Redeem: 36

Undivided loyalty,
this is the call.
To walk in.
With Him.
Each other.

Otherwise,
here comes the thief in the night,
our union stolen right from our hands.

It's like we just hand it over,
to whoever raises up the eyes-turn question.

I stand up, I declare:
I will not let that be.
Look me straight inside my eye--
do you understand me?

Then hold me here,
within the circle of your arm,
at His present feet.

Claim what no one in this Kingdom come
could ever steal away:
In your loyal first to us
is loyal the ending to yourself.

You can do that.

I will stand here and proclaim it
until this cold barren earth fades to rising sun.

[redeem, verb: to free from what distresses or harms; to release from blame or debt; to regain possession or recover ownership; 

to convert, restore, atone; to save]

Redeem: 35

Maybe I should just mention it:

Top of my list as to what I want to see
is you, whole and holy.

If I get to join you in walking that out?
That's a bonus. A really really good one.

[redeem, verb: to free from what distresses or harms; to release from blame or debt; to regain possession or recover ownership; 

to convert, restore, atone; to save]

Redeem: 34

Today I sent an official email saying
what I have known for a while now needed to be said,
an email of "my life is changing and I need
to make some changes in order to be ready"

I am struggling, with this.
After all of this waiting,
who would have thought?
Not me.

Upon hitting send I had great peace, of course.
Peace comes with obedience.

But to be completely honest:
I then slammed into discouragement so hard,
I thought I might not make it.

I am struggling, with this.
And really--who would have thought?

[redeem, verb: to free from what distresses or harms; to release from blame or debt; to regain possession or recover ownership; 

to convert, restore, atone; to save]

Redeem: 33

So, I'm just reading the article you posted on facebook today.

I've decided that--despite a desperate desire to support you in everything you do--I will not "like" it.
[Wouldn't want to come on too strong or anything...]

But can I tell you here [speaking of coming on too strong...]
how much I love it?

I don't love it because I understand it.
Truth be told, my brain is tired,
I have twelve hundred other things to think about right now,
and it is a barrage of words I cannot seem to organize.

I love it because it is evidence to me that
you are walking in who God has said you are.

I have a list of "who you are,"
given to me one prayer cabin day
before I understood that God actually does things like that.
[Like, right before...]

And I'm not going to share them all here,
because a girl should always keep some mystery about her...

But here's two:

Brilliance, in quality of mind.

And,

Bringer of light.

I've been praying for the full fruition of that list,
ever since I heard it.

And that article says to me: Yep.

I love it, indeed.

[redeem, verb: to free from what distresses or harms; to release from blame or debt; to regain possession or recover ownership; 

to convert, restore, atone; to save]

Redeem: 32

In our emails of this weekend, you didn't propose!
And for a smidge, a second, [a pause for overly dramatic effect]
I thought:
That's it, I'm done, he's not going to come through.

I stopped myself though. I won't believe that anymore, for you.

Notice I say "anymore"...

It reminded me, see, of so many other times,
when you looked like quite the risk,
when I reached out and you...
[fill in the never-promising blank]

The statement of
That's it, I'm done, he's not...
is one that I know well.

And yet, here I am, aren't I?

It's because I'm a raging idealist.
It's because I know the God of More.
It's because I believe what He's said about you.
It's because He's faithful, to Himself.

And just so you know, it's also because I understand:
You are the type of man who will not come a-callin'
until you know that you know that you can.

I admire that about you.
And somewhere along the way, I said: OK.

I've seen friendships form and people move away [then back!],
I've seen acquaintances become relationships
and turn into marriages with first [then second!] babes.

I've sat and watched it all, saying "Your Way."
Because His way is worth the risk.

And so are you.

[redeem, verb: to free from what distresses or harms; to release from blame or debt; to regain possession or recover ownership; 

to convert, restore, atone; to save]

Just Because

This afternoon, I was sitting out on the porch of this cottage that I love, in the chair that I made you move for me, minding my own business. The sun was shining on me and the breeze was lilting around too, when a squirrel came over and stopped, just below me, on the pathway to the back.  He sat there for a moment as we scoped each other out, and then? He stood up on his hind legs, put his paws up to his chest, looked me straight in the face, and shook his booty, chattering away.

I can't even stand it.

(When it's lovely out, can we never go inside?)

Redeem: 31

Hey, it's time, you know?
To lay down the blame.

There are roots to the damage,
the darkness has friends;
none of this can we negate.

But I'm just looking at what we have left,
and I see more waiting beyond this place.

And the moment sitting in front of my face
is not what will so&so do to take us yonder...
It's us.

Those were our years of suffering dark,
purpose working but hard to find.
And these are our days of walking in joy,
in hope, in peace, salvation relief.

But listen to what I believe to be true:
There will be suffering again for us, not far,
and to lay the blame just will not do.
I will need you to be secure yes sure,
standing in gospel proof.

The foundation we allow let laid today
determines the Light of then.

[redeem, verb: to free from what distresses or harms; to release from blame or debt; to regain possession or recover ownership; 

to convert, restore, atone; to save]