Space is where God waits. This hollow He meets, turning soul to full. It's a necessary meadow. An empty full. Because what God can do with the barren is epic.
From the hollow... joy has come. From the pitch light has shown. Life. God loving to make it from nothing. From situations of empty. Moments of too far gone.
It can be me who feels it. Conversations had too many times, leaving me empty. Prayers prayed with only an echo in return. Sometimes God hedges up the way so we face the quiet. So we have to walk into the silent.
Sometimes I wish I was brave like Jesus. He knew it too. He got in the boat and pushed away from the busy shore. He knew that in taking hold of the empty, we give birth. To God's intended. This abundant life. And that to do so, sometimes it's us that have to let go. Let go of the chatter, the seemingly urgent, and even necessary. Here's the thing, Jesus loved people, with the greatest love. Yet even He stepped away at times.
Its in the hollow, we meet God.
Its hard though. People...they get offended. Quite easily. And sometimes when we just have to stop, to slow, to be quiet... They take it personal.
Some kindred girlfriends and I have been learning the importance of this lately. We have gotten chances to practice...on both sides of the coin. First it was her. The joyful, laughing much friend. Her soul hit again, and so worn. She was brave enough to trust the rest of us. She asked us to love her by being quiet. To be love in a whisper that waits. So we did. We went silent but prayed loud. We waited, and we embraced the hollow with her. And in her hollow our voices hushed. We stepped aside, and she heard God. The voice that lifts and fills comes when we choose the still.
My turn. Weariness can drive you mad. And if you turn to the tree of knowledge to save, you will die. If you reach out for human voice to save, you will wither.
I love people. My gifting is very extroverted. I love out, and I know God in it. But people in all their beautiful cannot fill my voids. When we want people to fill us we very soon realize damage follows. Relationships get heavy. Hope falters.
People are not the source of love.
There is none...
But God.
Who can fill...
You and me.
We can suck people dry. We can do that damage. God allows us that privelege. Free will can hurt. But know this. He loves you so much, he will give you empty in return. And there, left to our damaged heart and lost hope, we will meet Him...in the hollow places.
Or maybe you are in the other shoe. Maybe someone you love dearly doesn't know God loves them. Them personal. Maybe you hurt because you know what must come. Their empty. Maybe you know you can't keep proving your love...because it simply will never be enough.
Sometimes we love strongest through the letting go.
Through the stepping back. Through the realizing... We can never fill their void. Never prove enough... Never do enough...
Ever had to love someone enough to let the empty reach them?
It's hard. We fight the urge to jump back in and save. But we mustn't!
Give them Jesus.
You can never fill our Savior's shoes. Give them Jesus by letting the hollow come. By letting it accomplish His perfect grace. Empty that fills. Barren that gives birth.
His love. Is always enough.
Our loving out does matter. But not if it's not overflowing from Christ. Our love on it's own simply isn't love.
And an imitation will always hinder.
Isaiah 43 talks about only One God to save. Reading all of 43 would be joy... But if not, check verses 10-12. Know these things in your empty. Meet Him there.
And if you want to fill someone? Kindly remember. There is only One who can save. One who can fill.
Jesus. Companion of the empty to full.
Know it well. His love won't end. Brave the hollow and find out for yourself.
It will be epic.
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