Pilgrims Surrender

by | Oct 13, 2012 | Saturday

My Lord, I have no clothes to come to thee;

My shoes are pierced and broken with the

road;

I am torn and weathered, wounded with the

goad.

And soiled with tugging at my weary load:

The more I need thee! A very prodigal

I stagger into thy presence, Lord of me:

One look, my Christ, and at thy feet I fall!

~GEORGE MACDONALD (Scottish, 1824-1905)

Thanking God that He stands at the end of the road, arms outstretched and ready to catch us when we stumble flesh footed. May you feel the warmth of His embrace longer than it feels comfortable today. Surrender to the stillness.

Happy Saturday Friends!

And an epilogue to yesterday’s post: I experienced AMAZING grace. EVERTHING was saved on my hard drive. And it is under warranty, I’ll have a new one on Monday. For this I give him glory. Thank you for praying.

 

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28 Comments

  1. Lynn Morrissey

    oh Shelllllyyyy!!!!! The ram! The ram! Somehow I knew deep in my heart that God would restore all that had been lost!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord. Thank you, Father!!
    Oh, I am the prodigal daughter…..I traveled that long road home, and I was stunned that He RAN to meet me! Shelly, what an intriguing comment: “May you feel the warmth of His embrace longer than it feels comfortable today.” I really must give this some thought. For the moment, I”m fading fast , I’m afraid. Love to you and I’m rejoicing at your good news!

    • Redemption's Beauty

      Thank you for caring and for praying Lynn. I’m so relieved to know I haven’t lost anything. Still working on my daugthers old computer and having some trouble commenting and retrieiving emails, I will respond to your emails soon. Sorry for the delay.

      • Lynn Morrissey

        Never any hurry! I don’t know how you do all you do!!

  2. Pam@Writing...Apples of Gold

    O praise God, Shelly… wonderful news about your hard drive! I’m teary over these types of moments when we almost can’t see how he will do it… but he does. The prodigal has been so on my mind lately since the death of that one I was praying so long for. And the image of the Father running to him… this lovely poem is one more confirmation to me. Blessed Saturday to you!

    • Redemption's Beauty

      So glad it offered some comfort to you Pam.

  3. Danise Jurado

    Yes! The blessing of surrender to a loving father always ready to lift us and carry us when we need Him! Beautiful photo and reminder~ stopping by from Still Saturday. blessings to you Shelly!

  4. Patricia Hunter

    Beautiful, Shelly – and I’m thrilled that your photos were saved! May your weekend be filled with all goodness. Love, Patricia

  5. Sylvia R

    Flesh footed, what an appropriate term! Grateful for grace. And your post about it here.

  6. Jillie

    Oh Dear Shelly…I couldn’t even move on to the poem until I had absorbed this beautiful photograph! Photos of ‘roads’ and cottage doorways just draw me in. So lovely! And the poem itself? Imagine my surprise to see that those haunting words were written by George MacDonald. I have been reading a series by the wonderful author, ‘Michael Phillips’, who is a man responsible for reviving the written works of George MacDonald, and Michael includes passages of MacDonald’s in some of his novels set in Scotland, England, and Wales. ‘Twas a God-moment for me. From this more-than-once prodigal…I thank you for this. The grace and mercy of God touched me anew today MacDonald’s words.
    (Thank you Father for preserving Shelly’s cherished photos. You are so good.)

    • Redemption's Beauty

      Oh, I love the way God speaks to us through sacred echoes like this. Thanks for sharing this with me Jillie, it really blessed me knowing the serendipiity God used to speak His love over you.

  7. kelliwoodford

    so quieting, these words, shelly.
    thank you for sharing your deep, abiding peace.
    for indeed, He is a person.

    • Redemption's Beauty

      Love that quote from Ann Voskamp, “Peace is a person, not a place.” It sticks to my heart like glue.

  8. Jennifer Camp

    Stumbling before the Father, flesh footed and grateful. Let me see Him more. Let me fall at His feet, all of me taking Him in. Thank you so much for these words and stunning photo this morning, Shelly. And I am so thankful for the beautiful provision of the hard drive!

  9. Lori

    Thank you Shelly for the inspiring words and beauty of this photograph……your site is just what is needed. A place of rest….so glad everything was saved! Lori

    • Redemption's Beauty

      Lori, so glad to know you. Thankful for BibleDude bringing us together.

  10. hisfirefly

    What warmth, what peace, what healing here….

    • Redemption's Beauty

      So thankful you feel that here. I often pray that God’s presense will resonate in this way as people visit, so your words are an answer to that prayer.

  11. wynnegraceappears

    Oh how I share in your rejoicing.Oh we draw so near to Him when we are afraid and fearful, worried, scared. Those intimate moments when we lean hard into Him and on Him, we often look back and thank Him for even an increase in our trust and faith in Him. So glad He heard and saved your gifted work.

  12. Jody Lee Collins

    Shelly, the photo and George McDonald verses are just perfect. And, with Lynn above, I rejoice about the ‘ram’ ==yay, God!

  13. Diana Trautwein

    Amen – and hallelujah! So happy all was saved. I was just at that place in July – with 25,000 pictures hanging over the abyss. Got ’em all, thanks be to God. So relieved for you and with you. I bought a $150 back-up drive the same day I picked up my new computer. Which was NOT under warranty (5 years old).

    • Redemption's Beauty

      We have a back up drive and I am so neglectful Diana. Really sorrowful over that and thankful for grace.

  14. Lynn Morrissey

    Hi Shelly……I keep contemplating your remark: ““May you feel the warmth of His embrace longer than it feels comfortable today.” Only you know what you mean(!) :-), and I can only apply it to myself, personally (and this can be the beauty in writing and poetry–God gives us our own meaning as we read it). But for me, if I stay in His embrace longer than it feels comfortable, it means I am so close to God that I”m almost scared of that kind of intimacy. It could mean He sees too closely inside of me than I’m comfortable with…….that He is showing me things I dont’ like to admit…….or perhaps that I feel so close to Him and this is so wonderful that I am scared it won’t last (that has happened to me before and when I sense we are no longer as close, I feel a gnawing emptiness). Or maybe so close that I am forced simply to *be* in His presence when I have my own agenda and what to get on to other things. Had you simply said, “May you feel the warmth of HIs embrace today, ” I would have been delighting to feel that. But no…….you said more–that which is a little provocative to me….that which makes me think deeply, that which disturbs my status quo. You ALWAYS make me think! Again, I cannot be sure what YOUR meaning was, but this is what *I* took from it. And for this, I thank you…..because I think more than anything I do want to be that close to God……even despite discomfort. In the end, only *He* can comfort.

    • Redemption's Beauty

      Yes, to all of it Lynn. I meant all those things you’ve contemplated. I was thinking about how sometimes I need to linger a bit longer than I do in his presence, sometimes that kind of intimacy and love feels overwhelming. Love the way you process it all though, your words often give even more insight and depth. I always hope others read your comments, they are like footnotes or cliff notes.

      • Lynn Morrissey

        Oh yes, that kind of intimacy *can* feel overwhelming. We all say that we want intimacy with God. Do we mean it? It’s really a question worth pondering and answering honestly. But overwhelming can also be good and bad, and I think you meant it here as so overwhelmingly good that He takes your breath away! I have been reading in the Song of Solomon for days now, and I keep puzzling over this statement: “Do not arouse or so awaken love until it so desires.” The maiden says this to her lover. Many commentators believe the “Song” to be both a representation of a real love relationship between Solomon and the Shulammite, but also between us and God. If I were, say, the maiden, I’ve wondered . . . Why wouldn’t I want my love for God to awaken? Isn’t that what I would want more than anything? But as I’ve prayerfully considered it, I realize that maybe I shouldn’t want Him to fully awaken my love until I know I am truly ready, because then He will take me to a place of intimacy that is far deeper than I can imagine. And with intimacy comes knowledge–not just about God, but about myself. And how much do I really want to know about myself? It’s a pretty sobering thought; but in the end, it’s that to which I must aspire….complete nakeness before God, no less. Thank you for your kind cliff-notes comments. My! You’re too sweet. It’s more like I’m falling off the cliff most the time! =]

  15. Lori Harris

    YAY!!!! God is so good and so happy he redeemed what you thought had been stolen! Funny-my husband and I are realizing tonight, that our ministry here in this new place seems to be centered around prodigals. Those folks who have felt a sprinkling of Jesus, gone their own way, and realize years later-they need more of Him.

    • Redemption's Beauty

      You know, I’ve thought about your comment for a few days Lori and I think prodigals are my favorite people to be with. They really understand the difference Christ makes in a way that is raw and insightful.

  16. Michelle Ortega

    What an inviting road to travel…in His presence, soaking in His peace. So glad your photos were recovered, you have blessed so many of us with your captures and words!

    • Redemption's Beauty

      Aw, thanks Michelle. I really appreciate your kindness.

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