"Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us." 2 Corinthians 7:6
Depression (2005) (Written for a friend.)
Depression
Has settled in;
How can she
Tame such a Beast
That devours life's joy?
With teeth and claws
That scratch and bite,
And a forked tongue
That whispers hate and deceit,
And purrs sweet nothings
To make her believe
Its treacherous lies
Redemption
Has paid the price
To kill the Beast
And set her free;
With nail-pierced hands
That comfort and heal,
And eyes of peace
Full of hope and love
And words of truth
To bless with joy
And a pure heart
Full of mercy and grace
"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, 'Here am I; send me.'" Isaiah 6:8
When Called (2006)
It is an honor to be called out,
To have God say you are ready,
To walk through the battlefield
Equipped in the armor of His holy word;
To take a stand where others fall
And say, “Yes, Lord, use me.”
Not to whimper or cry,
But to shout because you are chosen;
To tremble in awe at such an assignment,
And pray for wisdom and strength;
To try to understand,
And believe God’s will even things seem impossible;
To say, “Yes, Lord, teach me.”
To feel His blessing grip a hold of you,
And kneel in His presence;
To not give up or give in,
But to push ahead through the muck
And when you reach the end,
To praise Him for surviving;
To say, “Yes, lord, heal me.”
And not become bitter;
To reflect on all He taught you;
To remember He chose you;
To feel your faith grow stronger,
And heart more open;
To do it all again,
And say, “Yes, Lord, use me.”
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
Why Me? (2006)
Losing precious animals,
Religious discrimination,
Financial woes,
And I wonder why me?
What have I done?
Am I being punished?
What sins have I not confessed?
In the midst of my pity party,
God asks me,
“Why would you want to be exempt?”
I should be ready to accept the challenges,
Be ready to grow in faith,
Grow in confidence of His love,
Grow in conviction
So when the storms come,
And I know they will,
I should again ask, why me?
Why am I so special?
To be chosen,
To be given the opportunity
To draw closer to heaven,
To know God more intimately,
And prove myself worthy
I may never know why me,
Why trials come my way,
Why I am asked to endure,
But I will do my best
To honor His decision,
And not make God regret His choice,
Shake His head and wonder,
“Why you?
“I should have chosen someone else.”
"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:45
When the Rain Falls (2006)
If the rain falls
On the just and the unjust,
Then why be just?
If life promises to fare no better
If you pledge your life to God,
Then why do so?
If there seems to be no purpose
To anything at any time,
Then why believe in a merciful God?
There are no simple answers
Only mystery piled upon mystery
There will be frustration
There will be answered questions,
There will be heartache,
And there will be joy
The Bible promises the weeping will cease,
That all will work together for His good;
Whether we understand it or not,
Our change comes from believing,
In knowing eternity will bring peace
The difference is in allowing yourself to feel...
Feel repentant,
Feel peace,
Feel God's love,
Feel humble,
Feel broken,
Feel healed
The rain will fall
On the just and the unjust,
So be just,
It will not make the sun come out,
But it will change how you handle the storm;
It will fill you with unfathomable strength,
And though you may not believe it now,
You will eventually find joy in the mourning
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
Julie's Christmas Carol (2010)
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Even if you heart is broken;
When grief has pierced your soul
With pain so deep it can't be spoken
Remember the little town of Bethlehem,
And the stable that held pure light;
The Christ child that came to heal our wounds
Even on the darkest night
Away in a manger
Is not just about a baby in the hay,
Jesus is alive forever,
And washes sorrow away
Do you see what I see?
When all seems lost and day is night,
It is yours to discover...
Miracles still happen when you seek His Light
"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Reflection (2010)
As I face the end of 2010,
I do not look back with fondness;
Truth be told,
It has been a harsh year...
Two surgeries for my dog,
Death of another dog,
Death of three cats,
And injury to a fourth cat
Facing trials against those I love
Has threatened to break me;
I am bent and twisted,
And not quite the same,
But not broken
I can cling to the Truth
That God loves me;
Right now it has to be enough
To sustain a cracked heart -
One finding it difficult to maintain a rhythm
Not interrupted by loss and fear
I must press on toward God's Light,
And not cast an interfering shadow
Or shrink into the darkness
Though there is comfort
In a clenched fist and stubborn will,
I must let go and be free
Of burdens weighing heavy on my chest
Though I do not quite know how to do so
As I face the beginning of 2011,
I am not certain how to look forward
Without closing my eyes
Or straining my neck looking behind;
But I will push ahead
With Hope at my side
And perhaps even peace in my heart
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
Mel (2012) (A Triptych Poem, Written for my husband)
his past his loss his sorrow
his parents his brother his wife
his pain his grief his anguish
his faith his doubt his confliction
his belief his God his healing
his calling his vision his dream
his obedience his decision his conviction
his loss his grief his heartache
his exodus his loneliness his sorrow
his friend his comfort his healing
his outreach his faith his resilience
his dream his belief his determination
his acceptance his love his openness
his healing his hope his faith
his love his wife his future
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