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
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
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
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?
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
———————-
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
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
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.
Oh, restless heart
When will you learn
To let the One
Who for you yearns
Abide in you
And you in him?
Oh, wandering soul
When will you turn
And let the One
Who for you lights
The way ahead
Prevent your fright?
Oh, anxious mind
When will you spend
Some time with Him
Who only can
Bring peace to thoughts
That boil and churn?
Oh, happy heart
That’s learned to rest
Upon the Savior’s
Gentle breast
The storm is stilled
The tear is dried
When in your heart
His life resides
One day I wandered down a road
Took the wrong way; didn’t know.
In life don’t we just do the same —
Don’t ask directions, go our own way?
On this road I met a man
He asked me, “Do you know the way?”
“Where’s your map and have you asked
The way, the distance, for the task?”
I pondered this inside my soul
I didn’t really have a goal
How could I know where I was going;
My goal, my purpose hardly knowing?
He gave to me The Book and said,
“This have I long and often read.
This will guide you, as you’ll see
If you but oft’ its words do heed.”
And in The Book I met Another
His heart most tender, like a Lover
And with His presence and The Book
My wayward travels soon forsook
And when I wander now and then
He gently brings me back again
I often do His presence seek
And then in silence find my peace
