Lines

A new journal with lines, my last one with its blank pages and no lines pricks at me. I couldn’t keep the words straight on the page. I thought it would be freeing to doodle and scribble along with my words but it has gotten out of hand. I opened the new book, clean pages, pale, yet prominent lines and felt some relief. It’s January, we’re all starting again.

Lines to lay my words upon, a set stage, a model to follow. A little chaos anchored away from me now. Lines to follow, lines to rest a sentence for review, a place where order is. Lines for my reckless mind, lines for my slow review. Lines to draw conclusions upon, lines to start anew.

I need these lines so badly today; lines to make me behave, lines to collect my thoughts back in order again, lines on which to move forward. Here I can’t throw them, can’t burn them into the page, I can’t scream them to the world or pour them out on my friends, I can’t scramble them or misuse this space..there are lines and I must stay right here, right now. I feel relief.

There is a song that says,

“In the chaos You are the peace. In my suffering You’re here with me. In the darkness You never leave. God of mercy, You’re walking with me.

I surrender anxiety, all the striving has to cease.
In this moment, You’re still the King.
This is the gift You are giving to me. A sound mind.”

A sound mind, a straight line, a right time; it’s January 3 again.

A sound mind, a clean, fresh page, a way divine… don’t run from me

A sound mind, an anchored line, I take them, I MAKE them mine.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.