Strangely Dim.

I grew up in a precious and very traditional Southern Baptist Church in north Mississippi.  Some of my earliest memories include sitting on those wooden church pews and singing hymns from the Baptist Hymnal.

One of the hymns that we sang a lot was "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus".  The words of that chorus are etched in my heart even today...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

The truth of the words in that hymn have meant so much to me lately.  During the final stretch of this adoption wait, I have found that I only have peace when my eyes are on Jesus.  Sometimes my heart is so restless that all I can do is just continue to whisper the name of "Jesus" over and over again.  When I don't even have the words to pray anymore, I can lift my eyes and focus on Him.

And it truly is amazing how the worries of this life and my anxious thoughts truly just fade away when I look to Jesus.  They have no place in the presence of Jesus.

I can't help but cry every time I hear this song by Francesca Battistelli on the radio.  So thankful that even though (as the song says) I have definitely had "a front row seat to the longest wait"...

 it all grows strangely dim when I look to Him.

I've got all these plans piled up sky high
A thousand dreams on hold
And I don't know why,
I got a front row seat
To the longest wait
And I just can't see
Past the things I pray
Today

But when I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don't look around
Any place I'm in
Grows strangely dim

Sometimes where I stand
On this narrow road
Is in a raging storm
Or a valley low
But oh

When I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don't look around
Any place I'm in
Grows strangely dim

I don't know I don't know
What tomorrow may hold
But I know, but I know
That You're holding it all
So no matter what may come

I'm gonna fix my eyes on all that You are
'Til every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
Let all my worries fade
And fall to the ground
I'm gonna seek Your face
And not look around
Til the place I'm in
Grows strangely dim