April 30, 2002

Let me reflect

Let me reflect
Before I connect
On connections already in place
On the fellowship of His grace
Let me reflect

Let me contemplate

Let me contemplate
How inadequate to call His goodness "great"
For who can such a God rate
Given our human ways to weigh and weight
Let me contemplate

Let me repent

Let me repent
Of time ill-spent
Of expectations wrongly framed
Of not dwelling on Him for whom I'm named
Let me repent

Let me in repentence, contemplation, connection, find
An anchor and a Godward mind,
A mind at peace in focus at rest
Knowing God being known by Him works for true best

Let me rest

Words Change

Words change with time, age, experience
A teen's "when" by thirty-five is "if"
by forty is "maybe"
by fifty "perhaps"
by seventy "whenever"

Words change as dreams
Become reality or dashed by reality,
The heart from red and "pumped" to black-and-blue

Words change as dreams
As plans are revised by reality
Edited by the hand
the will
the providence of God

Words change, but never The Word
Who being unchangeable
Is Rock
Is Refuge
Is Shelter
Is Reality

Good Friday

I scanned Psalm 22 again, in keeping with this day,
And came away with these words in particular:
Yet you are holy.

What difference does that make?

When I cry out as the Psalmist and
Empty heart and empty hand,
When there is no response to my prayers
And God seems to be no where--
Yet He is holy.

When abuse for my belief in Him
Causes my faith light to grow dim,
When others say my faith is without sense,
In this I find my strength's defense--
Yet He is holy.

When I am scorned by foe and friend alike,
When feeling alone resonates, words harmful spike,
When I grow more weak and my body gives out,
In this fact I have no doubt--
Yet He is holy.

On Him alone shall I lean for my days,
To Him alone give all my praise,
To Him alone direct my thinking,
From His living water drinking--
He is holy, He alone,
Ruling from His eternal throne.