Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s raining this morning, and just the sound of it from the front porch is guaranteed to soothe the soul. God knows precisely what we need, and when we need it, and no amount of whining about the weather will change His Plans for this new day, that’s for sure. As I sat there taking in the rain, I watched the raindrops fall on the flags and then run down across the cross before they fell to the ground. Those raindrops reminded me of tears, and I wondered just how many times I have shed tears at the Cross. For sure, I’ve shed every imaginable kind of tear at the Cross – tears of gratitude – tears of joy – tears of shame – you name it. I’m forever running to the Cross with whatever is on my Heart…as it should be. Make no mistake, I don’t worship the Cross the way some are inclined to do, BUT I do worship the One Who died for me on a Cross, and that’s why having it nearby is so important to me. In a world where the Cross is being removed to make room for other things, it is, and forever will be, front and center in my life, and I guard it with everything within me. Isn’t that the way you consider the Cross, too?

I believe the biggest turning point in our Faith comes when we embrace the fact that it ALL began at the Cross and that we were ONLY Created for His Purpose. That’s the source of our Peace and Joy, and it puts all of the pieces of Life together…it’s the ONLY thing that makes our lives make sense at all. But most people don’t “get it”. They somehow have convinced themselves that life is all about what they can get out of it for as long as they live, and they somehow believe they exist for their own pleasure. They question everything that happens, fight against the Flow, and are determined to make things the way they believe they should be, rather than considering His Plan and His Purpose in it all. To them, the Cross is merely a reminder of an historical moment in time and NOT the center of who they are in Christ Jesus. When good things happen they easily shout out a “Hallelujah,” but when bad things happen, they question His Will. My greatest Joy is knowing that my life has been stamped by His Hand for His Purpose and that every single piece of it belongs to Him. Some pieces make me cry, and some pieces bring me profound sadness, but EVERY piece has a Purpose beyond my ability to comprehend. This one significant piece of my Faith is the source of my Peace, my Joy, my Contentment, my Strength, and Unconditional Love. I was Created for His Purpose, and I’m Destined for Greatness. Why would I try to “own” all of the pieces of life when I can find my Peace only by accepting His Purpose for my Life every step of the way?

Sometimes I cry when I don’t have the answers, but I know that if I stay in His Presence and I ask Him for Wisdom, He’ll provide it to me every time. Sometimes I cry out of frustration over my circumstances, but I know that if I stay in His Presence and seek His Will, He’ll always put me on the right path. Sometimes I cry. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for all that He is and all that He does for me, because I know that I don’t deserve it, but He gives His love to me freely and unconditionally, no matter what. Sometimes I cry. I’m humbled by the Work He places in my Hands because I don’t believe that I can measure up, but EVERYBODY measures up in His eyes! All He ever looks for is a Vessel willing to live out Life according to His Purpose and not their own…and a Focus on the Cross. Living out Life with only His Plan in mind may look like the loss of freedom for those people who don’t understand it, but living out Life according to His Purpose and His Plan is the ONLY Freedom that matters at all, and it’s the ONLY way to find True fulfillment and Peace.

I’ve shed a whole lot of tears at the Cross, but every single one of them has been dried by His Warmth, and my Heart is singing for Joy as I set out to fulfill His Purpose for this new day.

How about you? Will the Cross be out of sight and out of mind for you today, or will you remain focused on the Price He paid for you? Will you be focused on the Cross today? Will you Trust His Purpose for your Life here on earth, or will it be all your own?

At the cross, at the cross

Where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away,

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day!