As I see the storm approaching

As I see it coming

I feel all of my being begin to tremble 

Not from fear of the storm, but from excitement

For now I know how to face it

I know how to stand firm 

I gaze at the mighty warrior behind me 

He nods and steps beside me as we watch the oncoming storm 

He smiles at me and I grin back

For I know He’s got my back

As the storm is right overhead

He leans down and whispers, “Look ahead”

And as the storm rages, my gaze is fixed straight ahead 

For there stands God holding my hand

As I sit in the quiet 

As I gaze outside


I hear a beautiful voice start to sing as I close my eyes 

The song rises in power and beauty


The sweet melody refreshes my soul  

I open my eyes and look around for the singer 

I don’t see Him but I can still hear Him 

He’s singing a song so full of love for me, I am captivated by the song 

I stand up and run through the garden following His voice 

The song continues 

And my heart rises and falls along with it 

I finally find Him sitting amongst the roses 

He’s bright and shining 

He gazes at me, but never stops singing 

I sit down in front of Him listening to His voice 

As He sings, I remember hearing His voice before 

I remember hearing it in times when I was sad or needed comfort 

I remember hearing it when I was happy and rejoicing 

I stare at Him and listen to the lyrics of the song 

He’s expressing His love, His longing for me 

He gently reaches out and takes my hand
I feel peace wash over me like a wave 

He smiles and His song slowly comes to an end 

He tenderly whispers, “I will always sing for and over you and I always have since the day you were formed in your mother’s womb. I have sung this and many other songs for you”


I smile and nod my head; it’s the only thing I can do 

He seems to understand that I can’t say anything else 

So he leans back and starts to sing again and as He sings 

I feel my heart drink up all His love and compassion for me 

As He sings I feel my feet and body want to dance for Him 

As He sings I forget everything in this world 

As He sings I feel His love for me come over me 

As He sings I can see and feel the heart of the Father 

I stand at the edge of an ocean 

But not an ordinary ocean 

Its waters are crystal clear 

It beckons and calls me 

I gaze across it and far away in the distance 

I can see a city 

A city on the water 

Shining and beckoning 

I can hear singing coming from across the vast ocean

Coming from the shining city 

I listen to the beautiful voices 

Singing 

I again hear the ocean calling me 

Suddenly an angel stands before me on the water 

Holding out his hand 

He doesn’t say anything 

Just smiles at me, his hand reaching for mine 

I smile back and reach out for his hand 

And grasp it 

And suddenly a peace washes over me like a tidal wave 

The angel whispers, “Come”

I look down at the water and back at the angel

I take a deep breath and step out onto the water 

Suddenly I realize I am wearing a white robe 

The purest of whites 

A light breeze sweeps across the ocean 

Comforting and calling 

The angel smiles again and we start to walk across the ocean toward the city 

As we walk I look down at the ocean below 

All sorts of creatures and coral call the ocean their home 

I smile as I watch sea horses swim by 

Suddenly the angel stops and I stop with him 

I look ahead and gasp

The last stretch of ocean is dark 

The waves are big and the wind is howling 

The ocean is no longer clear and calm 

But a howling storm

The angel gazes at me 

I don’t need to ask why 

He’s asking me if I want to continue 

I look at him and the storm 

Suddenly a voice—a voice more powerful than the storm whispers, 

“When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you”

With the voice comes a peace 

I nod at the angel and take a step toward the crashing waves 

We continue to walk through the storm; I keep my gaze on the shining city ahead 

I hear howling all around me; the waves crash all around 

But inside I am peaceful 

We continue to walk 

I keep my gaze over the waves and on the shining city 

Suddenly I realize the storm has stopped 

The howling is gone 

And all is still again 

Then I see Him 

Walking on the water toward me 

It’s Him 

The angel lets go of my hand and nods to me 

I run toward Him 

He stops, His arms reaching out toward me 

I run on the water toward Him 

I hear him call, “My beloved, you are home”

I fall into His arms and sob 

He holds me tightly and whispers in my ear, “You are home”

He lets me go and gazes into my eyes 

“Dear heart, you are home”

He grabs my hand and turns around 

There in front of me is the shining city 

Beautiful and golden 

The singing is louder and more beautiful than anything in the world 

He smiles at me and I smile back 

And we begin to walk toward the city 

We get to the gates—beautiful, golden gates shimmering in the sun 

They open as we approach 

And we walk in

Suddenly I am surrounded by old friends and family 

Laughing and shouting, we make our way to the center of the city 

The streets are paved with gold and all the jewels of the world 

But these jewels are different: They are brighter and more beautiful than anything you can imagine 

He is still holding my hand 

We get to a palace—a beautiful, splendid palace 

He looks at me again and I look at Him and we whisper at the exact same time, “I am home”

My Father and I, hand in hand, with all of the other members of this beautiful city begin to sing 

Sing praises to the Father who holds my hand 

Who calmed the storm 

Who brought me home 

The woman walks up the golden staircase 

She gazes at the throne in front of her 

She falls to her knees, bowing low 

She doesn’t feel scared 

She feels happy 

“Welcome home, Daughter,” she hears a booming voice whisper from the throne 

She lifts her head up and gazes at the Person sitting on the throne 

His face is shining brighter than the sun 

He is clothed in robes of gold 

He looks stern, yet gentle

She feels afraid but a good afraid 

She smiles at Him 

He smiles back 

“Rise, Daughter,” He whispers with a smile  

She slowly gets up 

He stretches out His hand to her and she takes it 

He gets up and He leads her into the city 

The women gasps 

She sees streets made of gold 

She sees loved ones that she hasn’t seen in ages 

“This is your new home,” He tenderly says 

He lets go of her hand and smiles at her 

The woman smiles, and runs into the arms of her loved ones 

She knows she is home 

She knows this is were she belongs 

She knows this is the place she has been waiting and longing to come to for her entire life 

She knows everything will be okay 

Holding her loved ones’ hands, she and everyone else 

Praise the Lord 

As I sit in the coolness of the forest 

Tears streaming down my face

I hear footsteps 

But not my own 

I lift my head from my hands and gaze around me 

Then I see Him 

He’s standing at the edge of the forest gazing at me 

I slowly rise to my feet, feeling a strange connection to this man 

He slowly approaches me 

I fall to my knees 

Something about this man feels holy 

He kneels beside me and lifts my chin up with his hand 

As I gaze into his eyes I wonder who this man is 

He wipes away my tears and smiles tenderly at me 

“Dear heart, why are you crying?” He whispers, His eyes never leaving mine 

I whisper back, “It’s been a rough season”

Even as I say the words more tears trickle down my face  

But this time they don’t go unseen 

He sees them and wipes them away 

“Dear heart, I know it’s been hard,” He whispers 

I fall into His arms 

I feel Him embrace me with with a love so strong that it overwhelms me

He holds me tightly and says, “I am with you ’til the end of the age”

I gasp and pull away from His embrace 

It’s as if a veil has been torn away and I’m seeing Him for the first time 

“Father, Father!” 

I cry, tears streaming down my face again 

He laughs and smiles 

“My daughter,” He says, wiping away my tears again 

“I am here; I will never leave or forsake you”

I fall into his arms again 

“Please don’t ever let me go,” I whisper, clinging to him tightly 

“Never,” He whispers, holding me in his arms 

Then without a word or a warning He’s gone and I am alone in the forest again 

I gaze around me uncertain if this was all a dream 

But then I feel peace wash over me and I feel something like a tender embrace 

Then I hear it 

A small whisper in the wind 

“I am with you always”

I breathe in deep knowing my Father will always be with me 

I lay back on the ground and feel my Father’s presence all around

My heart is a garden
In it grow lilies, tulips, roses, sunflowers and every kind of flower

I don’t have an ordinary gardener
My gardener loves me
He walks through my heart watering the flowers that grow day by day
Pulling out the weeds and tending the soil
Gently He shows me that what I thought was a dead flower
Is not dead

Whenever I feel like my garden is dead and dreary
He comes in and with one touch, with one tender whisper
Brings my garden back to life

He waters my flowers with hope, love and peace
He tends the soil with care and patience
He pulls out the weeds with strength and wisdom

Everyday He is walking in my garden
Watering and talking to me
Pulling out the weeds telling me how to prevent them
and correcting me in ways I need to be corrected


He shows me how different flowers grow better in different seasons
He shows me how much beauty there is in my garden
even when it doesn’t look or feel beautiful


In my heart a garden is growing
My gardener is tending it

Planting new seeds in my heart
Telling me to be patient
and showing me how a seed can grow into a beautiful flower
Whispering that I am like that seed
Growing
Reaching for Him and His everlasting love

My heart is a garden and God is my gardener.