shadowed clouds

A sense of rebirth surrounds me. i find myself squinting into the too-bright light of life outside the womb i recently experienced at ICAPglobal.

A photo taken on the evening of May 15 marks my arrival in Green Lake and captures the sense of hope in descending darkness.

Something about the shadowed clouds coming to meet the hilltop brings to mind Genesis ...

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. – Genesis 1:1-5 NIV

This morning there are tears as i am blessed by shared photos of my traveling companions, my co-conspirators in Christ. i am reminded how we stood together on the first morning of The Story workshop, hesitant and bold, knowing we'd encounter death, confident in the still small voice that promises resurrection.

God weaves our lives together in the telling of our stories, tears pledging witness to deep pain, spoken words dancing with silence, smoldering embers of encouragement lighting fires of compassion in our hearts and in our eyes.

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

Rw

stairway

The stairway to heaven, a journey, descending, slowly, often painfully slowly, one step at a time, resting, engaging the person next to me, a step above or a step below, help and hope, faith overcoming fear, excavating the dark -- the darkness within me -- changed by miraculous Light, i journey further, until i reach the bottom, the posture of Christ on the Cross, arms spread wide as i lay face down, my heart beating aloud Love one another the way I loved you.

Rw