“Canon Tallis suggests that perhaps for our day the best translation of love is the name of Jesus, and that will tell us everything about love we need to know.”
Madeleine L’Engle from Walking on Water
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19: 26 (ESV)
Holy Week, a week when all goes quiet. A week of contemplation. Listening. Soul-scaping. This is where I find myself. I’m wondering if you are feeling the same?
There’s a heaviness in my soul, and still, I quiver in anticipation for what is to come. The very air around me vibrates with it. The full moon shining bright, reminds me of it.
Gazing out the window, stands a pear tree, she begs for a groom and a trim. We’ve been here three years now, and still we’ve neglected her.
I scratch words on the page, hold them tight. Words that come through my own soul-scaping. My own need for pruning. Trimming the excess, the need for more. Quieting myself, listening.
In her Bible Study, Sacred Secrets, Beth More said this:
“We don’t have to tell it all, but we have to live in such a way that is honest before people and not contradictory.”
Perhaps I’ll share the words soon. Meanwhile, I fix my eyes on the tree. There’s life in the dead limbs. Flashes of color. A song of spring.
Can you see it? The life? Dead limbs fill with yellow finches. The American Goldfinch, they’re called. They fill the top, the dead limbs, with life throughout the day. Their song carries on the breeze and through the open windows.
We live in the in between. The days before death comes to life. We are the in between people, left to ponder have we gone to far? Can we make it back to life?
I’m here to tell you, it is never too late. You have never gone too far, so far, that God will not pursue and woo you back to life. Done so wrong, that you can’t find life in the dead parts.
“The Great Artist-the Maker of stars and straw and soil-was not supposed to be a king. To reign strong, not sweat blood. To be served, not be a servant. To live long, not die a criminal. If we stopped there, with his death the story would be unjust and unfair-and unfinished. And that is precisely the point.” Emily P. Freeman from A Million Little Ways
There’s a Maker, a God who will chase you to the depths of Sheol. Ask me how I know this.
I know. I know, because He pulled me from the darkest pit of death and sin, of things so wrong I believed I could not be saved. That I had gone too far.
There’s life in the dead limbs. Life in the dead parts of you. Life in the tomb where our Savior was laid and wrapped in burial clothes.
From a babe wrapped in strips of cloth, laid in a manger, to a man who wept, who carried a cross for me and you. Nailed there to die a criminal’s death.
Three days pass, the stone is rolled away. We peer in to an empty tomb, we see life after death. A risen Savior.
For me. For you.
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)
For now we’ll leave the tree, watch life in the dead limbs, listen as song whispers in. Wait in the in between. Wait for life after death.
With God all things are possible! Hold that promise, hold it tight.
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Gifts of Grace

Dear Tammy,
What precious thoughts–seeing the beautiful life of those finches glowing brightly on the dead limbs. I loved this: “We live in the in between. The days before death comes to life” because it is so often how I feel lately. I am so thankful that Jesus meets us right here in the in-between! And He gives us His Grace-filled-Life, offered for us. May you be blessed this Easter Week!
What a great reminder they are Bettie! Thank you for your sweet words and encouragement!
XO
Tammy
Tammy, seeing the American Goldfinches in your post really made me smile. To explain, I have never seen them in our backyard, until one day last week between the terrible storms that swept across the Southeast. For years we have seen blue jays, cardinals, falcons and heard owls on a regular basis. Then last Wednesday our backyard was full of these beautiful and cheerful singing birds for the first time in memory. Love your analogy of life in the dead limbs. Happy Holy Week!
Christina how cool! I hope you fared well through the storms. We have some heading our way later today.
Thank you for stopping by!
XO
Tammy
Whoa. Spiritually and Literary-ly genius. Keep on…
Speechless! ☺️
Love you!
XO
Tammy
Thank the Lord we are never too far gone! This is beatiful. I love the Beth Moore quote, too. Sacred Secrets was a great study!
Amen Bethany! Yes, I loved, loved that study!
Thank you for stopping by!
XO
Tammy
Visiting from Testimony Tuesday. The hope of spring, from death to life, a picture of what Jesus brought us from. From dead in our sins to alive in Him. Thank you Jesus! The hope we have in Him is eternal. His love unconditional. Thank you for sharing these beautiful life-giving truths. May your soul be refreshed in the brightness of the eternal perspective He gives us for our life here in the darkness of this world so dead in sin. Sweet Blessings to you!
Amen Cheryl!
Thank you for stopping by!
XO
Tammy
There is so much tension and grace in the waiting of Holy Week! This is beautiful, my friend!
So true, Karrilee! Such a hard yet sweet time. I love this season! Congratulations, by the way! You will love this new season!
XO
Tammy
Oh friend…thank you! I was working on finishing my Maundy Thursday se mon earlier. Hat quote from L’Engles book embodies what Maundy Thursday is all about. Jesus loves so much to wash the feet of even Judas and Peter. So much THIS: “From a babe wrapped in strips of cloth, laid in a manger, to a man who wept, who carried a cross for me and you. Nailed there to die a criminal’s death.
Three days pass, the stone is rolled away. We peer in to an empty tomb, we see life after death. A risen Savior.For me. For you.”
Thank you Tara! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!
XO
Tammy
I loved the analogy of the pear tree and birds to represent death and life, and the in between. It was really a beautiful illustration. I loved the picture! To see the beautiful green leaves, the dead branched above and the birds perching at the top on the dead limbs…..Your words bring these things to life! Your contemplation brings about awareness, beauty in not so beautiful situations and most of hope! Hope in Christ!
Thank you so much!!!
Thank you Sweet Friend! I’m blessed to have you in this community!
XO
Tammy