I saw a River, it was lovely. Deep and wide, clear and clean; it was Life, Full and Free. Sadly... my view of this age-old unrivaled River was from the muddy banks, where I was covered in shameful mud that sucked so at my slowed soles.
My terrible perspective was from afar on the slippery, steep muddy banks of this River with no rival. I once enjoyed the Freedom and Joy of floating, splashing and swimming in that River, but I had chosen my way out of this Beloved River.
And now as I groaned and wept, seemingly stuck on the banks in despair; I looked up from my gloom, hearing a sound of water ever so gently splashing, as if someone was approaching the banks of this Kingly watercourse.
A matronly, middle-aged woman dressed in white (apparently searching) came to a place of rest at the water’s edge (with the River to the bottom of her calves) and there she stood looking at me with a gaze of warmth, acceptance and strength that stirred my melancholy heart.
She smiled and spoke, “I am Grace, Beloved (that is my name: David: Beloved, though my gloom caused me to almost forget it)! Come back in our River, the water is FINE!”
I protested to Grace of all my muddy failures, stuckness and slippery sins (especially the many times repeated one’s), yet she only spoke of what she was and exclaimed that what she had to offer was more than enough for my muddy, slogged, stuck state.
I couldn’t seem to move and I looked down in shame, I was immobilized! Yet I somehow looked at Grace and truly digested her words (chewing and digesting, over & over like a cow that chews it’s grass) and I amazingly began to trudge towards the River and Grace, with increasing ease and freedom of movement.
As I reached the edge of the muddy banks of this Regal River, doubt and discouragement reminded me that I couldn’t remove the dirt and misery of the muddy banks. Grace sang to me that it was true, that I alone could not! The River will wash all this mess away! I shook my head to stand upright and stared into the River as I walked in.
In, all the way! Hesitatingly at first, braver and firmly as I descended into the waters by Grace, always near to me. The clean clear water washed me of all the muddy dirt and soon I was clean and finding Joy in sharing my story of Grace and the River, by whom I believed and continue to be rescued, romanced and redeemed!
(River of Life - Mac Powell)
My terrible perspective was from afar on the slippery, steep muddy banks of this River with no rival. I once enjoyed the Freedom and Joy of floating, splashing and swimming in that River, but I had chosen my way out of this Beloved River.
And now as I groaned and wept, seemingly stuck on the banks in despair; I looked up from my gloom, hearing a sound of water ever so gently splashing, as if someone was approaching the banks of this Kingly watercourse.
A matronly, middle-aged woman dressed in white (apparently searching) came to a place of rest at the water’s edge (with the River to the bottom of her calves) and there she stood looking at me with a gaze of warmth, acceptance and strength that stirred my melancholy heart.
She smiled and spoke, “I am Grace, Beloved (that is my name: David: Beloved, though my gloom caused me to almost forget it)! Come back in our River, the water is FINE!”
I protested to Grace of all my muddy failures, stuckness and slippery sins (especially the many times repeated one’s), yet she only spoke of what she was and exclaimed that what she had to offer was more than enough for my muddy, slogged, stuck state.
I couldn’t seem to move and I looked down in shame, I was immobilized! Yet I somehow looked at Grace and truly digested her words (chewing and digesting, over & over like a cow that chews it’s grass) and I amazingly began to trudge towards the River and Grace, with increasing ease and freedom of movement.
As I reached the edge of the muddy banks of this Regal River, doubt and discouragement reminded me that I couldn’t remove the dirt and misery of the muddy banks. Grace sang to me that it was true, that I alone could not! The River will wash all this mess away! I shook my head to stand upright and stared into the River as I walked in.
In, all the way! Hesitatingly at first, braver and firmly as I descended into the waters by Grace, always near to me. The clean clear water washed me of all the muddy dirt and soon I was clean and finding Joy in sharing my story of Grace and the River, by whom I believed and continue to be rescued, romanced and redeemed!
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