We drive onto a wooded lane.
They look at us with doe eyes,
For that is what they are.
Frozen in silence; they only stare.
Magical moments —
We silently watch each other, unmoving.
Until our car moves on —
Then they startle, leap, turn, and run,
Prancing, as if in a dance.
They say animals are dumb,
But that is only their tongues.
Their eyes bespeak some knowledge there,
Their beauty and grace a gift so rare.
I’ll never forget that stare.
Lord, take me home!
This world’s so full of woe
Sin and sadness all around —
Suffering abounds.
[…but where sin increased,
grace abounded all the more…]
Lord, how do I cope?
Please give me abundant hope.
Strengthen my song
And help me long …
For justice, peace,
Love and good will, until
All people love You,
And still ..
I’ll always long,
Until I can sing Your song.
Outdoors we gather, amongst the silent graves,
Bedecked with flags, each soldier’s resting place.
I sit in silence, waiting for Mass to begin;
Unearthly cicada sounds, the only din.
Just before, sev’n planes flew overhead,
Not to bomb, but to plume their smoke instead.
The bagpipes played “Amazing Grace” —
I weep, but not just grieving tears —
There’s joy that soldiers may be in a better place,
Taking advantage of God’s grace.
I have no words for those who were so brave,
Or perhaps unwittingly went to grave.
I cry for all the lost and all the dead,
For any harmed by war’s sick dread.
The sun, the warmth, is healing on my skin.
I pray, that through our pain, we all will heal again.
A poet wrote that ships must go
Upon the rough or glassy sea —
Not for the harbor always meant,
Not always safe a ship can be.
The times of calm — they do not last;
The tensions slowly build.
The heat, the cold, the rising wind,
The air with turmoil filled.
And so, in life, do not expect
Peace, tranquility, forever calm.
A balancing, a reckoning,
Is necessary as the dawn.
A storm in life, between two souls,
Can happen, just to clear the air.
Imperfect people, inevitably,
Will find they can’t always agree.
So do not ask for constant calm,
Nor constant storm, if that’s your joy,
But grace to bear whate’er may come —
The heat, the cold, and sometimes storm.
By God’s grace, I’ve made it thus far.
Parents who first pointed me to God.
Mentors, who shared their wisdom with me.
Rescued from the Moonie cult after two weeks.
Two times had cancer, caught early. Two times in hospital with kidney stones. Doctors and nurses who cared.
Two wonderful children, and three grandchildren so far.
33 years of marriage.
Depression, anxiety, handled with faith, prayer, and therapy.
Friends and family who’ve stood by me.
All grace.
This book is one of many that changed my life. There is a chapter in which Corrie is challenged to forgive a man who had been one of the Nazi prison guards in the concentration camp she had been in. At first, she is unable to shake his hand when he offers it, after a post-World-War- II lecture she gave on forgiveness. But after praying, she has the grace to put out her hand and shake his.
I remember realizing: If God can forgive a Nazi guard, He can forgive me — I don’t deserve it, but it’s not about what I deserve. It’s about God’s grace.
With broken heart and contrite sigh
A trembling sinner, Lord, I cry:
Thy pardoning grace is rich and free
O God, be merciful to me.
I smite upon my troubled breast,
With deep and conscience guilt oppressed;
Christ and His cross my only plea:
O God, be merciful to me.
Far off I stand with tearful eyes,
Nor dare uplift them to the skies;
But Thou dost all my anguish see:
O God, be merciful to me.
Nor alms, nor deeds that I have done,
Can for a single sin atone;
To Calvary alone I flee:
O God, be merciful to me.
And when, redeemed from sin and hell,
With all the ransomed throng I dwell,
My raptured song shall ever be,
God has been merciful to me.
[A hymn by Cornelius Elven, 1852, public domain]
Freedom is the grace to make good decisions, the power to do good. Freedom is being able to express your beliefs, while respecting others beliefs. Freedom is to receive forgiveness, to be released by the grace of God from the guilt of my wrongdoing, and to offer forgiveness to others. Freedom is receiving the grace to forgive my enemies, instead of living a life of resentment and blame. Freedom is letting go of the past, and having hope for the future. Freedom is appreciating those who have helped you have freedom. Gratitude increases freedom. Freedom is a great gift, and a great responsibility. Thank you, God, for the great gift of freedom.
Written July 3, 2021
The air —
Laden with care —
With guilts, not graces,
With long-gone places,
With regrets, what-ifs,
With laundry lists.
And then —
A gust of wind —
The Spirit comes
And speaks in tongues,
Slamming doors,
Awakening snores.
The lightning strikes —
And thunder rumbles —
The tension crumbles.
Then sweet release
Of pent-up rain —
God comes again.
His tender care
Dispels all fear.
All will be well,
All will be well.
Faults
Do not be too discouraged about your faults, even those that come up repeatedly. Of course, strive to overcome them, but don’t be depressed by them. Instead, let them lead you to humility and dependence on God’s grace.
“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
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