Beauty From Ashes
Rejection, betrayal, and abandonment
Have been with me everywhere I went
Taunting, haunting
Innocence lost
Used, abused, discarded
Terror prowls
Intimidation howls
Rejection, betrayal, and abandonment
snicker and sneer
Blinding me with fear
Who will defend me, who will stand?
Or am I supposed to take these punches like a man?
So much pain, such disillusionment
If it came from enemies
I could grasp the intent
But you?
You said you love me
You kissed and hugged me
But into my back, your blade was thrust
You exploited my trust
Ground my security to dust
And it still wasn’t enough
They weaponized my weakness
Vandalized by vulnerability
Now a broken life is all I see around me
The pain is unbearable
Waves crashing, thrashing, smashing, gashing
This pain
I can’t let go of it, or maybe it won’t let go of me
How I long to be set free
I’ve made mistakes, I am to blame
I deserve to be buried in shame
I’ve been a coward, arrogant, and worse
How did I get deceived by this curse?
I’ve accepted rejection
Embraced abandonment
Welcomed betrayal
Where can I go? What can I do?
Wait
I can hear a gentle whisper come through
This voice
So calm and compassionate, tender and sweet
Where is the anger I’m supposed to meet?
You’ve caught my tears and touched my scars
In truth, You’ve never been far
Can you meet me in this pain, this shame, this mess?
Why would You die to give me Your best?
You’ve chased me down
Spoke to me tenderly
Rekindled the sweetest of intimacy
Oh your love, it won’t stop, won’t relent, cannot fail
Heaven’s kiss is breaking the veil
But what about the wreckage I’ve left?
Can your perfect love redeem it as far as the East is from the West?
All I can offer, all I can do
Is step into the light
And surrender to You
You’ve done more than redeem my pain
You’ve awakened a love I cannot contain
You’re bringing beauty from ashes
Healing to these gashes
Hope for the masses
We can get our hopes up
And let our guards down
In Jesus’ arms, true love can be found
What was devastated, dusty, and grey
Is now a haven where children can play
They sing, laugh, and dance in safety
In front of an audience of the elderly
It’s heavenly
It’s what we were made to see
It's our destiny
Because God’s with me
And He’s with you
This is what His love will do
He restores beauty from ashes
Brings healing to gashes
Hope for the masses
You can bet your….life on it!
From the steeples to the streets
It’s God’s love that we meet
Rejection, betrayal, and abandonment?
Your power’s been spent
His love won’t relent
In the arms of Jesus
We are accepted, defended, and loved beyond measure
We are God’s treasure
Secured in His love, we can hope, we can dream
We are safe to give God our everything
A new day is dawning, the Kingdom is here
We can live and love – we have nothing to fear
Oh Jesus, have your way!
Put your beauty on display
Let it radiate through us today.
