rose-hue

and then everything began to look different
when the rose-hue faded to transparent
and the self-imposed plans melted to a wick and a flicker and a threadline of smoke
the plans, stuffed into a box, shelved alongside numerous other plans made from limited understanding
but the dreams
the dreams only grew larger
and more real
with each passing day

point

she points me to christ, you say
who is this christ?, i ask
this christ who encourages deceit
this christ who delights in the breaking of the family
this christ who contradicts Himself
this christ who lives to satisfy only Himself
this christ who pursues instant [self] gratification
this christ who repels any accountability
this christ who has much to prove
this christ who strives to protect his own reputation
this christ who keeps a firm grasp on every last bit of his pride
this christ who runs after sexual gratification
this christ who lives in a sea of confusion and chaos

this christ? i don't know him.

but i know of satan, liar, deceiver.
he sounds like your "christ"
i caution you, dear one,
to know the voice of your Father
know His Words
know them for yourself
discern between the voice of truth
and the voice of falsehood
the voice of wisdom
and that of that woman in [proverbs 5],
who tells you what your itching ears long to hear

but the true Christ, He is a father to the fatherless
[and He'll fill both your shoes and His]
the true Christ, the One the Bible speaks about,
there is no falsehood in Him
and His eyes are too pure to look on evil
He says, delight in the wife of your youth
He took the Church as His forever bride to display a picture of faithfulness
even in suffering, to the point of death, because His love saw nothing of selfishness
the true Christ,
He's the God of all peace
who satisfies the mind that is fixed on Him
there's no life apart from Him [john 15]
because only He holds the words of eternal life [john 6]

we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. for we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may also be revealed in our mortal body...
therefore we do not lose heart. though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. [2 corinthians 4]

i pray that He, the real Christ, is your greatest treasure,
that you're willing to sacrifice now, temporarily,
for joy, for redemption, for reconciliation,
for the prize that will last for always.