Remember (a Poem by BvH)

REMEMBER


Once upon a time, you were born.
Expelled from womb to world
From warmth to cold
and the first sound from your lips were cries, sighs, screams
and it seemed
you did not deem this place so great.
You felt displaced
out of place
but you could not
go back.
You grew up and the years slid by
You aged and the world waged a battle on you
Scarred you, marred you, marked you
Etched laugh lines along your mouth,
worry lines upon your brow,
stretchlines along your thighs,
scarlines upon your heart;
Plotlines of pain
Sketched by demons that haunt and taunt,
Take you and tear you up inside.
Demons like death, disease, divorce
Addiction,
Poverty, promiscuity, pornography
Mental instability
Suicide
Rape.

This world -
it seems to break, bruise and bleed you dry.
This world -
it will bring you to your knees.

But
There is one:
Our God, who lends a hand, lifts up, leads and lavishes love.
Love that tenderly gathers the broken, bruised, bleeding pieces of a hurt heart and brings them together into a Beautiful New Thing.
Love that took unform and gave it form from before you were born.
Love that knit and fit you together in your mother's womb.
Love that has great big plans for you.
Love that calls you by name.
Love that gives you courage in the face of disease diagnosis to prognosis to treatment.
Love that cradles and comforts you at the graveside.
Love that stays when family and friends leave.
God lavishes His love on you.
Love that is stronger than the insistent need for alcohol and the persistent pursuit of drugs.
Love that is rich when financial status is not.
Love that lasts longer than a casual sexual encounter.
Love that was willing to give His Son to die for you.
Love that sees your pain and shame and the secrets that you keep -
when you weep.
God lavishes His love on you.

And God's love never forsakes, never leaves because it cleaves to you.
God's love rejoices and delights in the sight of you.
God's love counts the hairs on your head,
Knows the words on your tongue,
And the thoughts of your heart,
So, today, whoever you are,
where-ever you are coming from and whatever situation you find yourself in:
Be Assured
Never Unsure
That you are Secure
in God's love for you.

God.  Loves.  You.
Remember that.




(for further study and assurance, see:  Isaiah 41: 10.  Psalm 139: 1-6.  Isaiah 43: 1-3.  Joshua 1: 9.  Jeremiah 29:  11.  Lamentations 3:  22-24.  Jeremiah 31: 3.  Zephaniah 3: 17.  Psalm 34:  18. 
Psalm 27: 14.   ** may God bless you and keep you, where-ever you are at today.  - BvH **