As I try to sleep this evening, my thoughts continue to revolve around two conversations that I cannot seem to silence in my mind.

One of the conversations was over dinner with a mentor of mine, a person who is a hero of the faith and who I admire more than almost any living person.  This person is someone who has seen the best in me and for that reason has high confidence in my potential for usefulness in the Kingdom.

The other conversation was with an old friend, someone who is also deeply devoted to Christ and whose love for people—particularly hurting people—is like nothing I’ve ever seen, and is to be deeply admired.  This person is someone who has seen good in me, but has also seen the very worst in me.

These conversations took place only an hour apart and I have no doubt that it was of the Father’s doing.  And as these two contrasting conversations swirled in my mind and dialogued with each other, I have no doubt that it was the Father’s doing to insert a song into the mix that has reminded me, tonight, that my identity does not rest in what good or evil comes from me, but in my existence as his creation, stamped with the imago dei, and redeemed in beauty.  What a profound blessing these words were to me:

Cathedrals have tried in vain
To show the image of your face.
But we are, by your design,
The signature of divine.

We’ll always sing your name.
Forever and today.

Yahweh, Yahweh!
Great is your glory when you go before me.
Oh, we sing holy, holy!
Your ways are lovely. So high above me.
Yahweh.

The fortunes of kings and queens
Are wasted chasing what we’ve seen.
Cause we are, by your reprieve,
The beauty framed by your suffering.

Take me, and pull me through.
Cause I can’t move without you.
“I won’t leave you alone,” you say.
“It will be okay.”

From “Signature of Divine” by Needtobreathe

(Update: Click on the “Signature of Divine” link above to see a pretty sweet video.  I think I might have a little man-crush on the dude on the left).