listening

words: how faith, listening and receptivity help birth a fresh creative flow

/ Joy Lenton / 14 Comments

words, faith , listening and creativity

Words are intransigent at times. They reveal a resistance to being marshalled onto the page with military precision. Instead they resemble watchful dancers, waiting in the wings, ready to leap upon the stage when they sense the timing is right for them,  and hopefully alighting with style, beauty and grace. Maybe you can relate?

That’s how it can seem when the creative well runs dry and the easy flow we’ve been accustomed to becomes a mere trickle. Try as we might, words refuse to cooperate, leaving us hungry for their return. Resting ourselves and our words seems wise. Then we grow into their future potential, as well as ours.

As a poet I am used to the way words speak to me, hum with a greater resonance, sing out their potential, ask to be paid attention to, seek to be picked, sifted and joined together while they dictate the metre, method, rhyme, rhythm and flow.

Listening and receptivity are key. I am hugely dependent on receiving inspiration from Holy Spirit. My inner ears need to be attuned to His leading and guiding, those soft soul whispers He brings.

I want my words to be few where an excess might be harmful. I want my words to be seasoned with salt, leavened with grace and full of God’s mercy and love. I want them to matter but not be so measured as to lose their vitality.

As a work in progress I fall far short of these lofty goals, of course. The good news is that God doesn’t give up on us. He is able to help us tame our tongues and frame our speech, written or verbal, in the light of His word.

“Jesus, today I give you my words. Would you remind me to be slow to speak, quick to listen? I want my speech to make you smile, build others up, and open doors to your love.” ~ ‘Jesus Every Day: A Journey Through the Bible in One Year’ by Mary DeMuth

Rusty as I am, I’m stepping back into these pages with courage and faith only God can supply. And with hope burning strong that the journey I am on will scatter a few seeds of hope in your soul as well.

Beginning again

my fingers are poised
I’m getting ready to write
as an act of faith
because the well has run dry
it requires priming again

my heart is racing
with hot adrenaline shots
it’s so hard to start
there is too much at stake
after such a long delay

my brain is stalling
tricky to get it going
levers are rusty
they don’t grind so easily
cogs are clogging up – they freeze

how to begin
how to brave the virgin page
how to continue
those are the problems I face
they’re stopping me in my tracks

I must simply start
there is no turning back
listen to my heart
wait for inspiration from God
it requires courage and trust
© joylenton

 

words, beginning again, tanka poem excerpt @poetryjoy.com

solo: pausing to listen and become refreshed

/ Joy Lenton / 11 Comments

 

I cherish and need time alone. Solo suits me fine, especially when life overwhelms and all available energy to engage has dissipated. It recharges my failing batteries to be plugged in to God, my books and silence. Aaahh…

Except that silence is rarely, if ever, achievable, is it? Because we live in a world addicted to 24/7 activity and noise. Though if we can pause for a while, then we might hear other sounds that speak to us instead of rush and hurry.

Our own drumming heartbeat reminds us we are alive. Our own breath signals a need to slow and relax. Our ears, when attuned to silence, will pick up the slightest sound: leaves dancing, wind in the trees, rumbles from appliances, dogs barking or a solo song from a blackbird outside our home.

And when we listen to these things they speak volumes to us, revealing how we might love and crave our solo moments but we are all created for connection, for community and relationship with others, especially with God.

Solo

A solo blackbird sings into morning mistiness, his tune
dedicated to heaven’s breath and the unadulterated
joy of being alive, the sheer exultation of existence
while I sit inside a house, quietly listening, wanting
to tune my own heart to the eternal melody I can
hear heralding through an open window that is near

Yet somehow, something heavy seems to chain
me here to earth, something sitting on my soul
that presses me low, pushing me into isolation
despite the fact I am rarely alone, though often
feel as though I am, because this world is vastly
full, crammed with people, like tiny little islands

Our very individuality makes connectivity crackle
with defensiveness, and our need to curl away from
hurt and pain only makes us more vulnerable and
subject to the same, because God has created us
for togetherness, for knowing joy, hope, peace and love,
for relationship and companionship and soul friends

What we need is a holy seed to germinate and take
root within our hearts, a glimmer of grace to open
up our bounded souls, and let the light of God’s
presence permeate every part as it fills and floods
with heat and love, more than enough to set our
cold souls on fire and cause a thaw in our desires

Though alone in solo song, blackbird sings out first spring
to others, whether sister, brother or lovers, or her own
soul companions, who hear the sound as sweet music
to their ears and respond in kind with answering swift
harmony of voice and heart and mind, just as we are
created to do for one another, as God has designed
©joylenton

“Your love, GOD, is my song, and I’ll sing it!” – Psalm 89:1 ~The Message

As you relax and listen to the video clip below may it cause you to be thankful for the sweet sound of birdsong that is music to God’s ears, and usually to ours as well!  🙂

why it pays to listen carefully #thedailyhaiku 6

/ Joy Lenton / 9 Comments

 

In any given day we are subject to a whole host of voices and the challenge remains: just who or what are we listening to? What is having the biggest influence on our way of thinking? Whose words are we paying attention to?

It pays to listen with discernment, due care and attention. Because what we listen to and take in ends up feeding our soul for good or ill. Maybe it’s our own sharp stabs of negativity that are shaping us, or is it the vital life and health-giving thoughts that we find in God’s Word?

Life is full of voices but the one we need to listen to most is the Voice of God as spoken in His written word and made manifest in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Our listening choices have eternal consequences for us.

I’ve struggled with my own inner critical voice and negative thoughts for years. It’s a constant battle to ignore them, requiring inner vigilance and prayer, and to replace the flawed and faulty thinking with what God’s word says about me. Perseverance and wisdom is needed to help us discern our own jaundiced thinking and the enemy’s taunts from God’s voice speaking to us.

listen carefully

life’s full of voices

choices have consequences

listen carefully

©joylenton

Lost connectivity

/ Joy Lenton / 6 Comments

an unsplash image - busy bees PJ

Listening can feel like a lost art. What or who should we be listening to?

So many things clamour for our attention. So much passes us by in the endless flow, flotsam and jetsam of life.

People are busy as bees yet so often neglect to notice one another’s needs.

We have to pause, breathe slow and sift for the wheat within the tares and the gold in all we see and hear.

It takes discipline and time to focus on essentials, make room for whispers amidst the chaos. Heed the cries of the broken and despised.

Being attentive is hard in a fractured, distracted world, but people need and deserve to feel heard, to be accepted, to be loved.

One of the best ways we can help someone is to be truly present to them, be available with a listening ear and a caring heart.

To listen well, listen deep, listen with all our senses attuned to the words they say and those left unsaid.

It is part of being compassionate and kind to one another, being considerate, being human.

The poem below was written for #1000Speak – a call to compassion with a monthly theme.

This month’s #1000Speak theme is:‘Connection’, with a blog link up on May 20th. You can find out more here. Come and join us! 🙂

‘Lost connectivity’

can you hear me - WoJ file image

People are speaking

We hear

only what we want to hear

We hear

what is easy on our ears

We fail

to truly listen to deep

meaning behind

the words they speak

Each and every one,

whether they

know it

or not, is reaching out

Aching to be accepted

Longing to be loved

Craving connection

Yet so often

we switch off

Walk away

Tune them out mentally

Fail to appreciate

our shared humanity

Run scared from intimacy

and from saying

what might guide

conversation

in the right direction

Our passivity only leads to

lost connectivity

©JoyLenton2015

Maybe some of you reading these words are always giving out to others, to your own detriment. You’ve become drained, depleted and prone to compassion-fatigue.

Your fuel tank is on empty; there is nothing left in reserve. You’re burnt-out and weary beyond measure.

If so, then this could be the time to reconnect with the Source of all energy and strength Himself, the One who longs above all to make a connection with you.

God will refuel, refresh, renew and restore your soul as you rest in His unconditional love. And we all need that because we cannot give away what we do not have.

Getting plugged in to God will strengthen and equip us to live unselfish, compassionate lives with willing hearts and able minds.

blended clouds PJ

Come to Him

/ Joy Lenton / 4 Comments

advent WoJ file image

‘Come’

Come to the manger

Come empty

Come dry

You have no need

God cannot supply

Come see the Christ-child

Come wonder

Come kneel

Open your heart

and God will reveal

Come hear the angels

Come listen

Come bring

Your awe, amazement

as heaven’s hosts sing

Come witness Mary

Come ponder

Come pray

Her tender devotions

will show you the way

Come away slowly

Come Hope-filled

Come changed

As you give God your life

it becomes rearranged

©JoyLenton2014

**Unless God indicates otherwise, I am taking a brief blogging break to contemplate more closely the wonder of Christ’s coming to earth, to savour the season and spend quality time with my family. It is my hope and prayer to return early in January to share the words He lays on my heart, including the One Word 365 for 2015.**

I’d like to wish my dear readers and followers a very ‘Merry Christmas’ and a ‘Happy New Year’! Thank you so much for joining me on the journey. I really appreciate you all. Blessings and love, Joy 🙂

heart change PJ pin file image

Walk of faith

/ Joy Lenton / 6 Comments

file image PJ walk of faith

‘Walking’

Sometimes I want to walk

away from myself

turn my back and flee

But there’s no getting

away from it

I can’t get away from me

Although I feel a place

of cold emptiness

echoing through my heart

When I try listening close

I sense Jesus is

walking through every part

He pushes away the

darkness shelved deep inside

so that it has nowhere else

to trouble, disturb or hide

And He fills and floods

every crevice and space

with His wonderful love

and amazing grace

©JoyLenton2014

For the first time in several weeks, I am delighted to be joining here again today(a little later than planned) with Kate and friends for #fiveminutefriday and with Mel for #essentialfridays

grace file pin image PJ walk of faith

Believe and receive

/ Joy Lenton / Leave a comment

busy bee PJ file image for believe and receive

As busy bees we go about our days, barely pausing to savour the moment or smell the roses.

Yet even bees pause, stop and seek out the nectar in each individual flower. They taste, enjoy, feed and then move on.

So absorbed in their task they seem heedless of distractions.

We are more likely to be easily distracted and fail to fully engage with one task before finding another to occupy us.

Shutting out the world’s noise and voice is a challenge we all have. It shouts so loud with an impatient impertinence, demanding to be heard.

But if we can find ways to draw back, step away and seek a sanctuary of silence, we are rewarded beyond measure.

Not only do we hear the outpourings of our own soul rising to the surface, we also make a spiritual white-space for God to whisper close.

And as we attune our inner ears to His voice we are in a good position to both believe and receive.

For our inner thirst and deep soul hunger can only be truly satisfied by His unconditional and eternal love.

No-one else can meet all our needs and answer the ones we haven’t even thought about, never mind prayed for as yet.

Shall we try?

Can we switch off in order to plug in to all that is essential to our health and well-being?

It will take great perseverance and persistence but it will provide far more than we ever knew we needed.

I’m willing to make way for holy moments in the mundane.

My soul seeks after God’s own heart. I crave the insights, wisdom and encouragement I receive from His word and in whispered conversations too.

I long for His touch upon my life, His healing for every wound and His mercy and grace for all my brokenness.

My body sinks weary into His embrace and finds comfort there. He holds me strong on my weakest days.

Will you join me? I hope so. Let’s take a pause from busyness and lean hard into quiet reverence instead.

God is waiting…

believe and receive poem file pin image PJ

This poem is part of my #31days of writing brave and free as I attempt to eschew perfectionism and aim for a regular outpouring of poetry or prose based on listening deeper to God’s voice. You can find out more over at my sister blog ‘Words of Joy’ where I am posting regularly too.

Because of Him

/ Joy Lenton / 13 Comments

child writing file image PJ because of him post

Writing is a strange occupation. Not one for the faint-hearted.

There are days where words flow freely and we write out our hearts.

On others, it feels like the tap has run dry and ceased its outpouring.

We squeeze and coax them to appear like getting blood out of a stone.

Some days they demand a great deal of energy to pin down on the page.

I’ve been trying to save energy because it will only stretch so far when you have M.E, and  life has recently become much busier for me in many ways.

If I extend myself too much it leads to a ‘crash and burn’ reaction which can cause further relapse in symptoms.

So I took a mini social media and blogging break to recoup some strength.

Pain has been pervasive and leached more life out of this weary frame. And sleep/rest/pacing have become the order of the day.

But I felt a creative itch and urge simmering beneath the surface. It’s never far away though it hibernates sometimes.

Little snatches of verse have been born (and some made public) as I joined in with poetic prompts on Twitter both prior to and since ending my needful break.

Listening and leaning are the new watchwords of my life this year and they are bearing fruit as I abide closer to God.

There is far less urgent clamour about my writing and a lot more trust that words will appear when they should.

I’m discovering it’s a restful place to be in as I surrender the whole process to God. He gives me all the inspiration and words I need.

I long to break free from rigid conformity, from formality, from ought and should, from comparison and feeling ‘less than’.

Joining in with Five Minute Friday has given me permission to ditch perfectionism and embrace the gift of the inspired moment as I offer my words to public scrutiny.

Here I am again, with renewed gratitude that stems from seeing how God uses weak, weary and wounded ones like you and me to speak out for Him.

I can write again. Words have come when I least expected them to….because of Him.

START…

‘Because’

Lord,

I don’t want to write

just because

it is what

I usually do

or because

I want to have a say

These words should come

because You

have thoughts You desire

me to convey

And You know just who

needs to be

encouraged by You

in prayerful offering

which becomes

sacrificial giving

surrendered in this way

So I come willingly

because that’s

how things ought to be

and happen naturally

Here is my pen, my mind,

my heart, my soul

Please take and use them

to bless, heal and help

make others whole

Write Your Word

upon my heart

Inscribe Your ideas

as I start

to write, and allow

them all to flow

because I

have surrendered them

into Your hands

and for Your plans

©JoyLenton2014

STOP.

pen and journal file pin image PJ

Joining here with Kate and fellow #FMF writers as we write bold and brave today. You are very welcome and warmly invited to join in and to discover how you can write this way every day for a whole month if you want to.

Time to be ready

/ Joy Lenton / 12 Comments

autumnal trees

A new season starts and we wonder if we are ready for all it may entail.

The wind of change blows strong and all that we knew before is carried on its current into the Past.

Like the ever-changing seasons of life,  we too have seasons of the soul.

Maybe you’re in a preparation period, time to till the ground, turn over the soil and ensure it is in a receptive state to welcome and receive.

Maybe you’re readying yourself to sow some faith seeds in anticipation of a harvest to come.

Or could this be the period when God’s promises to you will finally be fulfilled?

Sometimes it feels like we spend forever in a waiting season, getting colder, battening down the hatches and hibernating.

We need reminders that there are cycles of change, life will bloom again and hopes will be met.

Aslan is stirring and Spring is coming to a land long-starved of joy and light.

Faith and hope will be brought to life again, and all that we have hung onto which doesn’t fit who we are in Christ will die a slow death as we co-operate and co-labour with God in the process.

I’m in a new season in many senses of the word and these things hang heavy in my soul.

And as I’ve thought and prayed I sensed God asking us, His church, the Bride of Christ, to make herself ready for His return.

To keep the flame alive, hold on to the hope that is in us.  He is at the door of our hearts.

We are the Light-bearers and Good News sharers to a dark and needy world.

We are the ones who live ever-hopeful of seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

We are destined to be united in heart, mind and purpose  (in all the things that truly matter) as His children and His body on the earth.

Are we ready, friends?

‘Be ready’

Try to remain steady

as I’m making you ready

Preparation is a key part

of a transformed mind, life and heart

My best work cannot be rushed

and your soul must be hushed

to be receptive to My voice

Listen, sow,then you’ll rejoice

All of your life is open, laid bare

I see those things you willingly share

and others you try to hide away

will be brought forth in the light of day

No stone will be left unturned

in a heart that has yearned

to be touched and healed by Me

that longs above all to fly free

Before I can give you wings to fly

you may have unreleased tears to cry

as I seek to uncover and unearth

all that’s tethering you to earth

My will is for you to rise and shine

to reveal grace, to be wholly Mine

Come, My child, take My hand

This is time to be ready, here I stand

©JoyLenton2014

Linking my poem here with  Kate and other bold and brave writers  for #FMF as we go with the flow on the topic of ‘Ready’.

Also  joining with Jennifer as we #tellhisstory , with Mel for #essentialfridays and  with fellow writer friends, grace dwellers and sisters in Christ as we seek to live for Him and make Him known.

Ibis in Flight

A soft whisper

/ Joy Lenton / 14 Comments

A soft whisper file image PJ

Summer segues soft into Autumn and I sense a shift-change.

A call to quiet and calm. A whispered invitation of grace. A space to receive.

Making room for mercy moments in the mundane and eternal encounters in the everyday.

Words rise and fall in my head but fail to find their way onto the page.

My writing voice is stilled, though it clamours for release.

My mind feels overly busy with thoughts running around like headless chickens.

My body aches for rest, bed, soothing sleep, healing and restoration.

God wants me to be in tune with This season ~ a time to listen rather than speak, a time to refrain in order to gain the better part.

A heart receptive to His voice and a spirit that says Yes. A voice that whispers gentle and soft rather than shouting its presence.

All of which means that the things I long to share have been put on hold.. for now.

I am needing to focus more on the important than the urgent and make way for God’s ways most of all.

Yet He has encouraged me to send this poem forth because its message is timeless.

I wrote it in the flush of youthful love many moons ago, and published it two years ago on ‘Words of Joy’  in the context of a post about being seen, heard and loved.

I wrote the poem to my future husband, and as I read it again it speaks to me anew of our  heavenly Bridegroom calling for His Bride.

Maybe it also describes an intrinsic, eternal yearning inside us to be close, to feel cherished and loved, or maybe a way of seeing God in all of His creation?

However you take it, I pray God will use it to speak to you in the way you need to receive it.

‘Whisper your name’

Whisper your name in the

cold cubes of ice that

melt with heat’s breath

Whisper your name in the

wild, swirling tussle of

leaves on the ground

Whisper your name in the

snow that is black

with your words

Whisper your name in the

warm, woody ashes of

Winter that’s gone

Whisper your name in

Spring flowers that

nod out your greeting

Whisper your name in

the heavy haze of Summer sun

and Autumn sunsets

Whisper your name,

my love

and I’ll…..

whisper MINE

©JoyLenton2012

Praying for space for a sister to be slow, room for a recycled poem, and grace to come late to the party as I link here with Beth and friends for #threewordwednesday and with Kate for #FMF where this week’s  prompt is ‘Whisper’

**If you’d like to read more about words God has specifically whispered to my heart this year, then please feel free to check out the ‘Prayer Whispers’ category here**

A soft whisper file pin image PJ