level, i esp. appreciate it. your insights are heart-breaking. thank you. i'm so glad you linked, and hope to see you next week, friend. e.
ReplyDelete"In the darkness, He shines hope,
ReplyDelete'Till we have nothing left but holding on.
God takes our senseless suffering,
The ugly mess of dying,
And makes something holy, beautiful,
Eternal, Divine."
so very true
I love how you reverse common mantras and assumed values. I was blessed with a grandmother who lived this way and taught me to see things from a different view than most people - and I believe her view was probably closer to God's. She has now died, but how could that day not be a celebration for all of us who knew her. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Emily. I love that your blog is a gathering place for the barefoot and broken. I will be stopping in again for sure. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kati. I was just reading Psalm 116: Precious in the sight of the Lord are the deaths of those who love Him. I was blessed to have a grandmother like yours, who taught me to see the beauty of God even in death. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteHello Melissa,
ReplyDeleteFor those of us left behind, death is so final, hard and lonely. You know it is difficult to wonder what happens when a person suicides, where do they go? As a Christian who loves a perfect and loving God and with all my studies about the after life...I believe they are saved. Why do I believe this?? Because a person who does suicide is lost in their illogical perceptions. They are mentally ill and incapable of being rational.
When a persons mind is screwed up so much, they could not be held accountable. I have witnessed this, I have witnessed the difference in the same people once they have recieved treatment and are well again...and there is such a varst difference. Mental illness is one of the sadest things because it is so misunderstood. Some Christians may say they are demon possessed.... NOT ALL!!! Some yes. I praise God for my professional training and my own experieces. I have recently been diagnosed with diabetes... Three times, my head felt like I was going crazy!! Food can do this to you if you are intolerent! Some foods or a lack of certain minerals can also make a person extemely depressed. There is much to understand with Mental Illness. However, God does understand...and He loves that person.
God Bless you. Hugs.
so sorry for the grief.
ReplyDelete@Crystal Mary: Thanks for sharing your perspective. I just had another friend lose her son to drugs. She said that both she and someone close to her had a vision at the same time, of Jesus holding him in His arms near the time of his death. I have no doubt He is with the Lord--he believed in his heart and confessed with his mouth, but his soul (mind, will, emotions) were still in process of being healed and redeemed. In the end, Christ has the victory over sin and death! Yay, God!
ReplyDelete@Deb: Thanks, Deb. I loved your post today.
Blessings to you both!