by design

through the beauty and the fragility of the community, He designed

through the decision of a human, of humanity,

one by one, they must come on their own,

heeding the call, obeying the voice, surrendering the old and anticipating the new,

the potential of what could be must draw them forward.

It's His way.

And by design, she will rise up and be beautiful.

She will shine; brighter than we could imagine,

radiance gleaming, unearthly beauty surrounding,

She will shine.

The tarnish will fade,

the blemishes will heal,

the brokenness will be restored,

and She will shine.

by design, He called her to love.

by design, He requires her to forgive.

by design, He leads her to show them a better way.

by design, He asks that she be a peacemaker in a hostile land, a restorer in a place a distress, a healer in a time of illness and injury and depravation and death.

by design, He writes her name on His palm,

by design, He sings over her,

by design, He hopes and blesses and loves.....

And this begins in one heart,

with one voice,

rising up to call another voice to join in,

and another, and another

and the community rises up and

the bride of Christ is alive.