All That Matters

All That Matters
by Brad Alexander

Maybe I made you laugh,

Perhaps I made you cry,

Possibly I entertained you,

or caused you to shake your head and wonder, “Why?”

You might call me an acquaintance, associate or friend

The depth and texture of our relationship has a beginning and end.

You make think of me fondly or in a darker light;

Could be you never gave me a second thought and just smiled to be polite.

I am unfettered by perceptions and thoughts of being held in high regard;

I may have helped your healing or my words may have left you scarred.

Whatever facet of me you have seen or what label on me you have adorned,

Your assessment is either accurate or potentially misinformed.

In seeking your approval there is only one thing I hope you did not miss,

I trust that through my facades and posturing you were able to see this:

A reflection of God’s love and forgiveness, His mercy and His grace,

It should not ever be considered what time or what place.

The Cross of Christ is where my hope and salvation are laid,

All my debts, sins and short-comings, the Creator of the universe has paid.

His love is yours to accept and receive,

A most difficult task but at the core quite simple to just believe.

The King of all creation nailed to an accursed tree,

To reconcile His relationship with you and with me.

Jesus restored what what we severed and shattered,

He knew the cost and atoned for us, we were all that mattered.

As arguments cease and the echoes of debates fade,

There is one enigma we cannot evade:

What about the Cross? What does it mean and why was it done?

Why would the Almighty God, the Ancient of Days pay our ransom with His Son?

We wrest and grapple for a decision, commitment causes us to tremble with fear,

When we let go of all else to embrace the Cross we see with new eyes, God came near

What will we do with the Cross? When at last we answer this question,

All other queries lose their significance in the Light of Redemption

The Cross, the Cross, the wondrous Cross.

What about the Cross?

Brad Alexander

© 2011

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rick Chavoustie on July 26, 2011 at 8:55pm

It's been said that "every contact" with the cross, demands a decision?

Surrender to grace, revealed...is the mystery of the call,

When you really had nothing to do with it at all...

A gift is a gift is a gift, ALL for His Sons... Glory

Permalink Reply by NANCY SIMMONS on July 26, 2011 at 10:35pm

Just beautiful and so true!

Rick Chavoustie said:

It's been said that "every contact" with the cross, demands a decision?

Surrender to grace, revealed...is the mystery of the call,

When you really had nothing to do with it at all...

A gift is a gift is a gift, ALL for His Sons... Glory

Permalink Reply by Rick Shahin on October 13, 2011 at 9:50pm

What does love look like? is the question Ive been pondering
What does love look like?
What does love look like? is the question Ive been asking of You
Once believed that love was romance, just a chance
I even thought that love was for the lucky and the beautiful
I once believed that love was a momentary bliss, but love is more than this
All You ever wanted was my attention
All You ever wanted was love from me
All You ever wanted was my affections to sit here at Your feet and tell me
What does love look like? is the question Ive been pondering
What does love look like? If all of life comes down to love then tell me
What does love look like? is the question Ive been pondering
What does love look like?

Then I sat down a little frustrated and confused
Your fire of life comes down to love. And love has to be more than sentiment,
More than selfishness and selfish gain

Then I saw Him there
Hanging on a tree, looking at me
I saw Him there
Hanging on a tree, looking at me
He was looking at me looking at Him, staring through me
I could not escape those beautiful eyes
And I began to weep and weep

He had arms wide open, heart exposed
Arms wide open, He was bleeding, bleeding.
Arms wide open, heart exposed
Arms wide open, He was bleeding, bleeding
Loves definition
Loves definition, was looking at me
Looking at Him. Hanging on a tree
I began to weep and weep and weep and weep
This is how I know what love is.

And as I sat there, weeping, crying, those beautiful eyes
Full of desire and love. And He said to me
You shall love Me..You shall love Me.
With arms wide open, heart exposed
With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding
You shall love Me.. You shall love Me..

If anybodys looking for love in all the wrong places
If youve been searching for love, come to Me. Come to me.
Take up your cross. Deny yourself.
Forget your fathers house and run. Run with Me.
Cause you were made for abandon your heart and listen
Cause you were made for Someone greater, Someone bigger, so follow Me.
And youll come alive when you learn to die.
And He said to me

You shall love Me. You shall love Me

With arms wide open, heart exposed
With arms wide open, bleeding, sometimes bleeding