I realized that I haven’t explained the whole Five-Minute Friday thing at this blog for a long time. Every Thursday night, interested writers may log on to Twitter and search for the hashtag #fmfparty at around 6 PST. You may lurk, say hello, or just introduce yourself and the gang will strike up a conversation.
About an hour after the party starts, our fearless leader, Kate Motaung, will announce the prompt for the week. Twitter falls silent as everyone rushes to begin writing. Set your timer for five minutes and start to type. When the bell goes off, hit publish. Don’t forget to link up over at the Five-Minute Friday link up. Then spend time getting to know the other people in the community by visiting their blog posts and leaving a friendly and encouraging comment (go ahead and let them know what your link up number is).
In July I had the privilege of meeting Kate and a bunch of other Five-Minute Friday peeps at a weekend retreat. Pure bliss to hug my online friends and speak with them in real life.
Speak
I want God to speak to me with a
Booming voice that
Tells me where to go.
Life planned, step by step
Obvious, safe, secure,
Without dead ends,
Wrong turns or long
Pauses where I question
Every
Little
Thing.
Instead, I hear
Whispers. But only if I
remain quiet in the storms.
Cancer.
Mental Illness.
Debt.
Relationships.
Questions with no earthly answers.
Into those storms I hear him speak
Words of
Hope.
Assurance,
Love.
Rest.
“I will be with you always.”
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5) Duet. 31:8
“Fear not.”
I reach out my hand and
grab on to
Hope that speaks my name.
This is just SO BEAUTIFUL, Anita. You brought tears of love, faith and hope to my eyes. You’ve expressed that deep, deep longing that we all share…and that God knows we have for Him.
And now my mascara’s running. Ah, well, the dogs don’t mind.
I snorted coffee out my nose at your last line, Andrew! May God bless you this week!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Powerful.
Thank you for ministering.
Hope-filled blessings to you, Anita!
Thanks for stopping by, Mari-Anna!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Awesome. You spoke volumes in five minutes.
Thanks, Miriam.
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Good morning Anita, love your description of God speaking hope. May all who hurt hear that hope. God bless your Friday, Julie
Julie Dibble recently posted…Speak: A Poem
HAve a blessed day, Julie!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Crazy Andrew! His mascara’s running. What a nutcase. HOPESPEAKSMYNAME and #hopechangeseverything. God speaks for sure. Everywhere. It’s in the quiet I hear Him loudest! #12 today.
I loved your poem :)-it’s funny how so many of us ended up writing poetry this week!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Anita, you words speak so true to me nut its a comfort to know that even in the times when God seems silent He is there working for our good.
Amen!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
“Hope that speaks my name.” — Beautiful how you personified Hope, Anita. Lovely poem. Thanks for sharing. ((hug))
Brenda recently posted…#ChasingCommunity Linkup 33
Thank you! I can always use hugs :).
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
I got a chill when I read “the hope that speaks my name”. This was so moving. Thank you Anita. I’m in the #6 spot this week.
Thank you, Barbie :).
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Oh, I didn’t want this poem to end. Every word beautiful. Thank you.
Thank you.
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Beautiful poem. Love the last line. Hope! It’s so what this world needs. And you are speaking words of hope.
Theresa Boedeker recently posted…Learning to Play, Again
Thank you, Theresa!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Very beautiful and powerful words, Anita! I guess we all want God to speak that way when we need it and then we realise that the soft whisper is what truly gets us through. Happy weekend!
Katha recently posted…A Matter of Perspective
Thank you, Kathy!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Hope that speaks our name! Indeed! I’m in the 55 spot this week!
Thanks for stopping by, Tara!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Love this, Anita! Wouldn’t it be great if we could hear it loud and clear? He whispers, like he did to Elijah in the desert. Hey, you’re in the desert! Maybe He’s a tad louder there? Lol I’m glad you heard and captured what He spoke to you.
Christina recently posted…What I Speak Comes from Two Strong Legs Rooted
He whispers most of the time :)–but it teaches me the discipline of silence!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
I want flashing neon signs. Or pianos falling on my head. How like Him, to make us slow down and settle down in order to hear Him.
Marie recently posted…Review: On Edge
Ha! pianos on the head! Sometimes, I get heavenly head slaps!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Anita, what a great poem! He really does speak hope to us as He calls us by name and walks right along with us.
Blessings to you!
Gayl recently posted…Speak Hope Through Art and Poetry
Amen!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Hope. Assurance. Love. Rest. (And now I want an acronym. HALR…sounds like “holler”…so I’ll go current slang and say “Holla!”-that’s like “hello”, right? Like it’s supposed to be obvious?)
You do know that He spoke “Rest” to me at the retreat, so that captured me!
So God is hollering at us to embrace Hope, Assurance, Love, and Rest. 🙂
Thank you, Anita.
I embrace this message wholeheartedly.
Love,
Tammy
(#77 this week)
Tammy recently posted…Speak: Five Minute Friday
🙂 You make me smile!
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months
Beautiful. ❤️
Thank you :).
Anita recently posted…From Marathon to Puny in Three Months