"Always"

"Always"

Jesus You're my everything,
The cross you did that just for me
So whatever you take me through
I promise you, Ill spend my always with you...
Jesus my whole life has changed,
since that day I cried your name,
For every time you brought me through
I promise you, Ill spend my always with you...
-Kirk Franklin

I'm grateful to my friends for putting up with me, my strong opinions, and my know it all attitude.
I'm grateful to my family for every lesson that I've learned from them.
I'm grateful to my parents for raising me in the ways of the Lord.
I'm grateful to many people, for many things - so many that I couldn't possibly mention them all....
But as the days go by, I find that I'm more grateful to Jesus than ever before.

As I search myself, I continually find that I don't measure up. I find more disappointment in myself than I do pleasure.
As I peel back layers of my mind, my will, and my emotions - i find memories, habits, skeletons - things that I'm not happy to admit still live on the inside of me.
The more introspective I get, the more I'm disappointed in myself........

BUT... the beauty of that is....

With every disappointment I find in myself, with every time I find that I fall short, with every habit that I can't seem to break - I become more grateful to the God who created me and sent His Son to earth to bear the shame of my disappointments. From creation He knew exactly who I was going to be - everything that I would struggle with and every time I would fall short... and He still took my place in sin, in shame, in death.

Jesus You truly are my everything - there are no words to explain the emotion welling up inside of me as I look at the ugliness of me, and think about the beauty of your mercy and love. My whole life is changed every time I cry to you. No tear is lost in your presence. My comfort when people turned their back on me. My solace in losing my best friend and my big brother - You have never failed to be all that I need. Forgive me for focusing on the here and now, and not on what is most important - Your will. You've brought me through so many of my messes - you've seen me through so many dark times. You rejoice with me when I win, and you are standing beside me, waiting to pick me up when I lose. You see me when I rise, and when I fall - and yet your love for me never changes.

There is no life outside of You - You're my everything.
There is no joy without You - You're my everything.
There is no peace without You - You're my everything.
There is no hope without You - You're my everything.
I never want to see another tomorrow without You - You're my everything.

So, whatever You take me through, for everything You've brought me through - I'll spend my always with You.