Love

Love.

Powerful, humbling, sacrificial, gracious, accepting, forgiving, enlightening, moving.
All-knowing, yet unstoppable
All-seeing, yet unshakable

Inviting, cherishing
Promising and never-leaving

Comforting
A place of rest, a place called
Home

"Come and be.  Come and be and be with me." 

     It calls us.  It moves us forward.

"Be all you are and yet never be the same."

Because you cannot leave unchanged.
Because love, by it's very nature, calls forth that which we thought was never inside us,
      and yet, somehow, was there all along.
We just didn't know.
But love knew.  Love saw.  Love beckoned.  Love comforted.  Love forgave.  And love changed-even the worst parts. 
And we are never the same.
Never the same.

Grace.

The ultimate conundrum in heaviness and lightness, weighty strength and light-as-a-feather freedom.

The word with a bad rap, given by those who haven't allowed themselves to drink deeply of all it offers.

The word, not just a word, but an action so daring, so cunning, so subversive it can break chains and loose bonds, and free the captives with one fell swoop.

It is the ultimate sword, severing hatred, unforgiveness of self and others, lies, jealousy, doubt, cowardice, and fear.

To some it may seem weak, like a doormat or a passive way to deal with things.

But it's reality is life-changing and life-giving. 

For where fear resides, all other evils rage.

But grace, sweet grace, carves the rock so the streams of love can come rushing in.

And love, perfect love, casts out all fear.

And the reigning power of grace, once again, is made manifest.