Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

Archive for the ‘Poems’ Category

His Healing

HIS HEALING

Head hanging
Shoulders sagging
Couldn’t be bragging
About my mood

Soul searching
Heart hurting
Forever turning
To face a wall

Dawn breaking
Light changing
God saving
My empty soul

Joy filling
Heart thrilling
Restlessness stilling
He does it all

—– December, 2011

The Brat

I really am a spoiled brat,

Lazy and I live on fat

Lots of money, lots of time,

Like to grumble, like to whine.

Though I’m better off than most,

Of my problems like to boast,

Like to grumble, like to whine,

For others’ problems have no time.

Need a dose of gratitude,

Need to get a better view,

Need to buckle down and work;

Not be such a lazy jerk.

Need a Savior Who can say,

“I love you, like you, anyway.”

Need to let His gracious love

Rain on me from up above.

When Darkness Falls

When darkness falls,
Light hides His face,
It’s then you must
Lean on His grace.

Deny the lies
That come your way
Upon His cross
Your eyes must stay.

Rejoice that He
Has let you weep.
For suf’ring shows
His love so deep.

And should the sun
Break through the clouds,
A greater joy
He will allow.

Crucifix

CRUCIFIX

Lord, I know You rose from the dead;
You live in glory with Your Father.
But down here it seems
We haven’t heard the news

We’re still fussing and fighting
Darkness seems so enticing
We’re still bleeding down here
Won’t You please come near?

And He did
And He does
And He will

I know You overcame sin
And Your victory is sure
You triumphed over death
Our bonds you have broken

But we’re weak and afraid
Our messy beds we have made
Still thinking false thoughts
And the lies we have bought

We get stuck in our ruts
Wander far from Your ways
We’re still bleeding down here
Won’t You please come near?

And He did
And He does
And He will

I will look to Your cross
Where my soul You have bought
I will lift up my eyes
Keep my eyes on the prize

I will lift up Your name
Trust in You all the same
Though I still bleed sometimes
I have You by my side

And He loves
And He gives
And He walks beside us

January 10, 2013

To You Who by the World Ignored

To you who by the world ignored

I write these words, I you implore

Take heart, and do not be dismayed

Your time is coming; He’ll not delay

In glorious light He will appear

Heal  every  hurt, calm every fear

Repair all wounds, dry every tear

Your King is coming; He draws near

To little babes, who only moan

He hears your every cry and groan.

He sits not only on the throne

But with you stands; you’re not alone.

He knows you have no weapon strong,

He will prevail and right the wrong.

To those who cannot walk or speak

He knows your heart is hurting deep.

He’ll be your hands, your mouth, your feet.

To those abused, He knows your pain;

He is full strong, can stand the strain.

He only asks you lean on Him

Forgive the sinner, forgive the sin.

Like Mary, who behind the scenes

Endured her Son’s most agonized screams

We quietly our hearts entrust

To Him who never disappoints

Pieces of a Stained Glass Window

Pieces of a Stained Glass Window

My life is in pieces

Which you intentionally broke

Like pieces for a stained glass window

Shattered my once solid illusions

Broke up my long-held,

Wrong-held

Beliefs

I’m breaking up

Cracking up

Shattering

In a brilliant white light

I’m falling

Will you catch me?

The Foreigner (To My Mother)

How did I come upon this place,
This foreign land of foreign tongue?
Strangers, strangers, everyone —
I don’t fit in and don’t belong.

He sent me to a foreign land
To people that I did not know
His goal I did not understand
I had to plant new roots and grow

Doubts and fears — they crowded in.
My faith was fragile, but survived.
Mistakes, delusions, sometimes sin;
And still He kept right by my side.

My soul was bitter; my way was hard.
But oft’ a glorious light broke through.
He sent companions to my side;
His friends and mine His love showed true.

And now I know His purpose great
His plan He had to orchestrate.
This life is not for foolish pride,
But that His name be magnified.

Heaven is my real home,
“The only goal,” I said three times,
And sent my children on their way
With blessings in the Father’s name.

And so life’s circle has come full:
The morning, noon, then day is done.
The life that from the darkness rose
Goes back to meet the Father’s Son.

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes
———————-

Quietly, behind the scenes
God’s love is working
As we dream.
We fuss, we fret;
Still He directs
The drama of our life’s events

Like a conductor
Does He lead
With perfect timing
Meets a need
Never early, never late
Life’s music He does orchestrate

What seems to be a tragedy
Though deeply sad, can really be
A door to further growth, you see
Though painful, it will to Him lead

For the Children

For the Children

There can be an ache inside
Truly cannot be denied
We try to hide the pain inside
But pretty soon the hurts collide
With others’, and the wound gets wide

I had two mommies, don’t you see
They really didn’t think of me
And no one ever thought of them
The cycle it goes ’round again

I only had a mom, you see
My dad and her could not agree
And so he left; they could not see
A way to be in harmony

I had two dads; ’twas really sad.
Wondered who my mother was;
I cried sometimes at night because
She never was

I had a mom and dad, you see
But dad was gone emotion’ly
He read his paper, watched TV
Didn’t have the time for me

Oh, who cares for the children?
Who really cares?

Dads and moms, they were abandoned.
Never learned to love, it saddened
Their hearts, but they could never see
What it did to you, to me

The only way to get beyond it
Is seek God’s way; you’ve got to find it.
Move beyond the pain and anguish
God’s way for life we must establish.
Forgive, let go, and let it show
God’s joy in time you’ll get to know.

The Gardener

The Gardener

I cling to clods,

I dally in dirt.

I dig up the sod

And wait for God

To perform the miracle

Of seed to plant.

I work in the sun,

The cold and the rain;

Inclement weather

I do not disdain.

From dirty fingers

I do not refrain.

I witness a miracle:

Every day,

The miracle of life

Is on display.

When it’s time to plant,

I do not delay.

Such wondrous things

Do I perceive:

The seed, the seedling,

The first new leaf.

Continually the new thing grows;

When it will stop, only God knows.

Amazing thing,

That on its own,

The seed into a plant has grown.