Yesterday I was driving home and came upon a car accident. One of the cars had two elderly people in it and the elderly man was heading out of his car to see about the woman in the other car. Because I live on a high accident corner, I have seen so many people still in shock, stumbling around the road, and nearly getting hit by passing cars who wont slow down for accidents, I decided to pull over and suggest he get back in his car, and to check on all the people involved. After checking on everyone and trying to soothe the elderly woman, I left the scene when the paramedics and police showed up.
I was dropping some things off at my house and then going on to the next errand. I went a back way so that I wouldnt have to navigate through the intersection of the accident, and the route I took brought me just a block up from the scene. I figured I would look down the street at the progress of the scene when I came out a block up from it...... to my surprise, the bend in the road totally obscured my view. To anyone turning onto or out of the street I was on, there was no sign that a pretty big , scary accident was right there, around the bend.
The whispers I know so well came at that moment. This is what whispered in my mind........ "that is life. Right around the bend you never know what is happening. Sometimes the blessing you are waiting for is right around that bend, out of site but yet, so close, just so very close......... other times a tragedy is right around the bend..... you are happily and mindlessly driving around and then as you steer around the bend , there it is, something you dreaded or something you didnt even think to dread. Do you stay fixed on Me, so that you are ready to handle what may be around the bend? What about the people around you? Do you show them compassion, do you realize that from your vantage point their life may seem carefree and tragedy proof, and yet right around the bend, right out of your site , they might be dealing with things that are hard, that are fearful, that are heartbreaking?
When you are in the midst of your own 'car wreck' do you realize or remember that right at the next block things will be ok again, and that you will be able to continue on down the path of your life? Or do you only see that wreck right there and think that I am not with you , watching over you, helping you? When you are before the bend, where no bad things are happening, do you remember the times I brought you through the wrecks in your life?"
So many things are right around the bend..... blessings, accidents, places where life seems to be one big 'smash 'em up" , but our paths are ordered and if we keep our eyes on Him we will be ok, before the bend in the road, at the scene of the accident and further on down the road..........
Friday, October 8, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
His beauty
HIS BEAUTY
A DEER SCURRIES ALONG AND THEN LEAPS GRACEFULLY
OVER A HYDRANT TO ESCAPE THE WHEELS OF MY CAR, AS IT SPEEDS OVER THE BLACK PATH MAN HAS LAID.
A SKUNK PEACEFULLY EATS CLOVER
BESIDE THE CRACKED AND BROKEN ROADS OF ASPHALT
ORANGE LEAVES SHINE BRIGHTLY
AGAINST THE UGLY , YELLOW FLOURESENT LIGHTS.
A BEAUTIFUL VINE OF MORNING GLORIES CLIMB
GROWING UP, TANGLED ON THE RUSTED STREET SIGN.
A SPIDER'S WEB MAGNIFICENT
AND SPARKLING WITH MORNING DEW
ADORNS THE WEATHERED PAINT OF AN OLD RAILING
SNOW FALLS
AND IN AN HOURS TIME, BLANKETS THE FILTH OF OUR STREET
COVERING THE EFFECTS OF LAZY MEN'S LEFT BEHIND TRASH
THE MOON FULL AND GLOWING
STANDS IN BEAUTY...
OVERSHADOWING A MILLION WATTS OF MAN MADE LIGHTS
NO MATTER HOW MUCH MAN TRIES TO CREATE BEAUTY
HE IS OVERSHADOWED BY THE TRUE CREATORS WORKS
AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH MAN'S LAZINESS ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY THE CREATION
IT IS FUTILE BECAUSE THE CREATOR'S GIFTS STILL OVERPOWER MANS FILTH
t.j james
Monday, October 4, 2010
the day i met Him..
dirty rags
i remember the day i met Him
i stood in rags, dirty, alone, and unloved
He stopped and looked at me
not past me, as most did
but at me, staring deeply into my eyes.
i felt shame run through me
i was so dirty, so ugly, so unworthy
His beauty only magnifying my filth
instead of turning from me in disgust , He smiled
He looked into my eyes, and He reached to touch me
i pulled away, unwilling to allow His goodness to be touched
by the ugliness that was my life
He spoke to me, "remove your garment"
i felt horror to expose myself to Him
but the love in His eyes compelled me to obey
as i stood naked before Him i was torn... what was worse?
facing Him in filthy rags, or now letting Him see the condition of my very body
i was covered with sores, scars, and twisted flesh
so covered with the effects of my life.
He picked up my garment and held it close to Him
as He inhaled the stench of my life ... He wept
He seemed to be broken in heart by my condition
as He wept, His body heaved with sadness, until great drops of Blood mixed with His tears
"I will wash your garment", He said and He looked at me.
i thought, how will it be clean? Especially with the Blood mixing with my filth?
it could only be dirtier when He was done.
but He continued turning the garment in His hands
and i saw Blood flowing from His palms.
He drew the garment down His chest, close to His heart ... and Blood flowed from His side
He finally laid my garment down and stood upon it
Blood flowing even from His feet!
i watched in awe as the red Blood mixed with the dark filth
and my garment appeared cleaner and cleaner and cleaner.
as His huge sobs turned to soft weeping, i stared
as He finally looked at me again with a smile
and held out to me my garment, now spotless
white and glowing with newness and beauty
"put it on My daughter", He said
i pulled away quickly
"never my Lord, i can never put something now so clean, so beautiful, on this
broken and infected body"
He smiled and gently put it on me and watched and waited…
to my amazement as the Blood washed garment touched my flesh
i could see the scars, the disease, the abscesses melt into new fresh healthy skin
i stood whole, sweet, innocent and beautiful before Him
i fell at His feet and worshipped Him, my promises to Him flowing
from a heart of thankfulness
"i will stand in beauty and wholeness forever
in my garment that You made clean"
T.J. James
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