The Wonder of Invisible Love

Sometimes I come across a song that just blows my mind.  It’s never about the music for me as much as it is the lyrics.  Words are powerful, and therefore lyrics are powerful.

There’s a song I came across the other day by JJ Heller who has a new album out “Painted Red.”  On the album is a beautiful song called “Invisible Love.”  At first it sounded like a bouncy little happy tune, until it got to the chorus.  And in it, a powerful stirring that left me in tears and a smile on my face.

Here’s a preview of the song mentioned:

In this song, Heller sings to God about not only her adoration for Him, but the beauty and power of an invisible love that comes from something that physically we cannot touch, see, nor hold.

“If my arms could reach around You, I would never move…
If my eyes could see You, I’d have no faith left to prove…
The wonder of invisible love”

Often times enough, we forget that what we can’t see does not mean that it is not real, or any less powerful than what we can.  When we push forward toward obtaining something (such as a goal, a better future, etc), even though we may not see it yet, if we want it bad enough, we’ll strive for it.  We’ll yearn for it, and will push, shove, scream, kick, tear, run, walk, and crawl to get to it.  Whatever it takes.  God’s decision to make Himself visible in the places where it appears invisible, was His way of creating a deeper more real, tangible (yes, tangible) love.

“When I fall I feel Your arms before I reach the ground…
Lord, I know Your whisper, though I’ve never heard the sound…
The wonder of invisible love…
And, this is how it has to be..
With You and me..
The wonder of invisible love”

A love that we cannot see or touch is a love so powerful that it is the only way God could make Himself known to us.  Because it’s more real than ANYTHING on this Earth that could possibly be even remotely  more real, more felt, or embraced.  It’s deeper than anything will EVER experience.  To feel such love… to experience such love… is an invisible love that is an undeniable love — that once felt, you’ll never want to let go.  You’ll never want to turn back.

“This is how it has to be with You and me…”

Heller sung the truth with those words.  It’s how it has to be.  A love that cannot be touched or seen.  For it to be so real, so deeply felt — it has to be something that our senses can’t make sense of.  A love that can’t be explained away.  A love experienced so deeply, that you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is only the kind of love that God, Himself, can provide.

Full song and lyrics can be found here

Love’s Proclamation

“….here is the one I’ve chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight…”

In a world full of hate, despair, agony, and greed… there is still a place for love. There is still a way to love. The rich child who has everything but nothing without love, the wife who finds herself alone each night while lying in bed with her husband, the murderer, the thief, the actor, the lawyer, the doctor, the blue collar man, and the man with none — there is still One that will love you for you, and not for who you are or what you’ve done or what you’ve become, but simply because you are you.

There is redemption waiting for you. No matter your weaknesses, no matter you sins, no matter your deeds — there is restoration for the fallen, and redemption for the lost – and it is born from a love so great that is satisfies the thirstiest of souls. It’s the love of Jesus who made the greatest sacrifice so that you may experience the love you’ve never had.

Cops and Robbers: Break-in

The last few days have been kind of nightmarish. I had my godson at my home the other night, and while he was sleeping in my bed, I was having devotional in the living room.

A few hours past and he came running in white as a ghost. Just utterly terrified. I asked him what was wrong and he stood there with his little body trembling and whispering someone was at the window.  I grabbed him and began walking towards the bedroom when I stopped dead in my tracks as I watched the sensor lights in the back of the house go off. Moments later I heard a cat… yes, a cat… sounding utterly in distress. It was meowing LOUDLY, in an almost rhythmic pattern.

It was so vocal that it could be heard from anywhere in the house. As I walked to the back door where the crying was coming from, it sounded literally as this *supposed* cat had its mouth dang near plastered to the bottom of the back door. I stood there and listened, and everything inside of me told me to not open the door.

I grabbed my phone and as I did, it sounded as if someone had grabbed the door handle. I didn’t see it turn, I didn’t see it wiggle. Just the sound as if someone had simply grabbed it.

I immediately began calling for 911 when I saw a series of lights pop on from next door; immediately followed by the sound of someone running down the side of the house, and of course… the “cat” meowing had instantly stopped. A few minutes later the cops showed up at my home, followed by my next door neighbor, explaining that they had called the cops several minutes prior as they saw someone suspicious emerge from a fence and walk down the side of my home.  When they saw the shadow of a person near my back door they threw on their outside lights hoping it would cause them to run away.  And it did!

A series of police cars roared away, searching the neighborhood… unfortunately they did not catch whoever was in my backyard, but thankfully, they didn’t get in — and my neighbor had quickly acted on my behalf and had called the police before I had even known someone was out there at all.

The next day after my boyfriend drove through the night to get here; we sat and prayed about a decision that has weighed heavily on my heart in times past. We headed down to the sheriff’s office and I filed for a gun permit, and while there I had learned that 1) There has been a series of break-ins all over the city 2) More than half of them have been successful after using a various number of ruses to get the home owner to open the door, in which once the door was open they forced themselves in at gunpoint and would rob the places clean while leaving the homeowners (adults, children) tied up.

When I heard this, it sent a shiver down my spine. Once we left the sheriff’s office, I quickly suggested in the truck that the option of a shotgun would be a choice that should remain open. For one, it’s not about damage in my mind; it’s about the fact that in the heat of the moment when nerves may be frayed and lives are in danger, the spread from the shotgun shell goes outward, so accuracy is not as important. Two, there is NOTHING like the sound of cocking a pump action shotgun. The sound itself is enough to usually make a robber go running before you ever even fire a shot (imagine a robber on one side of a door and you on the other.  You cock a pump action as a warning to let them know there’s a shotgun on the other side of that door… there’s a HIGH probability they’ll run). And, that deterrent alone was enough for me to go down to the gun shop and purchase a shotgun for the home since a permit was not needed, which in return meant I would not need to wait a week to receive a permit to protect my home.  Especially when my mind continued to revolve around the fact that they may try to “come back.”

I never want to take a life — Lord knows I don’t. But, I WILL protect me and my loved ones.   Now I know my way around a gun, but I have always made the hard decision to never own a gun personally.  Guns, I know, are very dangerous, and it has been a source of dragging my feet in the past on having some sort of “protection” in the home since I do have god children that come and stay with me at times. Not to mention, I have seen the damage of what guns do, physically and mentally.  But, after this, and knowing without a doubt that someone was intending to get inside my home with only me and my little god-baby there was enough for me to make the decision that some sort of protection besides the use of sensor lights is a necessity.

Oh, and needless to say, obviously… it wasn’t a cat (which I’m sure you guys gathered that), but a ruse that had been used before at another home just several days prior across town.  According to the police, this particular ruse was used most likely because there were obvious signs that the owner was a cat lover.  And she DID open her door thinking an animal was in distress, and was robbed blind after they killed both her pets and left her tied up in her garage.

What has become of this world??

Viva La Vida (Coldplay’s fans conundrum)

“Live the Life” is the literal Spanish translation to this curious song. Only a few times have I blogged about a particular song, the others being posts about “Unsung Psalm” by Tracy Chapman and Carolee Mayne’s “Orphan Girl.“  But, this was one song from some of my favorites that I couldn’t resist on typing a few lines about.

Perhaps it is because of the perplexing message that has the net buzzing on exactly just what Coldplay was trying to convey, or perhaps it’s just my annoying curiosity on digging deeper into the possible meanings of song lyrics. I have a tendency to wonder what is going on in the minds of the writers when they write songs. Sometimes there is no reason. The writer’s intent is much like the crud-filled song that is saturated with meaningless words that make up the tune; but sometimes there’s more. Artists’ love using their art to speak to others; and Coldplay has an uncanny way of doing this as well, and I can’t help but wonder where Martin and his band was going with this song.

Regardless of the artists’ true intentions, the listener will always look back at the album “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” with an abstract eye and a bewildered thought on the conveyance of Coldplay’s latest work.

It’s been created, whether intentionally or not, to provoke the heart and spark the imagination. Is the song about Satan (which some believe) making a confession in the face of defeat? Is it about Catholicism (even more others believe), or simply the reminiscing thoughts of a pitied, dethroned king? Or perhaps… something far less meaningful?  Many have theories, but no one really knows; either way, these guys (Coldplay) may never tell… but it’s a song worth listening to twice. On a side note…. “Violet Hill” is oddly a perplexing song, as well, and is found on the same album.  It also includes what is believed to be some serious religious undertones like “Viva La Vida.”

Now…. Any thoughts on the song below?

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemies’ eyes
Listened as the crowd would sing
Now the old king is dead, long live the king
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells were ringing
Roman cavalry choirs were singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you’d gone there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was a wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh, who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells were ringing
Roman cavalry choirs were singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know St Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells were ringing
Roman cavalry choirs were singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know St Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

Adoration

I woke up today, and my heart was singing, my mind raced, and I could no longer lay there and remain quiet.  I couldn’t contain it:

There’s nothing else I want, nothing far greater…
I am nothing without you, but I am everything with you…
I have been transformed with the purest love, the purest adoration — and I cannot live without you, Jesus!!!

From the song “Take Off My Shoes” by Delirious?

“Why did you call, why did you wait,
For someone so guilty, someone so fake.
There are no words for my beautiful song,
Now I’m in the arms of my beautiful one…

…I’ll take off this crown and fall at your feet,
The secret of joy are the moments we meet.
How could a man with all of your fame,
Pull me from darkness and call me by name.“