Lay It Down

I travel through the mist

And o'er the mountains high

My baggage getting heavy 

My soul, it heaves a sigh

You say that I should leave it

Just place it at Your feet

That Your burden is light

And Your timing is sweet

So I'll lay down my pride

The stone with the jagged side

And I'll lay down my shame

Thorns in my shoe I hide

Loves that have been lost,

Bitterness, fear, and hate

My load is getting lighter

And I'm starting to feel great

But when I think I'm done

When I've given great and small

You point towards the things

I treasure most of all

You say you want the good

Along with all the bad

But I don't understand

This is all I have

I stand on the threshold

Of myself and You

If this clay You must mold

You say I'll have to choose

So I'll choose to trust

I'll lay aside myself

And bring out my greatest treasures

That I keep upon my shelf

My rings, my roses, 

My ribbons, my gems

They are my dreams, my desires

From which my very being stems

I know if I give them

They many not return the same

And I may be asked to leave some

For forever or just a day

But here I choose to trust

That no matter what the cost

You'll hand me something greater

Than that which I feel I've lost

Like said before, friends, I'm not a writer. Though I do, from time to time, write poetry as seen above. If you're still lost as to what it's about, I'll let you in on it. I'm not going to be like your English teacher and force you to write a 2 page essay defending what you think it means and why.

It is my experience that the Lord would have us lay things at his feet from time to time. Sometimes he asks us to give up our pride or our greed or something of the sort. He wants it because he wants to give us something in return-like humility or graciousness. It's hard to lay these things down. But I've found something harder still. Sometimes he calls us to lay down the things we most cherish in life. Like that possible job promotion, or the desire for a husband/wife. The things that are not "bad" at all. In fact they are quite the opposite.

Look at Abraham and Isaac. I know, the cliche story for laying things down. Sometimes, though, I think we forget the depth of this story. Isaac wasn't just Abraham's son. He was part of "the promise". The Lord had said he would make Abraham and his descendants great. And, if we look further ahead, this promise was more than just that. It was about the coming of the nation of Israel. The coming of the Messiah. I have to believe that God, who is a master craftsman, was already crafting all of this. So here is Abraham asked to sacrifice his joy, his love, his son, his future. And, what does he do? He chooses to be a man of faith. He goes to the mountain and gets ready to strike-to essentially kill his hopes and dreams. But the Lord is kind and stops him. The Lord provides for him.

So what am I trying to say? That sometimes when you reach a certain point in the journey, the Lord may call you to lay something you deeply treasure down at his feet. Terrifying? Yes, because we are human. What if he takes it and doesn't give it back? Or what if he gives it back but it's different than what it was before? Here's where the cool part comes in: You don't lay something at Yeshua's feet and leave empty handed. You may not be asked to pick whatever it was back up...but he never leaves us empty handed. He may hand you peace. He may hand you a fulfillment to another dream. And if he does hand you back what you've given him? I can guarantee you it will be worth more than it was before. I can guarantee you that he'll have breathed so much more of his wisdom and Spirit into it. This is his character.

So what about the in between? I've laid it down, and I'm waiting...so what do I do? I pray. I tell God exactly what's on my heart, like Yeshua did in the garden. I tell him how I feel. If I'm scared I say so. If I don't want him to change my heart about something I say so. And then...I tell him that, no matter my desires, or thoughts, or feelings on the matter, I choose his will over mine. Sometimes, a person can even take it a step further and fast. A person may choose to bring others in to war with and for them, for we are not called to walk alone. And the last thing I have found to do, is praise him. Did you really just say "praise him"? Yes. Because when I praise something happens. The atmosphere shifts. Because he is worthy in all things.

I wouldn't be writing this if I wasn't walking in it, friend. I know, sometimes walking is the hardest part. Sometimes trusting is difficult, and blind faith is exactly that. But when you choose Yeshua...there is no better place to be.

"You provide the fire, I'll provide the sacrifice. You provide the Spirit, and I will open up inside. Fill me up, God, fill me up. Love of God overflow, permeate all my soul."