Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!
Today Father, I want to start off by saying “thank You”…
For Your faithfulness,
Your grace,
And Your persistence in pursuing me when I stray from You.
As You’re aware Lord, my life has been a bit more complicated than usual and increasingly stressful as of late. And while I’ve tried as diligently as I can to keep myself open to Your voice throughout these trials, I’ll admit I’ve failed to do so more often than not. I’ve allowed my pain and fears to cloud my connection to You Lord, and it’s left me feeling much more “disconnected” than I’ve become accustomed to…
Until last Friday, when You broke the silence:
“Hold on to your Joy, Phil.” You said…
“My Joy??” I thought, “ I’m hurting Father… Really??”
“Hold on to your Joy.”
And then I realized…
You’re my Joy Lord… And I’ve let the world get between us.
I’ve built a wall Father, using my burdens as bricks and anxiety as the mortar that binds them together.
And yet Lord, even with this self-constructed barrier in place…
You came for me.
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” – Ezekiel 34:11-12 (ESV)
The wall is there Father, of my own making…
And still You seek me out.
The wall is there,
But with Your help Father, we’ll tear it down,
Together…
One brick at a time.
Amen.
~Phather Phil
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Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
Heartfelt…I prayed along with you as I went through your post.
‘Lasciati amare’ 🙂
Thank you! Prayers are always welcomed, and certainly a Blessing! 🙂
“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself
will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his
flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out
my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered
on a day of clouds and thick darkness.”
Love this scripture from
Ezekiel. In fact, I’m madly in love with
all the scriptures that reference the Shepherd.
We know that he’d leave the 99 to seek the one lost – a favorite parable
of mine. In moments of doubt, I remember
that I can’t go astray but so far…
I love seeing Him in that role as well Debra; tending to His sheep and seeking those that stray from his gaze… 🙂
Have a Blessed Day!
powerful message Phil. Love how you start out with gratitude. One brick at a time is a great image. I know I want the whole path lit up so I can see everything but often not even my next step is clear. will keep praying for you. Hold onto that joy, Phil
Thank you Jean! I find quite often that I keep looking for some “major event” to signal God’s involvement, when in fact He usually works in much more subtle ways..
Have a Blessed Day!