Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

Posts tagged ‘purpose’

On the Brink of Eternity

On the brink of eternity,
I pause and look behind —
The people known,
The work grindstones,
The things I owned —
What do they mean?

For nothing lasts,
And all must change,
And jumbled thoughts,
All disarranged —
Assail me.

Those people I looked up to
Seem to grow so small;
I don’t know them at all.

I cannot tell what God is doing —
What purpose does He have?

So many years ago,
All seemed bright and full of promise,
But gradually, the light did dim,
And now the world seems grim.

I cannot tell what God is doing,
But surely He lives —
As He slowly writes my story.

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Poems

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Light so Bright that It’s Dark

(I believe the phrase
“Light so bright that it’s dark”
is an idea from St. John of the Cross.
We must have faith that all will be well.) 

Don’t know why I continue existing –
So much is so incomprehensible.
Can’t seem to see my purpose –

Nothing I see ever sensible.

 Perhaps I’ll only learn
My reason for being on earth
If I should enter heaven –

Then light will shine on my birth.

My childhood seems so alien —
Can’t really believe that was me.
Why was I born in that time, that place?

Where was the shining sunbeam?

Why have I floundered through densest fog?
Why merely muddled along?
Why did I amble so aimlessly?

That solitary sojourn so long?

So much is so incomprehensible —
No clarity of sight.
But maybe,
God wants me to trust Him –
Through light so bright that it’s dark.

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There’s a Reason

There’s a reason for your suffering,
A purpose for your pain.
God’s forging new beginnings;
Your hurt is not in vain.

You may be in confusion,
Be tempted by despair,
But if you’ll keep on trusting,
No comfort can compare.

Your life is God’s creation;
His plan, it has no flaw.
And when His work is over,
You’ll stand in humble awe.

Remember you are clay now,
Or liquid metal made.
Each person finely crafted,
A creature now remade.

 

 

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Made for Infinity

I know You have a plan

A purpose great for me

But what the plan and purpose are

Is hard for me to see

 

It’s hidden from my eyesight

Too quiet for my ears

Or maybe I could see and hear

If not absorbed by fear

 

You’re making a creation

You have an awesome plan

The gears are turning slowly

O’er many years they span

 

The universe You fashioned

The earth, the stars, the sea –

Am I just a speck of dust, or —

Made for infinity?

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Christian, Poems

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More Amazed

Every day
I’m more amazed
That I have lived
Another day.

The world’s still here;
I’m still alive.
God’s mercy
Helping me to thrive.

It’s not that I’ve
Been gravely ill.
Not quite so old —
Nor over the hill.

He’s just surprised me,
Still walks beside me,
He’s keeping me here —
The purpose not clear.

Amazing grace,
How sweet the sound.
My destiny
Is heaven bound.

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Can’t Keep the Poems Back

Can’t keep the poems back,
The sing-song words,
They roll and turn
Inside my head.

They make me sane,
Help put a frame
‘Round jumbled thoughts
And pensive knots.

They make a fence,
Repel nonsense,
Build peaceful scenes
And help me dream.

The words are strong,
They build a bond.
They help express
Love’s fruitfulness.

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Like a Daisy

[Inspired by the following quote:

“JESUS DEIGNED TO TEACH ME this mystery. He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the Lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus’ garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but He has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God’s glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be.”

St. Thérèse of Lisieux ]

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Like a daisy in God’s garden,
Not rose nor lily fair,
Like Leah to Jacob’s Rachel,
No beauty to compare.
Yet Leah brought forth Judah,
Of whom our Lord was heir.

And all the kings and queens of earth,
And those who lack in means,
Come to this world with nothing,
And leave with naught, it seems.

Whether you be famous,
Or by the world unknown,
His purpose you must surely find,
Unique to you alone.

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You Brought Me Low

O Lord, You brought me low —
A worm in the dust.
I despised myself
And was despised by men.

Mocked and ridiculed,
My hair hung down.
No beauty to attract others,
No winsomeness, nor delight.

I fought to breathe;
I choked in dust.
I grabbed for anything —
My soul was desperate.

But You, O Lord,
Were with me,
Though I did not know it.

I wandered in a parched land;
In desert plains I wandered.

You waited for me.

How You must have cried
To see me thus.

I cannot know your purpose,
Neither then nor now.
Only that You love me,
And I must You, somehow.

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The Lord Loves the Unlovely

The Lord loves the unlovely,
And sinners He will bring to grace.
How dimly do we see,
With clouded eyes,
His purpose great.

His plan, His picture,
His canvas broad and wide,
His tapestry of colors,
Our fears do now belie.

While we are being molded,
Often unaware,
He paints His colors lovely —
Take heart; do not despair.

Tenderly He fashions
Exquisite work of art.
To soul, though torn and shattered,
His healing will impart.

Oh, drink the healing waters;
Oh, come and do partake.
Let all His love enfold you,
And fear do now forsake.

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Our Purpose in Life?

In recent years, I believe my purpose is to show the love of Jesus to others. And yet, lately I thought, “If I’m lying unconscious in a hospital bed, how do I show the love of Jesus to others?” Perhaps sometimes, our purpose is to receive the love of Jesus or let others love us.

I really believe each person is loved by God and was put on earth for a purpose. “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) A blind, deaf, and dumb person may have a purpose — perhaps he or she is used by God to teach others compassion.

I would love to hear people’s thoughts on this.

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Christian, Commentary, Jesus

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