In the Broken

It's funny to think I thought
God wanted my perfect
When all that He really wants
Is me and my broken
Tried so hard to cover up the mess
But I was only lying to myself
Because He saw what I was doing and
He knows me

But isn't that what Jesus did?
Came for all who know their mess
Lived the life we couldn't live
So we could be free
He invites us into His death
Death to self but not death to mess
Because He's the only one that's perfect
And we find our freedom in the broken

In the Valley

In the valley

In the shadows

In the stillness, You are God

And no fear could

Ever touch me

In Your right hand You hold my heart

In the silence

In the aching

You will replace what has been lost

You are more than enough for me

More than all I’ve ever wanted

You’re exactly all I need

Help me trust You

Help me trust You

Comfort, comfort my heart

In the stillness, You are still God

If You Are Lonely

~from “When God Writes Your Love Story” by Eric and Leslie Ludy~

Eric endured a period of profound loneliness while he was taking a semester off from college. He had just come from a busy schedule at school that included sports, study, and an active social life. Now, back at home with an empty schedule while all his buddies were still at school and his family was occupied with their lives, he felt an intense inward pain like nothing he’d ever before known. One day he found himself on his knees, weeping into the fabric of the sofa. The loneliness had become too much to handle. As he cried out to his Lord, he suddenly felt a tremendous peace wash over him. It was almost as if Jesus Himself were kneeling beside Eric, wrapping a tender arm around his shoulders and whispering words of love and comfort to his soul.

That afternoon Eric sat at the piano and wrote this song:

I am like a deer, You are like that water.

I run to You, like a son to his Father,

I felt so alone, like a moth without a flame,

But You ignited, and to You I came,

And that’s forever.

I felt so alone, like a ship without a sea.

But You gave me water,

You took my hand and said to me,

“This is for eternity.”

I’ll never be lonely,

I’ll never be lonely without You.

I’ve got this feeling that You’re here to stay,

And I know I’ll never be lonely with You.

Elizabeth Elliot once said, “Loneliness is a required course for leadership.” If God is preparing you to make an impact on this world for His kingdom, chances are He will take you through a season of solitude. This is a season when you learn that you can’t lean upon anyone but Him or your confidence and when you gain the strength to stand alone even when no one stands with you.

In the past fourteen years of Christian ministry, Eric and I have often been incredible grateful for the seasons of loneliness we experienced before we were married – those times when we learned to stand firm in our convictions and find refuge and comfort in the arms of our Kind, to live for only His smile, even when it seems no one else was smiling upon us. So many times in standing for Truth we have felt utterly alone. If we hadn’t allowed God to give each of us a strong backbone and prepare us to stand apart from the crowd, we surely would have crumbled and compromised a long time ago.

Don’t despise loneliness. Instead, allow it to chase you into the ready arms of your King. If you turn to Him instead of trying to fill the void with other things, you will find that He is ready to meet your every need. You’ll also discover that He may be using loneliness to prepare and equip you to be a leader, to stand firm when everyone else’s courage is failing, and to live for the applause of your King alone.