Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

Posts tagged ‘suffering’

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.

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This Broken World

This broken world of suffering souls;
So many hurting — it’s out of control.

We need a Savior, a God Who can mend.
We need a Father, Who loves without end.

We need the Spirit, Who gives us the power
To overcome Satan in ungodly hour.

Time to surrender your will unto His.
Let Him live in you, and give you His gifts.

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Suffering Servant

Weighed down
By our sin and suffering,
You sweated blood.
How did you persevere?

Knowing the evil within us,
You still loved us.

Having mercy,
You forgave.
You healed.

Confronting evil,
You were crucified.

Freely laying down your life,
You took it up again.

Savior of the world,
Save us!

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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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Transformation of hurt and suffering

Someday, we might be able to see all our hurts, sufferings, and traumas

as TRANSFORMED miraculously into good,

if by God’s grace we’ve allowed Him to use these to bring us closer to Him.

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Commentary

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The Fates of War

I was once your enemy;
The fates of war
Placed us on opp’site sides —
We had our pride.

We had a cause,
We gave not pause –
Our cause was just –
To fight we must.

Sure those in power
Were not always right,
But many focused
For loved ones to fight.

The many fallen,
The dead, the suffering,
The broken hearts,
The shrapnel puncturing …

The refugees,
The enemy aliens,
The lost, the forgotten;
The orphans taken in.

And then it ends;
We pick up the pieces.
We must forgive,
Or hatred increases.

In the end, the good will win,
Despite our many, varied sins.
And in every conflict, however grave,
If we want the same, we must forgive.

(Memorial Day, 2016)

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Old Saints

[I saw a white-haired lady at church …]

Sun-wrinkled wisdom,
Silver-haired sense.
Long years of suffering,
Lost innocence.

Growth in compassion,
Mercy matured.
Their passion for praying
Has borne much great fruit.

Closer their souls
To God up above.
May all of us hope
To thus grow in love.

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How Can I Heal?

How can I heal the world’s pain?

The cancers, tumors,

The nasty rumors,

The lack of humor?

 

How can I heal the world’s pain?

The violence, hate,

The madness great,

Our terrible fate?

 

How can I heal the world’s pain?

The end of marrying,

The critics disparaging,

The churches hemorrhaging?

 

How can I heal the world’s pain?

The children killed,

Life unfulfilled,

Their heartbeats stilled?

 

How can I heal the world’s pain?

Ten thousands thronging,

The migrants walking —

For life they’re longing.

 

How can I heal the world’s pain?

The addictive pornography,

The “isms” and philosophies,

The love for others atrophied?

 

How can I heal the world’s pain,

And my own paralysis?

Does it need analysis?

Or a radical catalyst?

 

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First Anniversary

Today is the 1st anniversary of what I call my “Kidney Stone Miracle”. Because of going to emergency for kidney stone pain, the doctors also discovered a cancerous tumor in the other (left) kidney. A month later, they removed it and I’m doing well today. Thank you, God, for another year of life!

The surgeon later told me that “You shouldn’t have had that much trouble passing that stone; it wasn’t that big.” But because of the pain, they found the cancer, so thank God.

Often our suffering can have a good result. We don’t always see the result, but in trusting God it can bear good fruit.

You can read the original story here:
https://clarakatalin.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/the-kidney-stone-miracle/

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Personal story

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Blest by Believing

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:45)

Blest by believing,
Blest one of faith.
Blest in her offspring,
Blest by God great.

Blest in the morning,
Blest in the night.
Blest in her dreaming,
God took away fright.

Blest in her suffering,
Blest in her pain,
Blest in her offering
To God unrestrained.

Bless-ed be Joseph,
Her faithful betrothed —
By angel visited
And Mary took home.

In faith going forward
On roads then untrod,
To unknown beginnings,
They gave all to God.

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