“If thou could’st empty all thyself of self
like to a shell dishabited
then might he find thee on the ocean shelf
and say, ‘This is no dead’
and fill thee with Himself instead.
But thou art all replete with very thou
and hast such shrewd activity
that when He comes, He says, ‘This is
enow unto itself, ’twere better let it be.
It is so small and full, there is no room
for Me.'”
-Sir Thomas Browne
This poem has been on my mind lately, as busyness and a general “I’ve got this” feeling have kept me from spending a lot of time with God. I’m thankful for a week where things have gone well, but I’ve noticed how easy it is in those times to let self fill in the spaces in my heart, rather than to leave that space for Him to speak.
So my prayer is that God would help me to “empty all myself of self” so He can fill me instead.
