Wednesday, September 29, 2010

You Were There

A gentle mist dampened my hair
while I planted tomatoes
on hands and knees in the garden.
A soft breeze nudged the branches
of the fruit tree,
a slight perceptible nod acknowledging me.
Looking up into the tree canopy
above my head,
I am amazed to see
the thousands of apricots
set on for my summer pleasure.
And I thanked You for the many
thoughts of me in advance.

I saw You in the small bodies
of the five young squirrels cavorting
and romping on the lawn,
chasing up and down the tree trunks,
tagging one another in a flurry of tails,
delighted to be alive,
and I laughed
at such innocent clowns.

From the big bay window,
I saw the turtledove roosting on the ground,
in the soft dirt between the daisies
and the salvia, so close
I could count the speckles
on it's back and wings,
amazed at the bluish-grey aura
on the crown of her head,
a halo of sorts.
She was humming a hymn
she was so happy,
and I knew she knew
You were there.

Big sister Peyton's eyes shown bright
when she showed me
little sister's bed set up
beside her own - the crib
consigned to storage.
They buzzed with excited anticipation
to share a bedroom,
to reach for comfort in each other in the dark,
whispering secrets that only sisters share,
giggling past bedtime:
learning to give love - like You.

When I drove the sick dog to the vet,
You were there,
then, driving home, filling me
with a sweet peace
with the forever still body
in a box beside me,
and later, when I held
my weeping daughter in my arms,
I was able to console her,
as you comforted me
when my dog was forever still.
I was so grateful to that gentle old dog
for her kind presence
with my young grandchildren.
She was the essence of patience - like You.

You are the one constant, unchanging Presence
I've come to trust.
At last, I have become convinced -
I am never alone.
And I am grateful.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you!

You are my refuge, my rock, my hiding place when I need one from the world. You restore my soul with encouragement, and I am helped.

You are my strength, when I have none. Empty, I come to you, and you fill me anew.

When I am tempted, I call out to you, and you deliver me. You strengthen me by your Holy Spirit, and I have power to endure, to not be moved from your will for me. You encourage me to keep my eyes focused only upon you. You are my Deliverer, for you are the lifter of my head.

You comfort me; you soothe my soul. You are my joy, for the joy of the Lord is my strength.

You are the Constant One, the one who never changes. You promised in your word, you would never leave me or forsake me. You stick to me closer than a brother. You are FOR me, not against me. You never condemn me or reject me, for you love me, and I am become whole, complete. You love me with a tender, everlasting love. I whisper in reply, "I love you, too, Jesus."

You cause me to climb higher, to look up instead of sitting in my blues; you fill me with purpose and peace, that I cannot explain in human terms. Joy runs over and spills out of my heart.

I am never alone, for you are always with me. How could I be lonely? for you are always with me. My heart skips a beat because I know you are near, and I am helped.

I lift my hands to you, my God. I thank you for keeping me on the path you set out for me. I thank you for your peace, my helmet of salvation, my sword of the spirit. I praise you that you gird me with righteousness and strength, my shoes of peace. Your angels shield me, so that I may live and keep on serving you. You teach my hands to war, and my mouth to confess my victory, for in You, I am more than a conqueror. Without you, I am weak, trampled into the dust. You are the lifter of my head.

You give me the neck of the enemy of my soul, for you have proclaimed that I am the head, not the tail. Halleluia! I can do all things THROUGH Christ, who strengthens me. You sing victory songs over me, and I am helped.

You cause me to stand and not be moved. My heart is full of thanks, because you cause me to succeed, to persist, when I call out to you. I put my trust in you, for you never forget me, your child. You never let me down, you are trustworthy, and worthy of my praise. You pull me up, out of the dust, and set my feet upon a rock, the Rock, Jesus.

You supply all of my needs. God, you are my God, and I will ever praise you!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Depression, I'm Leaving You!

Today, I am going to lighten up,
throw the drapes open wide at the windows,
allow the light to dissolve the gloom in the room.
Darkness has suffocated
the rooms of my heart long enough.
And, when I audition
a trembling smile in the mirror,
I'll ignore the sweat bees of guilt
that circle and sting me into submission -
then I'll do it again for practice.
I'm awake now -
unnecessary guilt is the Great Betrayer,
not the other way around.
Today, I will trust the Joy.

Forget the obligation to grief
with it's sackcloth and ashes,
push back the heavy coat of somber
in that closet of sad,
remove the grey garments,
and kick them to the curb.
I'm taking my yellow shirt
out of mothballs,
trashing that bottle
of Bitter-Pill-to-be-Swallowed,
that one-a-day I ingested
so voluntarily in former days.

I want to gather dandelions
rather than roses,
to bury my face
in those soft ruffled heads.
I want the warmth
from those tiny suns
to be my fuel.
I am weary of thorns,
of regret pricking my heart
and making it hemorrhage
the sweet things of life.
I want to eat
a dripping ice cream cone
for breakfast, to let
that sweet goodness
get on my hands, to get on me.
I want to eat dessert first.
I want Duty to stand in the corner.

Depression, I'm leaving you!
I'm picking myself up
and dusting myself off.
I'm acting as if
I'm carefree,
until I believe it,
in this yellow shirt
I'm wearing,
as I set out -
to save my own life.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Winter Poem

Winter Poem
It's winter in Nebraska
and the gentle breezes blow
seventy miles an hour
at thirty-five below.
Oh, how I love Nebraska
when the snow's up to your butt
you take a breath of winter
and your nose gets frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful
so I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Nebraska
Cuz I'm frozen to the ground!
Author unknown. Happy Winter!