You lifted me up, for a while.
I flew like a butterfly on weightless wings,
But I had to come down to earth.
I am a worm now, crawling in the mud.
But worms make way for growing things,
For trees, and flowers, and birds that sing.
It’s all the same,
In dust and rain,
In joy or pain.
Love has to hurt —
So life gives birth,
And pain gives way to joy.
I looked around
For many years.
I laughed a lot,
Cried many tears.
The loneliness
I could not fathom.
My heart so cold,
An endless chasm.
God’s beauty came
To rescue me.
I cried for joy;
He set me free.
An aching heart,
It comes and goes.
Love’s happiness
Brings many woes.
My love, it hurts,
Brings many tears.
Yet perfect love
Casts out all fear.
Lord, please send the rain again
Upon the dry and dusty land.
Send it down so we can drink;
Send it on the sea and sand.
Send refreshment that we need.
Desperate, we await Your plan.
Hungry, needing nourishment;
Thirsty, knowing that You can –
Bring beauty out of ugliness,
Bring joy from sorrow extreme,
Bring order out of great chaos,
And bring alive our dreams.
Why do You tarry, oh so long?
How long before Your plan matures?
Teach us to follow Your commands;
That You will triumph, is sure.
Without You, we are frozen still.
Without You, we are lost.
But with You, there is hope and light;
I look upon Your cross.
[Written during a trip to Europe, during the 2015 refugee crisis]
As I ride down the metro escalator,
Hundreds of faces look up,
Going the other direction.
Each face has a story —
Joys and sorrows
Unknown to me.
What is going on
Behind each face?
As I read the newspaper
Thousands of refugees
Are crossing borders.
Each face has a story —
Joys and sorrows
Unknown to me.
What is going on
Behind each face?
May every face
Find peace
In their own heart.
May every face
Be willing
To give peace to others.
[9/6/2015]
Inspired by my daughter and husband starting their walk on the Camino de Santiago
————–
Walk on the journey,
Don’t be afraid.
Take Jesus with you;
Yes, with you He’ll stay.
Take living water
And bread for your soul.
Let Him now feed you
And you’ll be made whole.
Life is a journey,
The road up and down.
Stay on His path now
And you’ll win a crown.
Don’t expect roses,
Or ease all the time.
Some things will happen
That cause you to frown.
But if you keep going,
In faith bear things out,
You’ll come to the finish —
“Halleluia”, you’ll shout.
Don’t give up — one more step now;
You’re nearly there.
Keep on His path now;
His joy you will share.
Joy in your sorrow,
hugs in your pain,
hope for tomorrow,
beginning again.
Are we rich in any way? It may not be material things ….
————————————————————
Invited in, I shyly stood,
Not knowing if I really should.
You see, I had so much to lose —
A fancy coat, expensive shoes,
My pride of life, my love of booze.
[The door too small to take it all … ]
Undecided, there I stood,
But I could see beyond that door
Some happy people, singing all.
But I would almost have to crawl
To get within that little hall.
I’d have to bend, might have to kneel.
My fear, my pride, I sure could feel.
I turned around, dejected still.
I wandered long; I wandered far,
But in my mind could see the door
Still beckoning, still off’ring hope.
While wandering, I lost the shoes,
The fancy coat, my taste for booze.
Somehow they didn’t seem to give
My soul its very-needed lift.
[My feet were calloused; my soul was bruised …]
I lost my pride; where did it go?
The things I’d thought; they were not so.
Inside-out, it seemed my life;
Continuing, but filled with strife.
Then humbly came I to the door.
I knelt; I crawled, into the hall.
With tears of joy I was received,
And my own tears, my fear, relieved.
Your tears will water God’s garden,
Your sorrows make God’s house strong,
Your joys light up the heavens,
Your triumphs give glory to God.
Every sin cleansed becomes virtue,
Every wound is made less,
Every weakness now strengthened,
Every failure, success.
Death becomes life now,
Illness — good health,
Ugliness, now beauty,
And poverty, wealth.
Fear not in the darkness,
It will soon be dispersed,
And His glorious victory
In your life be expressed.
While I was busy
Feeling self-pity
I missed the joy of the moment
While I was busy
Being offended
I missed a lesson I could learn
While I was busy
With jealousy and envy
I missed my abundant blessings
While I was busy
Feeling so bitter
I missed the sweetness of creation
While I was busy
Being self-righteous
I missed the grace that I could give and receive
While I was busy
Feeling you’d attacked me or my beliefs
I missed God’s unconditional love for me
While I was busy
Holding onto my anger
I missed God’s unconditional love for you
When your soul is weary,
When life is dull and dreary,
When your eyes get teary,
Take the time, take the time —
To smell the air,
To feel the wind in your hair,
To see the beauty of a flower.
To feel the sun on your skin –
Don’t let the light grow dim.
Take a minute, take an hour,
To stop your soul from getting sour.
Everything will one day die
Even you, and even I.
And will it matter at that time
The thing today that seemed so dire?
Let it go, let it go.
You don’t need to make a show
Of how good you are, and how brave.
Don’t let your pride kill the joy inside.
