His Master Plan

When all around is quaking,

And you feel your life is cracking,

When the hopes and dreams you've cherished

Lay crumbled in the sand,

When your heart, confused, is churning,

And you wonder where He's turning,

Through the tears and disappointments,

Though it's hard to understand,

God breaks a seed to grow a plant,

Breaks a cloud to bring the rain,

Breaks the waves to make the sea,

Breaks a shell to let a sparrow sing,

And to make a vessel for His plan

God lovingly breaks a man.

Lift up your eyes with singing,

And bow before your King,

He is not slack concerning

His promises to you;

Your Father will not leave you,

He never will forsake you,

Your tomorrow, though now uncertain,

Will be victory anew.

God breaks a seed to grow a plant,

Breaks a cloud to bring the rain,

Breaks the waves to make the sea,

Breaks a shell to let a sparrow sing,

And to make a vessel for His plan

God lovingly breaks a man.

For though we do not understand

All the ways of our Lord,

His Master plan is beautiful,

Keep trusting in His Word.

God breaks a seed to grow a plant,

Breaks a cloud to bring the rain,

Breaks the waves to make the sea,

Breaks a shell to let a sparrow sing,

And to make a vessel for His plan

God lovingly breaks a man.

The Potter's Scars

In the Potter's house, the clay

Is upon a turning wheel,

Whether moving slow or swiftly,

All is at the Potter's will.

As it goes, the clay is pressed

Into the Potter's hand,

There He forms a vessel

According to His plan.

Yet, sometimes within the clay

There are hidden little stones,

And as the clay is formed,

Those stones are then made known.

And the Potter's hands are smooth,

For upon the vessel made

The fingerprints of the Potter

Are left upon the clay,

And in place of His fingerprints

Are scars placed by the stones

Hidden in the heart of the clay,

But to the Potter's hands were known.

Lord, when the wheel of life is turning

And I'm pressed into Your hands,

You gently work to mold me

According to Your plan.

Yet, sometimes there lay within me

Little sins like hidden stones,

And as my clay is fashioned 

Those stones are then made known.

Still You work to mold and make me,

Notwithstanding who I am,

Knowing that those hidden sins

Are the stones that scarred Your hands.

And the Potter's hands are smooth,

For upon the vessel made

The fingerprints of the Potter

Are left upon the clay,

And in place of His fingerprints

Are scars placed by the stones 

Hidden in the heart of the clay,

But to the Potter's hands were known.

I see the scars,

I thrust my hand into His side,

I see the tears

That He shed to make me right, 

I see the Cross

On which He died to remove all my dross,

I see the print of my sins

On my Blessed Savior's hands.

And in place of His fingerprints

Are scars placed by the stones

Hidden in the heart of the clay,

But to the Potter's hands were known.

Copyright © Elisabeth Radfar 2017

Who Am I

A vessel marred, crushed by sin;

A broken heart, scarred within;

A soul that lost all hope to win,

But God of all mercy reached down,

Touched my life and made me whole,

Cleansed my heart, restored my soul,

Took me as His very Own;

In wonder and praise I bow--

Who am I, that You would love me?

Who am I, that You should save me?

Who am I, that You could use me

As a vessel in Your hands,

Who am I?

See the dying and the lost,

Who will tell them of the Cross?

How can I sit and count the cost,

When the fields are ripe to be won?

For those souls You shed Your blood,

Who will teach them of Your love

And point them to the God Above,

Your praise in their hearts to be sung?

Here am I, You can send me.

Here am I, You can lead me.

Here am I, You can use me

As a vessel in Your hand,

Here am I.

Now my Savior says, "All power is Mine,

Go and preach the Word divine,

Bring the poor, the sick, and lost

To find refuge at the Cross.

"And I Am He that sustains you,

I Am He that upholds you,

I Am He that will use you

As a vessel in My hand;

Go and tell the world that I Am.

Go and tell the world the I Am.

Go and tell the world that I Am."

Copyright © Elisabeth Radfar 2017

Chains in Splendor

Amidst an awesome beauty,

High upon a rocky steep,

Traveled lone and weary pilgrim

Who’d left ease and comfort sweet.

Hard the sunrays beat upon her

With its penetrating heat,

Though quite weary from her toil,

Yet she did not dare retreat.

So treacherous her pathway,

Steep and narrow was her lane,

On either hand a precipice,

But centered was a chain.

Precariously she climbed

With security her gain,

Only gazing at the glory

But while clasping to the chain.

Chains upon the mountain,

Placed there by some bygone soul;

Rugged trail already trodden,

Now his story doth unfold.

Splendor of the mountains, never

Matched by earthly pride,

But it’s beauty hardly captured

Ere the trav’ler’s foot would slide.

Yet one, known by rocky dwellings,

Whose sure foot had learned the stones,

Called to mind his early wavering,

Set a guard for weaker ones.

Chain so grey and harsh to hold

Set amidst the splendorous steeps;

Doth it hinder by withholding,

Or in safety young ones keep?

Say, they cannot grasp the cliffs

While holding to the chain of steel,

How then can they fully fathom

All the depths, the heights, and thrills?

Aye, but never would they know

All the glories and the joys

Were the chain to be refused,

For they’d slip and be destroyed. 

Would you reach the other side

Of the precipice of life?

Hold unflinching to the chain

Set by Him Who paid the price.

Copyright © Elisabeth Radfar 2017