There is not a time or place that is not filled with You, my Love
The mornings burst forth with Your light, whether cloudless or not
You commission the birds to sing songs of Your greatness
And the pitter-patter of rain to wake me softly from my slumber

When I step outside, You are there in the wind
Playfully combing through my hair, loosening locks and tendrils
You pepper my face with kisses from the warmth of the sun, the droplets of rain, and the coolness of the breeze
When I come home, You welcome me with the delightful clinks of glassware and china
And the delicious smells of my mother's cooking

When I fail to talk with You in the mornings
You greet me through the warm smile of a stranger or colleague
When I get scared and weary and start to question my purpose and worth
You encourage me through my sisters and brothers and put a song in my heart that reminds me of who You are
When insecurity strikes and overwhelms me with lies I so easily believe
You tell me that I'm beautiful - fearfully and wonderfully made - and call me Your darling, Your beloved
When the day closes in and night takes its place
You serenade me with the wordless hymns of cicadas
You fill the sky with stars to guide me back home
Where You wait to hear me read Your love letters of old and to embrace me with linen blankets

When I look back and remember, I cannot help but ask You
How did You bear it, my Love?
How did You endure the constant rejection, the countless pushes and shoves?
How did You stomach the tears, the pain, the misery that were of my own making?
How, after everything, did You still choose to play with my locks, kiss me with the sun's warmth, and welcome me home?

I thought it strange, utter madness, how Your love never relented
But now I can't bear the thought of it being any less

Oh, how You must have waited for this moment, my Love!
When my heart swells and my eyes tear up at the thought of You
When this same heart, once worn and tattered, now is made whole in You
When this same heart, once pining after the world, now beats, hungers, and thirsts for You

I know it does not end here
Yet still, I beg You, my Love, my God
Let this banged-up, stitched-together heart continue to beat, hunger, and thirst for You alone
You who holds my heart
You whom my heart loves