Blessed Night
Blessed night
Stars are bright
Calming silence
Peaceful quietness
Sleep so softly
Clouds are lofty
Gentle rain
Song’s refrain
Birds sing brightly
Sky is lightening
Dawn begins
Joy within
Posts tagged ‘joy’
We Cannot Wander
Written during the pandemic quarantine.
——————————————–
We cannot wander, as we were wont,
Nor visit with our brother,
Nor sisters far, embrace in arms,
For fear of causing them much harm.
Some journeys far, we cannot take,
And many meetings must forsake,
Just through a screen we sometimes meet,
When togetherness we seek.
Or walking in our neighborhood,
Six feet apart; we’re told we should.
Some friend of ours, perchance we meet,
With joy afar, we then do greet.
But what a gift we still do have,
Imagination is at hand,
All o’er the earth, and far beyond,
Imagination is our bond.
By rushing streams, we still can wander,
And mountain vales, both near and yonder,
And air so clear, takes breath away;
Still smell a wildflower bouquet.
Those friends and family that we miss,
For them we offer prayer, and kiss.
We think of them and offer prayers,
And hope that well go their affairs.
Let memory of all that’s good,
Bring us some joy, as so it should.
And bring to mind those happy times
That will return in sunnier climes.
Underneath His Sway
God comes to me in my grumbling
(Though surely I do not deserve),
Comes to offer His faithful love,
And for His love I have no words.
Nothing I do (or do not do)
Has bearing on His gracious love.
I’m helpless, hopeless, to be sure;
Still He pours down grace from above.
How can I learn to just let go,
And let the Lord God have His way?
Learn how to love, from what He does,
And be underneath His sway?
When will I learn that He controls,
No matter what things may portend?
Then I can be a little child —
Trust, peace, and His joy be my end.
Gazing
Through driest desert and shifting sea,
Through darkest desolation —
Lord, let me gaze on thee.
Through mocking words and misery,
Through strife and consternation —
Lord, may I gaze on thee.
Through times of ease and much delight,
Through times of jubilation —
Lord, keep my gaze on thee.
In laughter, joy, and questioning,
Or worldly obfuscation —
Lord, I will gaze on thee.
For the Joy
I had my head down for so long,
It takes training for me to lift it up.
My focus is off; My heart’s eyes myopic.
Learning from God is my only cure.
“For the joy set before him he endured,”
“He considered the fact that God is able,”
“Our light and momentary troubles,”
“Our slight afflictions,”
“The sufferings of this present time,”
“Not worth comparing with the glory.”
I don’t know how abuse, torture, rape, crucifixion,
Ridicule, mockery, calumny,
Beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonments and more,
Suffered by some,
Can be called “slight –”
But the glory, the joy, of heaven,
Must be far greater than anyone can imagine.
In Dust and Rain
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.
Casting Out Fear
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.
Send the Rain Again
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.
Faces in a Crowd
[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]
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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