Abandoned

This weekend, Skyler and I went exploring older abandoned homes and buildings. I love the adventure of seeing the older homes and imagining them in their former glory. Skyler just loves adventure and wander of these older buildings, what's in them, what story can they tell, etc. One particular home we explored, was a beautiful farmhouse with the classic front porch. The trees, limbs, and weeds had overtaken the porch and up the sides of the walls. We hopped through the tall weeds up on the porch and stood looking through the windows. We finally were brave enough to open the door to peek inside. The foyer was large and open, with the classic tall ceilings and beautiful hardwood floors. It's hard to imagine someone just leaving this home. There were two rooms on each side of the foyer. Looking straight down the foyer you could see the kitchen but the floor, walls, and ceiling were coming down around the entire backside of the house. We couldn't walk any further but leaned in to get a closer look. The floor to the bathroom was completely caved in and we could see the ground and weeds growing up into the space. Skyler asked how could someone just leave their home, what happened that made them leave? I explained that sometimes everyone in the family dies and no one is there to take the house, or possibly it was sold in auction and the buyers only wanted the farm land.  We never know what story a house has to tell. We explored several abandoned buildings and two other homes. One other was so old that it didn't have a kitchen or a bathroom.

Yesterday as I was thinking about the abandoned homes a thought popped up about how we can relate that to our lives today.  Something so very beautiful just left to ruin. Don't we do that? We abandon, give up on, and simply don't take care of things we need too? We let everything go until repairing it seems too difficult and too costly. We allow things into our lives that will only destroy. Causes us lots of guilt and shame. We abandon hard relationships, our commitments, and we abandon our first real love... Christ.

When the things we should abandon we don't. What if we abandoned our addictions, our false gods, our pride, our selfishness, our wants, our desires, our plans, our purposes, our will and laid it all at His feet. Sweet, reckless utterly abandoned, yet safe in the one who created you, knows you, loves you, pursues you, and won't stop until We abandon everything and surrender to Him. Allow God to do His job and utterly abandon it all and run safely into His arms. No turning back.

ABANDONED
Utterly abandoned to the Holy Ghost!
Seeking all His fulness at whatever cost;
Cutting all the shore-lines, launching in the deep
Of His mighty power--strong to save and keep.
Utterly abandoned to the Holy Ghost!
Oh! the sinking, sinking, until self is lost!
Until the emptied vessel lies broken at His feet;
Waiting till His filling shall make the work complete.
Utterly abandoned to the will of God;
Seeking for no other path than my Master trod;
Leaving ease and pleasure, making Him my choice,
Waiting for His guidance, listening for His voice.
Utterly abandoned! no will of my own;
For time and for eternity, His, and His alone;
All my plans and purposes lost in His sweet will,
Having nothing, yet in Him all things possessing still.
Utterly abandoned! 'tis so sweet to be
Captive in His bonds of love, yet so wondrous free;
Free from sin's entanglements, free from doubt and fear,
Free from every worry, burden, grief or care.
Utterly abandoned! oh, the rest is sweet,
As I tarry, waiting, at His blessed feet;
Waiting for the coming of the Guest divine,
Who my inmost being shall perfectly refine.
Lo! He comes and fills me, Holy Spirit sweet!
I, in Him, am satisfied! I, in Him, complete!
And the light within my soul shall nevermore grow dim
While I keep my covenant--abandoned unto Him!
--Author Unknown