Weighted Down

This mornings wake up song Third Day’s Soul on Fire

God, I’m running for Your heart
I’m running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I’m longing for Your ways
I’m waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire[x2]

Lord, restore the joy I had
I have wandered, bring me back
In this darkness, lead me through
Until all I see is You

God, I’m running for Your heart
I’m running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I’m longing for Your ways
I’m waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire

Lord, let me burn for You again
Let me return to You again
And Lord, let me burn for You again
And let me return to You again

God, I’m running for Your heart
I’m running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
Lord, I’m longing for Your ways
I’m waiting for the day
When I am a soul on fire

God, I’m running for Your heart
I’m running for Your heart
Till I am a soul on fire
I wanna be
Till I am a soul on fire
Till I am a soul on fire

I’ve listened to Christian music for a very, very long time. I’m sure at some point I thought listening to anything else would lead to impure and unholy thoughts and thereby lead me away from the God I think I love. Then I started listening to what I was hearing when I read Scripture. Then I started reading Song of Songs while this speaks of the beauty of physical intimacy within marriage, it can, like so many other things be twisted and morphed into something not good and holy.

And this, once again, reminded me of my favorite radio show, Busted Halo and my favorite night of the week, Thursday when it’s Faith in Culture night. What is it that we see in our current culture: music, movies, books, that gives us a glimpse of the holy? I distinctly remember hearing Kyrie (sung by the group Mr. Mister, written by John Lang) on the radio when I was a teenager. Kyrie eleison means Lord have mercy. Kyrie eleison is the prayerful plea at the beginning of every Mass, whether prayed in the Latin or local language, where we seek God’s mercy and forgiveness for anything that stands in our way of seeing and seeking Him. The song is a plea for mercy on the road I must travel. Actively seeking God’s mercy on the journey of this life, at this moment.

And truth be told sometimes the things in and of the current culture have a way of leading me closer to God. The message might be as blatant as Kyrie or as subtle as the messyness of the paintings of a certain painter. Or it’s in the work of quilters who are exercising their God given creativity, just making quilts, improving with each one, doing the work, putting in the effort, showing up. I have quilters in mind who I just admire. Oh dear do I admire them. I admire their honesty and integrity. I have quilters in mind who are willing to do the work and make quilts and fabric and things that don’t work because it teaches them something to take into the quilt and fabric (or notion, tool) that does work.

I think of quilters, not necessarily in the national/international spotlight, who make quilts quickly, responding to someone’s ill health or some natural disaster. That is tapping into the beauty of God’s Mercy and Grace, deeply into God’s LOVE for humanity. I’m thinking of Michele Bilyeu’s efforts for Mary Lou Weideman. I love that Mary Lou made several of the blocks for this quilt.

Someday my heart will be completely on fire for the Lord. Someday I’ll be the quilter I long to be, someday…until then I’m willing to practice my Faith, and quilting until I get them both “right”.

God bless!

Teri