Your Pile of Ashes

Your pile of ashes is sacred to Him

He doesn’t allow them on a whim

He knows they’ve taken years to collect

What do yours represent?

Broken dreams and broken promises?

Years spent trying to make something of them

Time and time again

Till one day you realize all you’ve done is protect them

And all you’re left with is a pile of lifeless ashes 

They hardly look worthwhile, though you can see where they’ve been passed on

Bitterness comes in because you thought you’d have more

The energy you’ve poured in, the agony of living

What’s it all for?

You feel as if you let go, there’ll be no more

The wind will scatter them and it’ll be as if the pain you’ve gone through will be utterly insignificant

Just a trace of your being left for others to scoff at

No!

And so

You protect death with your life

It’s all you’ve ever known

So you pack them down into hard ground

You create a foundation you can stand on

Then you beat on it in desperation

Where are you, God, you shout, as a breeze begins to blow

You hold on to those ashes tighter

You hide them close, to protect them further

And God keeps breathing on you

And you keep breathing too

And you realize He’s been there with you this whole time

He understands the nature of ashes like dust

He hasn’t caused them, but He sure has allowed them to come in

What are we doing down here in the dirt?

And then you remember our origin

You remember HIs face as He banned you from the Garden

You remember how He let you live, though He warned you would die if you chose anything other than Him

Your name is Eve because you became the mother of all who would live

But now as beings of dust alone

The cool breezes now only bringing shame and toil for us

As He banishes, He waits for just the right moment

His longing heart remembers your face as He bent to breathe His life into it

He carries out the plan He had in place 

Bending once again to the earth from His Home

He leaves His throne

He takes our form

He stretches out His hands

He surrenders to the Father and to the dust

It’s familiar to Him

It reminds Him of the ashes of Paradise lost

Of making things together, and communing

Of cool breezes and the satisfaction of walking together

He’s longing to be 

He’s longing to move upon your pile of ashes the way He moved upon the dust of your body when He formed it

He’s longing to breathe upon them, to hover over them

Until they swirl about

You see, when you quit protecting them

When you give them to a man called Jesus

You begin so see the evidence

Of something that was, and always has been

Creator God

The Only One

Who knows the value of dust

Who knows what to do with the ashes

It’s how He made us

Let them go, and let them scatter

I promise you this

You will stand in wonder

At the Love that’s always been there

And the God Who wants to partner in creating life with you again

Your pile of ashes is sacred to Him