I Long to Dwell
[This one’s a work in progress. Might need to tweak it some. Suggestions welcome.]
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I long to dwell in a gentle place
Where acceptance doesn’t depend on race.
Where sins are forgiven, each person driven
By self-knowledge of culpability.
I long to dwell where people smile;
They say to me, “Sit down a while.”
They listen quietly, as do I;
We nod our heads understandingly.
I long to dwell where children are safe
No longer victims of hate or rape.
No longer killed inside the womb
Nor victims of parents’ inconsistency.
I long to dwell with an inner peace,
Having confessed my anger and grief,
No longer concerned what others think —
Open to growth and flexibility.
I long to love as Jesus loves,
To fly like an eagle or a dove,
To have a purpose that fits like a glove,
And live the joy of humility.
Selfless Love
Jesus, Mary and Joseph are amazing examples of selfless love Even in the midst of great joy, grief, pain, or challenges, they thought of the welfare of others.
Mary, upon learning that she would conceive Jesus the Messiah, the son of God, went off to help her cousin Elizabeth, who was also with child, though further along in her pregnancy. At the wedding in Cana, Mary thought of the distress of a married couple running out of wine. Mary also stood at the cross of Jesus when many had deserted Him.
We never hear Joseph, Mary’s husband, speak a word in the Bible. But his actions speak loudly. Like his namesake in the Old Testament, he was a dreamer, and as far as we know, he always obeyed God’s leading, which often came through dreams. No matter the embarrassment (of Mary’s pregnancy), or inconvenience (having to travel long distances or pull up roots), he obeyed God and fulfilled his role as protector of Mary and Jesus.
Jesus, when he heard of his cousin John the Baptist’s beheading, went off to grieve privately, but when the crowds discovered His location, he had compassion on them and healed their diseases. Later that day, he multiplied loaves and fishes to feed the crowd. How often in our grief do we want to just curl up in a ball and pull the covers over our head?
While Jesus suffered excruciating pain on the cross, he still thought of us. He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
When we have a vision of how God wants us to cooperate in His plan, we, too, can be selfless, through His grace!
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