Last night, our daughter spent hours trying to convince one of her classmates not to end their life. I wish I could say that this is a first, but all of our kids have been pulled into this sort of thing before. It was late, and the situation was far from settled when I finally forced her off the phone. This morning, she woke up troubled and exhausted. As I sensed her emotional state, I was impressed to write it down. Please pray for our young people, these are difficult times and their struggles are real.
Are You Still Here?
*
As my eyes reluctantly crack open, I can see that it’s still dark
And I wonder whether you’re still here
*
It was another night of tears and prayers
And words that seemed to fall to the ground
*
I tried everything I could think of
But eventually, I ran out of things to say
*
You seemed to have a counterpoint for every encouragement
And ultimately I could not carry you to a place you refused to go
*
When we hung up the phone, I cried out to God
But I knew that He wouldn’t force Himself on you
*
I know that you’re looking for someone who will take away the pain
But you’ve grown immune to the love that’s already around you
*
No one has the strength to pry the hurt from your clinched fists
No one else can provide you with the desire to go on
*
Hope can be an elusive thing
But it’s not because it’s complicated
*
You don’t necessarily need to believe that things will get better
But you have to be open to the possibility that they could
*
For whatever it’s worth, I really do love you
And it’s hard not to feel as though I’ve let you down
*
I keep searching for a remedy
But the shelves of the medicine chest look empty
*
So I lay here in the pre-dawn hours of the morning
And I wonder whether you’re still here
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Fingerprints
Posted in Commentaries, Free Verse / Poetry, tagged fingerprints, justice, sense of significance on July 26, 2017| Leave a Comment »
In the deepest part of our hearts – we all yearn to be loved, and each of us comes with the capacity to give love in return. We instinctually draw together in relationship with each other, and gather ourselves into communities.
And yet somehow we struggle to believe that we come from a God who embodies love, and who yearns to be in relationship with us.
In the deepest part of our hearts – we all yearn for justice, and each of us comes with an inherent sense of when that justice has been violated. Even as small children, no one has to teach us to cry out, “It’s not fair!”
And yet somehow we struggle to believe that we come from a God who embodies justice, and who would demand a price for sin.
In the deepest part of our hearts – we all yearn for shelter from the storm, and comfort in times of trouble. Something within us inherently knows to run for cover, and to seek a place of refuge.
And yet somehow we struggle to partake of God’s Spirit, who stands ready to manifest Himself as the “Comforter”, and who offers a peace that surpasses our understanding.
In the deepest part of our hearts – we all yearn for a sense of significance, and of belonging. It is within our very nature to fight wars, to fly banners, and to adorn ourselves in accolades, in order to establish our place in this world.
And yet somehow we struggle to believe that we were created in the image of God, and that we were meant to be the heirs of His Kingdom.
In the deepest part of our hearts – we all yearn to believe in something that is bigger than ourselves, and that is beyond what we can understand. From the beginning we are drawn to fairy tales, magic, legends, the depths of the ocean, heroes, outer space, Sci-Fi… or anything else that might carry us beyond the boundaries of what we have known.
And yet somehow we struggle to accept a God whose ways are much higher than ours and who can do abundantly more than we could ever ask for, or imagine.
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