bravery does not
scream, it does not shout, yet
it's louder than all

You left an imprint on my heart
and wrote in it
with indelible love
a letter of forgiveness
a song,
paragraphs of hope
and sonnets of grace

stars burn out
leaves fall
flowers wilt
time fades
but You're not leaving
You won't fail me
You remain.

are You who You say You are?
do You know what You're doing?
because i don't know.
are You here?
are You listening?
because i don't know.
i don't know if i can endure this
i don't know if i can live in this season
i don't know if i can keep fighting
and You say You know
and You're telling me You're here
and that You are who You say You are
and that You know what You're doing
and i can hear You
i know your voice and what You're saying
but i don't know if i can believe You
but i know You
and You haven't failed me
You haven't let me down
You haven't forgotten me
and even if it feels like You're not here
i will trust You because
i know who You are
and that is enough.

one day i will see the gleam
that once filled your eyes
make them their home again
one day i will see you smile again
one day i will see you fly and be brave
one day i will see you open your heart
one day i will see you sparkle
and one day i'll see you choose life
and chase your dreams
and take a chance
and run through fields of wildflowers
and dance to the sound of rainfall
and i will see you believe
and i will see you hope
and i will see you love
and i will see you be
all you were meant to be.

i will jump into your arms
i will run into your love
and i will listen to your voice
and i will take your hand
and i will believe your promises
and i will run through fields of sunflowers,
i will run through fields of gold,
i will kiss the clouds
and i will chase my dreams
and i will live out love

there was lightning
and thunder
and my windows rattled
and there was so much noise
and the rain was falling outside
but also in my soul
and in the midst of it all
i heard You say,
"don't forget I chose you.
don't forget you're mine.
don't forget you're not in darkness anymore,
but in wonderful light.
don't forget I love you
and that I see you and that I hear you
baby, don't forget you're mine."

you look in the mirror
and i know you don't see it,
but it's there.
it lives in you.
it made your heart its home.
it shines in you when you can't sleep
until your heart is on paper.
it is as real as your heartbeat.
it's woven in your words.
it rings in your voice when you sing.
i see it in your eyes when you smile.
and i will say it until you believe it.
you, darling, are brave.

i was made for more
i was made for shining bright
i wasn’t made to drown in my sorrows
i was made to find joy
i wasn’t made for fear
i was made with a brave spirit
i was made to give love
i wasn’t made to hide in shame
i was made to dance in grace
i wasn’t made for here
i was made for eternity
i was made for more.

all i want is
to know You
to know what stirs
your heart
to know by heart
the lines of your face
to tune my heart
to the music of
your voice
to know the rhythm
of your thoughts
to know what
makes You smile
to know your love
all i want is
to know You.

today was
a gray day,
a cloudy day
but i looked out
the window
and grace was raining
and i ran outside
and i let the drops wet my hair
and i was a little girl again
and i leaped and ran and laughed
and i danced in your rain.

if you think you've been forgotten,
you are not.
if you think you are alone,
you are not.
if you think you are small,
you are not.
if you think you're a coward,
you are not.
if you think you're unworthy,
you are not.
if you think you are unloved,
you are not.
you're alive.
your heart is still beating.
and in your heart lies fire
in your heart there is a spark
that will never fade
in your heart lives hope
and a chance to start anew.

i am smaller than the stars
and You think i shine
brighter than all of them
You think i am more
beautiful than any constellation.

all i ever wanted
was to be loved by You
and instead You
made your heart my home
You kissed my tears away
and filled the void in my soul
and turned my sorrow into dancing
and made my brokenness beautiful
and placed a crown on my head
and called me yours.
all i wanted was your love
and You gave me life.

i just want
to be with You,
to be alone,
to walk with You
and to hear the
gentle whisper
of your voice.

when it's raining in your heart
i will put my umbrella over it.
when your coffee is bitter,
i will be the sugar.
when your heart is breaking
i'll buy a hundred band-aids.
when you're feeling small,
i'll tell you that you're brave.
when you're feeling tired,
i will let my shoulders be your pillow.
wherever you are,
there i'll be.
whatever you need,
here is me.

today,
i heard your
voice.
i heard your
song for me.
i heard you
and You said that
You loved me,
that You loved
me yesterday and
that You'll love me
tomorrow
and You said it
in every language
and You whispered it
and You shouted it
from the rooftops
and You didn't stop
singing
until i believed it.

when will you see the stars that shine in your heart?
when will you hear the music that your soul is singing?
when will you see the sweetness of your spirit, the kindness of your heart?
when will you see the brave warrior living in your soul?
when will you believe that you are loved?
when will you see the threads of grace woven in your hair?
when will you look at yourself in the mirror and see all that you can be?
when will you see who you are?

in your heart
there is gold
in your heart
lies a brave spirit
in your heart
lives a sparrow
singing a tune of hope
in your heart
is a spark
that will set the world on fire
in your heart
lives truth and hope
and love and life.
open it.

when will you understand
that I love you?
what will it take for you to
believe me?
shall I write it in the sky?
shall I braid it in your hair?
shall I tattoo it on your skin?
shall I pour it in your coffee?
shall I whisper in your ear?
was my death not enough
for you?

everybody has a spark inside their hearts,
and many let it die.
many let heartbreak and fear and failure
define who they are.
but you're not everybody.
you don't ignore the spark in your heart,
you don't let the fire die.
instead you let it burn,
you let it dance,
you let it be wild.
you let it be light,
you let it be truth.
you let it be hope,
you let it be love.
because you are a butterfly with brave wings,
you are not afraid of dreaming big,
you are not afraid of shining bright,
you are not afraid to love.
you have this spark inside of you,
you're not afraid to let it burn.
you are full of light and color.
you are a firework.

i want you to know
that you are more beautiful
than all the night stars,
that you're more brave than you know,
that you shine brighter than the summer sun,
that your smile radiates joy,
that your life is a mirror of grace
that your words turn the sky bluer,
that they make flowers bloom,
that this desert you're passing by
will end one day,
that this storm won't last forever,
that soon you'll find yourself
on a mountaintop,
surrounded by wildflowers,
gazing at a rainbow made
just for you.
but mostly,
i want you to know
that i love you.

i went swimming
in the sea of your words,
and overwhelmed by
your waves,
the waves that called my
name,
the waves that said
that
You love me, that i am
not alone, that You care for
me, that You look at
my heart
and You like what you see,
that my heart is worth
pursuing,
in those waves,
i drowned.

this morning
i looked in the mirror
and for the first time
i didn't see
my mistakes,
i didn't see
my circumstances,
i didn't see
the shame i carried
on my shoulders,
i didn't see the
fear that once chained me
instead i saw
the most beautiful smile,
i saw a brave heart
and a face full of
inexpressible joy,
and i saw
a soul worth pursuing,
a dream worth chasing,
a heart worth loving.

today,
i woke up
with a smile,
because today
You kissed
my face with the
sun's rays,
today
You sang to
me and You said
that You loved me,
that You had not
forgotten me,
that You look at my
heart and You like what
You see
and today i
believed You.

don't ignore the spark in your heart,
don't let the fire die.
let it burn,
let it dance,
let it be wild.
let it be light,
let it be truth.
let it be hope,
let it be love.
let it be.

one day,
i will fly.
i will fly above pain,
i will fly above sorrow,
and that day might not be tomorrow,
but i'll fly.
i'll fly to the moon,
to the highest cloud,
i'll fly over the damning crowd
that said i wouldn't soar.
oh, i'll fly.
i'll open up my big brave wings,
in myself i will believe,
and i'll fly and i will sing
and i will be all that i was meant to be
when i fly.

if i knew how to play
the guitar i would
write the sappiest love
songs for you
but sadly, darling, i am
musically impaired

if i knew how to paint
i would color
the most glorious sunsets
just for you
but sadly, darling, i am
artistically limited

if i knew how to sew
i would patch up
the torn seams
of your heart
but sadly, darling, i have no
idea how to use a needle

if i knew how to cook
i would make your
favorite desserts
to sweeten up your day
but sadly, darling, my
only specialty is burnt eggs

oh darling,
i am not good at many
things but if there is
one thing that i
can do well, oh my darling,
that is loving you.

i am ruins.
i am dust.
i am rubble and broken windows.
i am nothing.
and You made yourself a home
in these ruins,
in this heart,
and somehow, i don't know,
You make beauty out of these ruins,
You make glory shine out of these
broken windows,
You see that i am not enough,
that i am broken and You make
Your light shine through the cracks
of this heart.

You come
to this broken heart,
this dry desert of a soul,
this broken and empty vessel,
and You come,
You come like rain,
a hurricane,
storming into this soul,
dancing your way in,
and You bring rays of light
and streams of joy,
and You shine through the
imperfection,
You make me alive,
You make glory out of nothing,
You build a home out of these ruins,
You make beauty out of brokenness,
You make these dry bones live.

what do your eyes see,
when they look at me?
they don't see my faults,
they don't see my mistakes,
they don't see my wrongs.
they see new mercies,
another chance to get it right.
they see who i am,
not what i have done.
your eyes are a sea of grace,
a sea of love
i will willingly drown in.

when i love
i open my heart
and i let my little soul out
and i give you the key
to open it.
i give you the power
to do with it as you please.
you could love me back
and make my soul grow
and burst into colors
but
you could break it
and crush it
into tiny little pieces
and walk all over them
and turn them into dust.
but sooner or later
those tiny pieces
will find their way
and slowly come back together
and love you all over again.

i want to lose myself in
your gaze and forget all
that is around me and i
want You to flood my
thoughts and i want You
to be the air that i breathe
and i want You to be the
place i walk to and the path
i walk on and i want You to
be the reason why my heart
beats and i just want You
to be enough.

my heart,
may you always be free.
my heart,
may you never be afraid.
my heart,
may you be wild.
my heart,
may you never spend your days
locked in a cage of fear.
my heart,
may you fall in love with beauty,
the beauty that lies in bravery,
the beauty that lives in joy.
my heart,
may you never be afraid to drown
in the ocean of love.

i looked for You
in the bright summer days,
i looked for You
in the majestic ocean waves,
i looked for You
in the bright red roses,
i looked for You
in the starry sky
and i found You
in the rainy, gray days,
i found You
in the stillness of the sea,
i found You
in the simple white daisies,
i found You
in the dark, empty night
because You hide in
simple beauty.

when people look at my heart,
may they find beauty.
may they say i'm beautiful because
of my gentle spirit,
because of my kindness.
may they say i'm beautiful because
of my bravery and fearlessness.
may they say i'm beautiful because
of my joyful smile.
may they say i'm beautiful not because
of my hairstyle,
my jewelry,
my clothes,
my face.
may they find beauty in
my soul.

your words
can set the world on fire
your words
make the sun shine brighter
your words
turn the ocean bluer
your words
water a dry heart
your words
make flowers grow
your words
bring hope.
your words
inspire.
your words
matter.

you are loved.
not because of who you will be.
not because of what you can do.
not because of your looks.
not because of your talents.
not because of your circumstances.
but because you are here,
but because you are light,
but because you are brave,
but because you are important,
but because you exist,
but because of your heart.

you don't have me anymore.
I broke my chains.
I no longer believe you.
you made me believe that
there wasn't anything good in me.
you made me believe that
i had no value.
you made me believe that
I couldn't dream.
you made me believe that
I couldn't sing.
you made me believe that
my soul couldn't fly.
you were wrong.
so long, fear.

could You come to me?
could You meet me in an embrace,
and tell me that it's alright?
could You tell me that You love me,
that I don't have to try to get your attention?
could You tell me that You're listening?
could You tell me that i'm enough?
i need to hear Your voice above all the noise.

You know me,
You see me.
You know my
thoughts,
my dreams,
when i sleep
and when i rise.
You know I'm imperfect
and You know there's so much
more to be done in me
and You love me,
not the me i will be
but the me that i am.

y** ou are
o ne lovely human being and your worth is
u ndeniable and you

a re
r eally beautiful and
e xtraordinary but most of all you are

l ovable and anything but
o rdinary because you are
v aluable, more valuable than all the
e meralds and
d iamonds in the world.

i was blind
but now i see You
and i see your eyes
and in your eyes,
in your eyes there is
no judgment,
no pointing fingers,
no disappointment,
in your eyes there is
forgiveness,
light,
a second chance,
mercy,
grace.
in your eyes there is
only love.

you are more
than anyone could ever be.
you are royalty
dressed in gold jewelry and purple robes.
you are worth
more than all the diamonds in the world.
your smile
can light up the darkest sky.
your laughter makes flowers bloom.
your eyes are brighter
than a summer sun.
you are loved.
you are treasured.
you're important.
you're enough.

You came like rain,
a spring shower,
flooding this dry soul with
mercy and grace,
bringing it to life,
making it bloom.

i am
every bit
undeserving.

i called You,
and You came.
You came like rain,
a spring shower,
making everything bloom,
making all things new.

You rescued me from
drowning.
You stripped me from my
demons.
You broke my chains.
You gave me a name and
called me holy.
You took me from the
darkness and into your
wonderful light.
You chose me.
You made me yours.

You've never stopped loving me.
not even when i broke Your heart,
not even when i broke my promises,
not even when i left your side,
not even when i said i didn't need You anymore,
not even when i turned my back on You,
not even when i tried to fill the void in my heart with everything but You,
not even when i stopped loving You,
not even then did You stop loving me.

y** ou are
o ne of a kind,
u nique,

a bright star in the night sky,
r oyalty, made
e specially for this very

s econd in time, you are
p recious and
e nchanting and you have a
c aptivating
i nner beauty
a nd
l ovely darling, you are special.