Pig-Slop Kiss

based on Luke 15:11-24

Dirty, grimy, gross, and poor,
Tired, weary to the core,
Awkward, muddy, rebellious teen,
Unbathed, anything but clean.

Clean, pure, washed, and wealthy,
Strong, well-dressed, able, healthy,
Confident, transparent, graceful,
Always patient, ever faithful.

Joyful greeting, undignified run,
Huge hug for Father and son.
Blatant forgiveness, ginormous party,
Big meal--potatoes and steak kind of hardy.

Laughter and joy so starkly contrasted
To past fleeting pleasures that never had lasted.
No more pigpen, instead royal treatment,
Despite the child's poor choices so frequent.

Miracle of love--it holds no grudge;
Reconciled! though I was covered in sludge.
What beautiful reality! Our Father planned this
And rejoiced to give me a pig-slop kiss.

The Verbs of Restoration

Lying on my face

Tears falling fast,

Pleading for grace

For things in the past,

Knowing my sin

Has hurt Your heart,

Wishing deep within

I had not taken part,

Spilling out words

Of confession and sorrow,

Praying I'm heard

And that on the morrow

Beginning anew

I might follow Your plan.

Kneeling before You,

I stretch forth my hands.

Opening my palms

And yielding all in them,

Feeling the calm

Of the heart that has no sin,

Hearing You call

"Come know and be known,"

Being unafraid to fall

In Your arms as Your own,

Feeling the laughter

And joy that You give,

Rising up after 

Freedom's mine to live.

Sensing Your presence,

Seeking You with all my might,

Worshipping Your essence,

Laughing in delight!

Re-Defining Sin

 In an effort to be

Holy within,

I defined sin

.

I made my list

And checked it twice.

I would avoid evil

In all my life.

To me, sin was breaking

My list of rules

By following

The way of fools.

It was things that 

I shouldn't do

Because the Bible

Said not to.

And while sin can be

All this,

My list,

I realized that

In reality,

This view puts

The focus on me.

What I'm not doing,

And what I do.

But how would I know sin

Without the truth of You?

My focus needed

To be changed;

My mindset had

To be rearranged.

I questioned myself

In an effort to 

Honor You.

And now instead

Of avoiding sin

Because of my rules,

I'll think again.

I choose to avoid

Those things You dislike

Because I know what

You say is right.

I focus on You

Trust the commands you give;

Being all in

Is the way I'll live.

I have decided to 

Be holy within;

I re-define sin.

Sin is choosing

Not to trust Your word,

Not claiming the truth

That my prayers are heard.

For each evil deed

Starts with a doubt

That You have the answers

And best thoughts about

My life. No longer is my reason

Just don't or do.

I choose not sin because

I want to love You.

Have Mercy, My King!

Have mercy, my King!

Cast me not away;

Blot out the transgressions

I've committed this day.

I seek restoration

Through the blood of Christ.

I know You forgive

And give me new life.

Have mercy, my King

On my guilty heart

Though I know you want truth

In the inward parts.

I no longer hide 

But all I confess,

Realizing my sin,

That I've made a mess.
 

Have mercy, my King!

I will not ignore

Your call to forsake,

To reject, to abhor

Those things that You hate.

May You wisdom give.

May I follow You

And in righteousness live.

Have mercy, my King!

I want to be clean.

I want to be humble

And on Your strength lean.

Help me learn from this failure;

Salvation's joy restore!

May I showcase Your deliverance;

May I desire You more! 

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation... I will teach transgressors Your ways and sinners will return to You." (Psalm 51:1, 10-13)

Myrrh

for Ariel and Rosie G., who first coined my nickname

Myrrh--
Bitter to the taste.
Hard brown stems
On small, scrubby bushes.
Not fit to give the King of Kings.

My heart--
Bitter with the flavor of sin.
Hard, cold, heavy.
Hypocrisy at its finest.
Not fit to give the King of Kings.

Myrrh--
Fragrant and Beautiful
When cut, broken, or crushed.
Perfect to be
That gift brought to Jesus.

My heart--
Fragrant and Beautiful
When cut, broken, or crushed
By conviction;
I brought it to Jesus.

He turned the bitterness
Into Joy
As I chose to forgive those who hurt me.
Songs flowed out as my heart
Shed Grace's fragrance.
Healing.
Peace.

Clothed in His Righteousness

Clothed in His righteousness, robed in salvation
Jesus hath cleansed me and made me His own.
He left His glory to bring me redemption
That I might enter my heavenly home.
Chorus

Chorus:
Clothed in His righteousness
Robed in His sacrifice
Jesus hath changed me; now I am His own!
Robed so the Father will know me in glory
When I appear before His glorious throne.

Clothed in His righteousness, robed in salvation
Christ hath prepared me to meet Him on high.
When He changed me, He gave me His white garment
Keeping it spotless from sin’s blot am I.

Copyright Miriam Rainwater, February 20, 2008

All rights reserved.
Opt. Tune: Great is Thy Faithfulness

Blotted Out

Once I carried a burden of sin and woe
So despairing I knew I was lost.
Then I found life eternal, the path of joy
At the foot of Mt. Calvary’s cross.
Chorus

Chorus:
“Blotted out,
As a thick cloud,
Your transgressions and all your sin.
My Redeemed One, shout!
You’re forgiven your account
Ev’ry sin has been blotted out!”

When I came to the fountain of Jesus’ blood
He forgave me and now I am free.
Still I hear His voice when I trip or fall
In His love He says to me:
Chorus

In the times of temptation, I fight and strive.
Still I often fall from the way.
Still the words of the Savior, they echo long
As I hear the Savior say:
Chorus

Won’t you come let Him cleanse you from all your sin?
At the cross won’t you with Jesus meet?
Faithful now, as in past times, if you will come
You will hear these words so sweet:
Chorus



Based on Isaiah 44:22-23
Copyright Miriam Rainwater, February 5, 2008
All rights reserved.
Opt. Tune: I’ve Been Changed