Immanuel

In the stillness.

In the stillness, in the quietness, I am here.

Your love sits and waits for you beside the bed.

I am here.

I sit and wait for you to awake.

I sit and look upon you.

I sit and give regard to you.

I attend to your every need.

In the stillness, in the quietness, I am here.

In the stillness, what is it you feel?

The sense of your presence, the feeling of your presence, the tangible sense of your presence.

In the stillness, in the quietness I am here.

Can you feel my presence?

Yes Lord, even now, even now I know you are here. I feel the warmth of your embrace, the touch of your hand.

In the place of absence I am presence.

In the place of loss, I am found.

In the place of despair, I am here.

In the place of great weariness, your strength is here.

You can feel it now don’t you?

You don’t have to ask me to come, for I am already here.

My presence is your present.

For you know what it is Iike to be in her presence. Her love radiates the room, lights up the room. Her smile evokes a reflex response from you, joy bursts forth when she smiles at you.

Yet I am the one who is always here for you.

In the darkest place, I am your light.

In the place of absence, I am present.

In the place where you would rather be absent, I am present.

In the place where you go looking for yourself, you send out a search party for yourself, you are unable to find yourself, I am here.

You say to yourself, “keep your distance”, “don’t come too close”, “I must get away”, “if only I could escape myself”.

Yet I say to you, come closer, yes closer, right up close, up close and personal, here let me touch you, it is going to be ok, I am here for you!

Yes I am here for you.

It’s ok, take your time, no need to compose yourself, no need to present yourself, no need to perform, no need to be strong, for in your weakness I am strong.

In the place of weakness, strength.

in the place of poverty, wealth.

In the place of loss, much gain.

Here, let me take it from here.

Here, let me take it from here.

Here, let me take it from here.

Here, let me take it from here.

Look me in the eyes and hear these words, “I’ve got this one”, “It’s my turn”, “It’s my turn”

“You are not far away, you are here to stay, you are Immanuel, you don’t come and go, you are here to stay, moment to moment, minute to minute, you meet us on the ground.”

“This is what it is to be children.”

“We breathe you in, because you are the God who comes close….”

“I am the Lord your peace, no evil will conquer, steady your heart in mine, an come into my rest.”

“I am with you where ever you go.”

“So come to me I am all you need.”

Isaiah 30:18 And therefore the Lord earnestly waits expecting, looking, and longing to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who earnestly wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship!