Ripening to God's Word

The listening ear and the satisfied heart
       grow in the same soil.
       That soil is the kingdom of God.
       The place where the ear and heart are married.

spmcrector.blogspot.com

I see seeds in my hand
         waiting to be sown,
         waiting to be grown,
         life waiting to happen.
In my hand, in my possession,
          they will come to nothing,
          remain only seeds,
          only fit for lesser creatures,
          barely able to feed a bird -
          only seeds,
                           ears without heart.
They touch the earth.
        Then their life is kindled.
        To what they have more is given:
              a stalk,
                 a head,
                    a full kernel in the head,
                       ripeness.

How can those seeds of listening produce such a crop?
                        They grow by loving desire, unseen, underground.
                        They grow in sleep or in waking,
                                             during night or in the day.
                        And so listening brings fruit
                                    by this kingdom of God,
                        All by itself seemingly -
                             this true listening,
                             listening with all my heart.
                        My Jesus, your words are life;
                                        let me hear!


These seeds do not grow all at once:
          First the stalk,
                  then the head,
                         then the kernel in the head,
                                then ripeness.
In growth is the waiting,
    one thing upon another,
    experience with experience,
    life within life.

Listening is waiting
                  waiting for ripeness.
So much is green in my heart
                  unable the sustain what I hear.
                  I long for ripeness.

fineartamerica.com

Lord,
        send a sickle to my heart,
                an apostle to reap the fruit of listening.
                Only then will my heart be satisfied.
        If only my heart would ripen to your word!
        If only the seeds of listening would bear fruit!
                        Something so small becomes the biggest of all,
                        the rejected stone, the capstone,
                        the Suffering Servant, the Savior,
                        the unknown man, the Teacher of all.
                        My Jesus and my little life in him.

(Meditation on Mark 4:26-29)

Seen and Heard

Do not be like the hypocrites.

They are missing out.

               They pray to be seen by people

               rather than by their unseen Father.

               Filled with the recognition they seek,

               they miss the eyes of the Beloved One.

teatime-kiddies

He goes unseen,

              hidden from the view of pride,

              invisible to the self-absorbed.

              He sees and is seen by

              those who close and lock the door

              to be alone with him.

Father, may I be seen by you,

              may your eyes light up my soul,

              may your gaze fill me.

“I see you,” he says.  “I see you.”

Do not be like those who don’t know God,

                         trying to move him with words

                         when he is already moved on their behalf,

                         covering all their bases

                         when only one thing is necessary,

                                           sitting at his feet.

bible-truth.org

He waits in silence

               in silence he is heard.

               When I am drowned by many words,

               silence is the ark that stays afloat

               and makes room for his re-creating word,

                                                   his call for deliverance.

Father, close my mouth and ears

              as you did the door of the ark.

              May the flood of noise

              always be outside our place.

“I hear you,” he says.  “I hear you.”

I am seen.

I am heard.

         What else would a father do?

             The heavens are open to me.

        I need not make a name for myself,

             only call out yours.

        I do not have to make things happen;

             I need only be remade.

        Each day you care for me

             as one who knows what I need before I ask.

        As long as people owe me recognition,

             I am collecting.

        Allow me to let it all go

             so I am free to seek your recognition.

        There are many things that shine,

                         many things that call,

             but only you are worth seeing and hearing

                         in everything.

I am seen.

I am heard.

I am free.

( A meditation on Matthew 6:5-17 for my fellow Embers)

For Dallas

His last words were “Thank you.”

Let these also be my parting words to you.

Thank you for opening my eyes to God’s great kingdom,

    the pearl of great price,

    the seed that grows all of itself.

Thank you for sharing your vision of Dr. Jesus,

                      Master of all reality,

        Teacher of all time.

Thank you for showing that eternal, abundant life begins now,

       being poured out as a gift of God

       as a blessing on other’s lives.

Thank you for the hymns you sang in the hallways,

           the scriptures you quoted without thinking,

           the kindness you showed in your silence.

Thank you, God, for the gift of this life,

        quiet laughter, intense thought,

        stinging wit, gentle hands,

        unhurried feet, eyes wide open,

        devoted heart, deep soul.

Thank you.

Seek the Kingdom with Your Ears

 Only the good soil grows in the light of God.

               Some soil stays in the darkness of ignorance.

               Some soil takes no root in troubled storms.

               Some soil gets choked by weeds of greed and worry.

Only the good soil of listening grows in the light of God.

wikipedia

The kingdom of God is a lamp shining out,

                                         never hidden

                                         never covered,

                                         placed on the lamp stand of the Christ,

                                         who shines most in the darkest places.

Light of God, shine on me!

Jesus Christ, lift up my eyes to the light!

The kingdom is everywhere shining

                              but seldom seen,

                           so blinding in Christ,

                              yet easily dismissed.

The humble God has hidden his light, his kingdom,

                                     in the Suffering Servant, Jesus,

                                     in the humble Teacher, Jesus,

                                     even in the wandering pilgrims

                                               who follow Jesus;

                                     hidden from those who think they know,

                                        but shown to those who want to know;

                                     hidden from those who are satisfied,

                                        but shown to those who are hungry;

                                     hidden from those who want to hide,

                                        but shown to those who want to walk in the light;

                                     hidden from the eyes,

                                        but shown to the ears.

visualphotos.com

If you have ears in order to hear, listen!

                  Listen to a kingdom unseen.

                  Listen to its Teacher,

                                    who holds up the kingdom in his words.

                  Listen so that you may see!

                  Open your ears and look!

Lord, may your kingdom call out to me!

The value of the kingdom in found in its weight.

        Does it weigh in your heart?

        What is its measure?

        Your ear is the balance of the heart

                weighing one thing against another.

        What weighs upon you?

surrenderedmarriage

The kingdom is heavier than it looks.

        far denser in its love, joy, and peace

             than it seems,

        seeming small compared to the world

             and yet heavier than this kingdom of the air,

        impossible to carry

             until Jesus picks up the other end.

Seek the kingdom of God with your ears.

Seek its light in the dark noise.

Seek its hiddenness from those who hide from God,

Seek its weight of love and glory

  and everything else will be yours.

Half-hearted half-listening will not bring half of the kingdom,

  but nothing.

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.

Let your word grow this kingdom in my heart.

(A Meditation on Mark 4:21-25)