I am reminded of the words of a musician…

I wonder why his words come to me now.

“…these streets remind me of quicksand. When you’re on it, you’ll keep going down. There’s no one to hold on to. There’s no one to pull you out. You keep falling. No one hears you calling. You end up self destructing .”

music by Akon – Ghetto

…Poetic.

How easy it is to feel that way. To be that way. Like you’re falling through quicksand. The more you struggle to get out, the quicker you sink deeper into the quagmire. You wonder how the ground began to swallow you up. You thought the bog was just a shallow puddle you could waddle through. Until it began to suck you into dark depths.

…Merciless.

You see solid ground around you, just beyond your reach, but you cannot touch. You can only watch as your world slowly disappears before your eyes. You start to fear, freak, cry, despair, accept defeat as you feel that slow sucking power of the ground that was meant to bear you up.

Is there really someone to hear me call? Is there someone who sees me struggling? Who sees me drowning in myself? Self- destructing. You are at your wits end and frustrated with yourself. You feel what Paul feels. You wonder why you don’t do the things you ought to but what you would rather not. Yet you know the answer…You are maybe tired of trying to do right. Trying to be on the straight and narrow. The perfect picture.

…You’re weary.

But there is someone who sees you falling. Who hears you calling. Who feels you worn out and exhausted. Who knows you’re giving up on yourself. Unwilling to hold on another second. There is someone who can pull you out. Don’t try to get out on your own. Your efforts will push you faster beneath the surface.

…Lost.

Cry out! Cry out to the One on solid ground. Shout, “Lord! Deliver me from me! Because me, hurts me! Me, destroys me! Because me, betrays me.”

He will come and save you. His word will draw you from the miry bog. Upon solid ground, you will stand. I wish we will stay on the path of life and not wander into the mysterious jungle. It’s allure is but for a moment.

…Fading away.

Leaving you empty inside. With tempting steps, sucking you into a lifeless, breathless, never ending pool of darkness. You wonder how you got so deep and lost.

…Far from the path.

I cried to the Lord and He answered me. No, I did not cry out like I should have. I whispered to the Lord. Right before I slipped into the darkness. “Lord, do something before I lose my mind; before I lose my love; before I lose my life.” He heard me. He gave me peace.

I am rising

Out of the sand, out of the dust, out of the mud, out of the pain, out of the hurt, out of this mess, out of the stress, out of the rain. I am rising.

To the One who gives us victory…

Over our selves. Over our temptations. Over our trials. Over our weaknesses. Over our thoughts of defeat. Over our sin. Over our choices of wrong. Over our emptiness. Over our sighs of hopelessness. Over our pride.

…I give my life