Trust me, I've been there, I've looked, I've searched and I know now, that there are no answers to be found in the bottom of a bottle or on the edge of a blade! Fighting Hard, Recovering, Rebuilding, REBORN. Moving on from addiction to a new life.
Have we forgotten we are released? Do we not know we are free We have heard there came a Saviour Who gave His life to free the world Yet so many walk in their chains Live life beneath ever darkness Never knowing the light just beyond Of the One who gave all for their soul Even the faithful often forget Wander back into life in shadows But rise up you faithful and shine So those not knowing will see our light
Some scars don’t show all the pain Most scars won’t show the struggle Scars can be hidden Or left to shine Scars can hold shame Or show our courage Scars be so much to so many But every scar has a story Every scar reveals a challenge From scars upon flesh To those kept deep inside We all have scars And so many we hide Don’t judge a scar Another holds Of visible or hidden Don’t cast your doubt Stand with them Encourage them Let their scars begin to shine Their challenge Their courage Let it all be praised And let them know Most of all The Father knows their pain Felt the challenge of each scar And He stands with them Even though they not know In every hour Of every day He knows the scars Each of us carry Each a story Each a chapter Of the life we have carried And if we turn to Him Take the refuge Beneath His mighty wings Our scars will shine Far beyond our shame
We are made to shine Like a diamond Drawn from the rough Once dark and dirty But made to shine Through the pressure The pressure of the trials Each of us will walk through We aren’t made to be crazy diamonds Who turn away into the shadows So shine Shine like a diamond Let the world see What can be drawn from the rough
We all have a darkness Our tales of shame All the lies and the pain Of days of the past Times long ago But if we remember The tiny piece of coal That avoids the lick of flames It stands the pressures of time Shedding the blackness To shine like a diamond Look not to our past Or the Flames dancing before But look to the skies To Heaven above And shine like the diamond You were born again to be
We dance within the city lights Yet we don’t shine Not so the lost can see Not the way we’re supposed to be We should shine brighter than their lights To be seen by the lost in dark nights
We should shine We should shine It’s His command It’s His desire
So lets shine like the greatest star A light seen by the lost from far Let’s shine like the brightest lights To be seen by all in darkest nights
Take my heart And make it pure Remove my shame So I stand blameless I call to the Father As a child within His light And a star that will shine Before the broken generations
Sometimes I feel like my light is going out, but the Lord is constantly reminding me that it’s still there, just as bright and I should just let it shine.
SHINE by COLLECTIVE SOUL Give me a word Give me a sign Show me where to look Tell me what will I find Lay me on the ground Fly me in the sky Show me where to look Tell me what will I find Oh, heaven let your light shine down
Love is in the water Love is in the air Show me where to look Tell me will love be there Teach me how to speak Teach me how to share Teach me where to go Tell me will love be there Oh, heaven let your light shine down
Okay, so today didn’t start exactly as planned, everything seemed alright, until I got ready for work after a shower, in fact it was going well, but then my watch strap snapped!
So not a big deal in the scheme of things in all honesty, but I do feel a little naked without my watch on. I always keep it a few minutes fast. The hands all always five minutes fast and the digital time about two minutes fast!
Why?
So I don’t like being late! As someone who has managed to get to the age of 40 without ever getting behind a wheel and learning to drive (although I can now drive a folklift truck), I’ve never even applied for a driving license or taken a lesson, but that’s another story. But walking everywhere can take longer than expected, it’s not so bad on journeys I do often, I know exactly what time I can walk it in, but other times I’ve no idea.
So if I’m in a rush and I glance at my watch, my mind just sees the time and I speed up, I still get there early if I arrive on time according to my watch. I know, it’s a bit weird, but makes perfect sense to my crazy mind!
So all day at work I’ve not had a clue what time it was, all the computers have random times on the screens, we reset them, but they always end up at a random time. The amount of times I’ve glanced at my wrist today, just to see nothing! I’ve been a little lost!
So this morning as I walked to work, I had a reminder that I could easily sort this out without resorting to buying a new watch, that I really can’t afford at the moment! There is another watch, exactly the same as mine, with a perfect strap, even the watch is working, I could just use that one, easy, problem solved!
But then another part of my mind sprung into action and yelled “NO WAY!!!”
You see this watch was carefully placed in a box on Sunday 25th March 2012, 772 days ago, just four days before I quit drinking!
The Box
This box formed a major step in starting my recovery, on that I day I placed in that box everything that tied me to the wine drinking slob that lived in my skin for a while, that watch was one of those things. The strap stunk of stale alcohol, like many of the things placed in that box, I purchased a watch exactly the same that very day and placed the old one, that was part of a life I wanted to put behind me, in that box with the rest of my old life.
So this morning I was faced with the choice, do I revisit that box and that old life to reclaim part of those memories for inclusion with the life I lead now or do I leave that gathering dust where it is and go without for a while, until the opportunity to replace it comes along.
It was fairly simple really, despite feeling that little bit lost without a watch, I’ll get by, I don’t need to visit a part of me that is no longer living, I have been living a new life since that box has been in the cellar gathering dust and grime.
I don’t need anything covered with dust and dirt, I’VE BEEN CALLED TO SHINE!!!
SHINE ON by NEEDTOBREATHE Somewhere between the end And the point where we begin There’s a fire burning brightly That’s found it’s way to dim When the feeling’s gone…
Shine on Shine on and onto something new It’s long and overdue I will remember you Shine on shine on And let the other’s see you’ve got your victory Will you remember me
I was with you in the valley And up upon that hill So take just one more step in front of you For I am with you still you still And you’re not alone
Shine on Shine on And onto something new It’s long and overdue I will remember you Shine on shine on And let the other’s see you’ve got your victory Will you remember me
Can you see my hands are open I am waiting just ahead And you think you need it all now But you needed me instead
Shine on shine on shine on shine on won’t you won’t you shine
Shine on Shine on And onto something new It’s long and overdue I will remember you Shine on shine on And let the other’s see you’ve got your victory Will you remember me
Somewhere between the end and the point where we began
Lord, I call to You I cry to You Lord, rescue me from these waters I’m lost I’m drifting I have no strength To fight this rising tide I’m slipping below the waves
Lord, give me the strength To rise again To break free from this flood To rise above the waters Like the sun rises over the horizon Let break above the surface Let me stand upon the water So I can walk to You To Your open arms To find safety in Your embrace
Lord, open Your arms Reach out Your hands And bring me home again Bring me home once more
Child, I hear your every prayer I see your every step So do not be afraid For in you I placed my Son When you called upon my name In you, you have his strength In you, you hold his light You hold his light deep inside
You have the strength To rise each day To rise above the oceans And shine your light upon the earth Be strong my child Have faith in me I call you now To rise above the oceans
And walk into my arms
NOTE:
The first part here is what I found myself praying at our Encounter meeting at Church this evening, then while taking a quiet time over communion, I felt I was being give then response.
I felt I’m facing another tough time ahead over the last few weeks, that I risk falling again like last November, but now I know I have the strength rise above this and shine. But although I feel these words are for me, I also feel there are others than need to hear them too!