 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16 NIV)
The Middle The middle of the road is not a good place to be In the middle of a storm a ship is lost at sea In the middle of a story it’s hard to see the way In the middle of decision I often run away In the middle of a tempest the heart is left in fear In the middle of a song the end will soon be near In the middle of recovery it’s hard to see the light In the middle of disagreement I often lose my sight The middle of the ocean is a long way from shore The middle of a dark alley is a long way from your door In the middle of a conversation the outcome is unknown This middle ground I’ve fallen in love with, holds a high cost to my soul… Salvation is transformation. It’s leaving the path of all we used to be, to walk the path where the road narrows into a single small purposeful journey. Middle ground is the space between who we were without Christ, and what we can become with Him. It’s the hovering between all of the things you ‘loved’ about your old life while feeling the pull, the weight of the unknown, new life of walking in the Spirit. The middle is a dangerous place to dwell. It’s alluring because it does not require transformation, the only thing required in the middle is apathy; the place where all passions affecting conduct are regarded as unreasonable. There is a lack of desire for change. Comfort takes the place of cataclysm; the violent upheaval of heart that brings about a fundamental change. You can be saved in the sense of knowing Christ Jesus died for you and rose again, without embarking on the necessary and hard won journey of transformation that Jesus secured through His death, burial and resurrection. You see, He didn’t die for you so that you could live unchanged, lounging in the middle ground, not acknowledging the price He paid to liberate you, to give you a new life, a new heart, and a forever changed soul. Are you lukewarm? Standing in the middle of the road, neither cold in rejecting Him altogether, nor hot in full surrender? What is it you think you will lose by forfeiting your life to the One who overcame death? “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39 NRSV) Listen to Romans 6:1-4, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning (standing in the middle of the road) so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (How can we hang out where we weren’t meant to be?) Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Additional wording in parentheses added) I encourage you to start stepping out of the middle of the road…it’s so easy to get side swiped by fear, to be run over by addictions, to be a deer in the headlights as loss clouds your vision and stalks your emotional life, to be overtaken by the traffic of anger, confusion, worry, chaos, apathy, deception, and ease. Trust Him and with each step you will get warmer and warmer as the heat of His love forever holds you and brings you home… Written by Anne Marie Hawke April 2021 To subscribe to my blog or to discover more about my writing, please visit my website at hawkewriter.com
4 Comments
 “And, You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Your hands: they will perish; but You remain…” (Hebrews 1:10-11a)
YOU REMAIN You remain. You are constant. You are unchanging. You are ever present. There is nowhere that I am that You are not. You never leave. You are always. You are in this moment. You abide. You are here. You are now. You are. You surround. You fill. You hold. You envelope. You protect. You heal. You guard. You breathe. You pursue. You touch. You whisper. You wait. You love. You nurture. You discipline. You provide. You understand. You know. You hear. You see. You teach. You train. You build. You tear down. You restore. You strengthen. You mend. You cover. You move. You stand. You cherish. You mold. You grow. You remove. You plant. You sow. You reap. You harvest. You plan. You purpose. You reign. You rule. You rescue. You regard. You reserve. You dwell. You deliver. You declare. You divide. You separate. You conquer. You crush. You suspend. You lift. You uphold. You delight. You enjoy. You laugh. You cry. You feel. You create. You promote. You persist. You enlighten. You unearth. You caress. You acquire. You inundate. You overwhelm. You wash. You weave. You redeem. You atone. You save. You secure. You purify. You pronounce. You manifest. You reveal. You captivate. You command. You care. You come. You engage. You anoint. You overcome. You mend. You make. You remain. You are constant. You are unchanging. You are ever present. There is nowhere that I am that You are not. You never leave. You are always. You are in this moment. You abide. You are here. You are now. You are. Father, You are everything. In any and every moment You are what we need. In the seas of sorrow, surrounded by sickness, covered in chaos, drowning in depression, anchored in anger, unclothed in uncertainty, wavering in our wandering; You are what we need. I come humbly to ask boldy that You move in the hearts and lives of all those I love and care for…bring You into every situation and circumstance, turn defeat into triumph, death into life, division into unity, hate into love, sickness into health, loss into fullness, lies into truth. We need You Lord Jesus, in the earth in this moment, in this hour, in this day, and in all the days to come. Give us eyes to see You, ears to hear You, and hearts to truly know You. May we not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. May we shine as lights on the earth in this hour. May our focus and attention be on You. May we walk by faith and not by sight. May we trust You with everything always. May we love unswervingly. Give aboundingly. And glorify Your name resoundingly. In all these things I pray, I trust You, believe You, and yield to You in all of Your marvelous, matchless beauty, mercy, grace, truth, and strength. Amen. Written by Anne Marie Hawke April 2021 To subscribe to my blog or to learn more about my writing please visit my website at hawkewriter.com |
qUIET IN CHAOSQuiet in Chaos is a blog about nothing, everything, and all things inbetween…it’s a space, an ellipsis, a deep pause. Life can be chaotic, and often needs more moments of quiet…So join me as I share and give through the written word, the place I find my Quiet in Chaos… Archives
February 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed