Father Hearts and Father Wounds ~ Father Heart Round Two

Greetings Dear Reader,

The sadness and pain of father wounds can span our entire lives.  We make poor choices and follow dark paths because of the pain.  We are wandering walking wounded.

Our lives can be so ruled by the pain and sorrow that we do not see hope or a way out.  Our image of a father is so tainted by the failure of the one who is supposed to be “our” father that we cannot see beyond that to the love offered by the Father.  In some cases even when we see it we refuse to trust that it can be real.

I feel the deep wounds of a father who did not love me and would not invest his life in mine.  The only thing that sustains me is the love of a Father God who sees every hurt and tear when I am alone and the ache rises in me.  It is the love that I want to know how to show my Children and Grandchildren.  It is in seeking to love him that I learn how to love others.

Both my nature and nurture trained me to be a hard and unloving man.  I have to lay down my hurt daily and try again.  I have to soften my heart to the love and grace of the Father.  I have to have faith.  I have to keep seeking the Father with all my heart. 

I assure you that this is not a fixer for all my pain and sorrow.  It is not the solution to all my anger and loss.  Instead it gives me the strength for the next day or maybe the next moment.  It is solace when I allow it to be. 

The longing for a life where I do not fail my Children and they see the depth of my love for them continues.  The desire to see my Children and Grandchildren walking in faith with the Father stems from that love.  Perhaps that is the deepest connection.  The Father has a heart that longs for us and he shows himself to me through the longing I feel.  It accepts me where and how I am and embraces me whenever I will let him.

Come As You Are – David Crowder

Come out of sadness from wherever you've been

Come, brokenhearted; let rescue begin

Come find your mercy, O sinner, come kneel

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal

Lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

O wanderer, come home

You're not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

There's hope for the hopeless

For all those who've strayed

Come sit at the table

Come taste the grace

There's rest for the weary

A rest that endures

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't cure

Lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

O wanderer, come home

You're not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

Come as you are

Fall in His arms

Come as you are

There's joy for the morning

O sinner, be still

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal

Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't heal

Lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

O wanderer, come home

You're not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Forgetting Who God Is – Merciful

Greetings Dear Reader,

When my younger Son, Bezel was four he decided that the sugar bowl was his personal candy dish.  The first time I caught him eating the sugar I warned him that he should not do it.  The second time I caught I chose to teach him about mercy.  I sat him down and explained was that mercy was not getting the punishment we deserve from the person who has the right to issue that punishment.   The third time I caught him raiding the sugar he looked at me, smiled, and said, “Dad, I think I need to learn more about mercy.”

Mercy is defined as showing compassion and forgiveness to one over whom you have the power to punish or harm.  Whether we accept it or not we are all guilty before God of rejecting him and failing to love him as we should.  We do not understand the level of mercy we need.  We do not understand the level of mercy we are already shown.

Once again this is something which we have left behind in our journey away from and understanding of who God is.  As I journey back to God I see his mercy and the need for it.  It begins with an understanding of the depth of my failure to love him with all my heart. 

He extends mercy to us so that we can find our way back to him.  He gives us that way and an example to follow through Jesus.  I am not sure how all of this will work its way out in my life.  I do know that by faith it will. 

I do not just walk in faith.  I walk in the renewed mercy of God.  He may need to renew it every morning, every hour, or in my case every second.  He does.  He wants me every moment just like I am.  He is merciful to me just as I am.

Come As You Are – Crowder

Come out of sadness

From wherever you’ve been

Come broken hearted

Let rescue begin

Come find your mercy

Oh sinner come kneel

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can’t heal

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can’t heal

So lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home

You’re not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

There’s hope for the hopeless

And all those who’ve strayed

Come sit at the table

Come taste the grace

There’s rest for the weary

Rest that endures

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can’t cure

So lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home

You’re not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

Come as you are

Fall in his arms

Come as you are

There’s joy for the morning

Oh sinner be still

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can’t heal

Earth has no sorrow

That heaven can’t heal

So lay down your burdens

Lay down your shame

All who are broken

Lift up your face

Oh wanderer come home

You’re not too far

So lay down your hurt

Lay down your heart

Come as you are

Come as you are

Come as you are

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)