Madison Sanders Writes

I lay myself on Your altar and say, “Here am I, Lord. Take me and use me. Make something out of me that is more than a pile of flesh. Inhabit me. Consume me. I am Yours. I surrender. Once I was broken. Wounded by people. Cut by words said and unsaid. You healed me. You put the broken pieces back together. You mended me. I confess there are still some areas of my heart that need mending. There are still some areas that are not whole. I don’t want to be a half-healed person. I know You are not a halfway God. I know that You are faithful to Your Word. I know that You have started a good work in me and You will be faithful to complete it. Empty me of my selfishness Empty me of my pride Empty me of the desire to have the last word, to prove I am right Empty me of criticisms You said, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Create in me a clean heart I want to be pure I don’t be full of hatred and bitterness Anger and strife Empty me of myself So

Madison, I forgive you for wasting so much time For going around in circles Madison, I forgive you for fighting a battle that was never yours to begin with Getting so wrapped in thoughts that you've neglected the present You've been at a standstill You've made yourself even more tired I forgive you for being silent You lost your voice for a time You sank deeper in the mire Fighting with yourself is utterly exhausting Because you can't run away from yourself Your thoughts are there Your insecurities are there There is no one there beating you up You've done it to yourself Madison, you are more than the lies the enemy tells Madison, you hold the key to your freedom Summon the strength within The strength to fight the fight when life says, "Just quit." You matter! You are doing enough! Believe in yourself That is the difference between battles won and lost Madison, there is more than what you see

A sudden shift I pray for a sudden shift in your mind I pray for a sudden shift in your heart For so long you have labored under the burden So many cares, so many hurts Squeezing the life out of you Stealing your joy Robbing you of peace You could find no tranquility Try as you might You couldn't escape Though you changed your surroundings Those thoughts lingered Hanging like cobwebs in the corner of your mind Looping on repeat Taking you back in time Taking you back to the bad memories And words that should have never been said Oh, what a sense of dread What misery Each time that unwelcome visitor came He wedged himself into your innermost thoughts You couldn't separate what was real  You now believed that you didn't matter You didn't exist anymore You were always attached to someone To that elusive dream they had Now you are free Instead of spreading your wings, you are like a baby learning to walk