Tenderly You lead me. You hold my hand so gently. We dance and sway together like a Father and a daughter who is so smitten with Him. I look to You with such awe and reverence in my eyes. It’s shocking when I see You look back at me this way too. How can I bring awe to You? I am so small.
My nothingness is felt deep inside as a reference point for Your greatness. You are my best Friend, Father, Lover, Everything…Your heart constantly calls out to mine. I smell You in the air around me. You are closer than my breath.
Oh God…how magnificent You are.
I see us in a field. I am dressed in a gown of flowing white. My arm is outstretched, and You are holding my hand. As I twirl our fingertips are touching. We are never apart.
I find peace here.
You are my Source. Apart from You there is no peace or joy. I come to you as one longing to be filled. I just want to be closer to You. Every movement of my body and mind, is in Your direction.
I can do anything in Your presence. Every brave characteristic in me, comes from You. I am nothing without You.
Tenderly You lead me through this valley that feels like death. Tenderly you tend to my woundedness. You are not afraid of me. You are not turned away by my faults and fears. You use them all to draw me closer and teach me new parts of Your heart and affection for me.
I now know what it is to feel truly loved. I never want to leave You.
Abba. My God. My best Friend. Dance Partner.
We twirl. I laugh. You laugh. We hold each other close and fall to the ground next to each other, looking up to appreciate the sky You painted for me to enjoy. Everything You make is a masterpiece.
I stand and notice flowers have bloomed all around me…the fruit of our love. What glorious color. What wonder in their many different forms. Flowers remind me of the promise of good things. I pick one and breathe deeply it’s smell. It smells like a unique oil…the oil of gladness. It’s then that I notice You take my hand again…You ask me to exchange with You…”Give Me the oil of your sadness, and receive the oil of My gladness.” You reach Your hand to my face and wipe away a single tear…placing it in a jar. The air feels electric around me now. I stand so still…can I release all my sadness? Oil appears on the hand You are holding…my oil of sadness. You look upon it with understanding and affection. It sounds strange, but I feel heard as You gaze upon the oil of my sadness. I reach my hand out closer to You. You cup it in Your two hands and absorb all the oil.
Rainbows. I suddenly see rainbows all around me and everything feels lighter. I am empty. Then it begins to rain… only it’s not regular rain…it’s oil. Beautiful, shimmering oil from Heaven. It brings an instant smile and I feel it now. The Oil of gladness.
Oh, thank You God for loving me so completely.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. Isaiah 61:1-3
365 Days in the Presence 