"Hollowed Out"

Sometimes I get the feeling,

Of being hollowed out,

And here are just a few lines,

Of what that’s all about.

Feelings that have been there,

With large parts of my past,

And at the time important,

But diid not really last.

If I thought about it,

I felt that they’d remain,

Seemed like all was set in stone,

And things would never change.

But that was not what happened,

And, man, was I surprised,

When so much that I counted on,

I had to realize,

Was not what I believed it was,

Or permanent at all,

But there just for a season,

And then God gave His call.

To go and do a new thing,

In a new and different place,

Where things were not familiar,

Except His loving face.

And the hollowed-out old feeling,

He says that He will fill,

With new faces and relationships,

And a partner for His will.

So in the end I’m thankful,

For what I’ve had to learn,

To leave behind what once was,

Without the need to burn,

The bridges to the people,

That I will always love,

Who I believe were given,

By my Father up above.

And all that is eternal,

In what I’ve done and said,

Is all laid up in heaven,

When life ends and I’m dead.

But those who live for Jesus,

Will never really die,

He said we’d pass into His arms,

Beyond the eastern sky.

So, Lord, fill up the empty,

And fill to overflow,

And we will live each day for You,

Until it’s time to go.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth…” (Mt. 6:19, NLT)

What we treasure and ultimately value says everything about who we are and what we love. Sometimes our affections are misdirected, and we become too caught up in things, pursuits, and situations that have no eternal value at all. If these become our focus we need an adjustment, and right away. Our life purpose and investment should be directed by the eternal, not the temporary. Jesus said the treasure we lay up in heaven cannot be stolen nor does it deteriorate. What we see and go after matters. Fill your eyes with light and the light of heaven will fill your future.

Lord, help us treasure the eternal, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Jamie Means, used by permission. Thanks, Jamie, and God bless you.