May the Peace

(photo credits to Dyu - Ha)

Laughter and tears, joy and fear

These are part of growing from child to man.

Yet, darkness often accosts

By the hands of angry men again and again.

Running and riding,

Kite-flying and joy,

Playing football and cowboys,

Oh, how fun to be a young boy.

Storms and sunshine,

Rainbows and rumbling,

Run for shelter at crack of lightning,

Finding on entering, the storm’s crashing.

 

Short was the darkness

Maybe imagination that passed.

Skateboards and bikes anew,

Games of tag, red robin at last.

 

Day ends and darkness comes,

Normal though it may seem.

Enters door dark and looming,

It wasn’t imagining.

 

Hands raised high bring darkness,

Crack of belt brings shock and pain.

Disillusion and lost approval,

Greater loss than the “disciplining.”

 

Less heard is laughter

Loss of joy as fear takes its hold.

Peeking round corners

Fear of what may happen still to unfold.

 

Not knowing each day’s darkness,

Wary, wondering when it will come.

Inner fear, lack of presumed love,

Seeking acceptance just for once.

 

Enter light, so bright when arrived,

Cast darkness back from this child.

Come to Me He said,

You are loved and all mine.

 

Scrabbling quickly at escape,

Swiftly following toward Light’s love.

Peeking back to ensure,

Darkness corralled, no more to hurt.

 

Child of Light and of Day,

Belong you not to the night.

Grow in faith, love, and hope,

Strengthen you with My might.

 

Wear this armor of salvation

Always standing firm to the end.

Rejoice always, pray continually,

Give thanks in every circumstance.

 

In darkness, lost your innocence,

The first, cast away by the Light.

Look not back at fear and pain,

Keep your eyes ever on my light.

 

No more a victim, innocence lost.

No more a survivor staying ahead of the dark.

Forever more than a conqueror, our Lord declares.

Free and forever united with the Light, we wear His armor.

Amen.

May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace to the end.

In all times and in every way, the Lord is forever within.

(Bible texts: 1 Thessalonians 5, 8, 16-18, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Romans 8:37-38)

The River Between Us

A spark, a stir, and itch to scratch,

A need to write with no theme upon my mind.

Always thinking of God, about whom I write.

That theme, my greatest interest all the time.

I want more, reflect feelings, to call soul to soul.

Reaching out, reaching for more, want to know what;

Upon what should I reflect, write, offer a thought;

My mind queries, fumbles, grapples, deeply it sought.

Feelings available, at hand, there are many

On whom to focus, consider love, different with each one.

Sister, mother, brother, husband, son and daughter,

Each spark a primary color, the major flame, of that dear one.

Love, the balloon, around each family member,

Crackles, envelopes, embraces, as life evolves.

Rarely does a feeling burst the outer boundary.

Comfort, cushion, life’s safe-haven, love covers all.

When in time storms arise and we falter,

Seeking strength, steady hands and arms, hearts embrace.

Calling out in fear and hope, the light of love’s aglimmer,

Fainting, shaking, sweating, fear’s erased.

What one says cannot remove a life’s experience,

Even if strong winds and actions blur the lines.

As a son or daughter of God almighty,

Love’s never vanquished but stands the test of time.

Those strained boundaries of heart relations,

Bound and strengthened by the might of God’s hands,

Keep the love alive when hope seems vanquished,

Pulsing stronger as God calls His own to stand.

Reaching forward, grasping with His strength,

How can they be here at my deepest need?

God the Father, never leaves or abandons;

His depth of love flows through His child from His mercy seat.

No matter the pull or strain of a loved one,

God’s love still can flow through one straying, but never gone.

Each, if honest, recognizes this eternal truth;

For God is the Model of faithful, enduring love.

Though straying never snatched forever,

God won’t allow His child to be lost, alone;

Just as we turn our backs to Him and He loves us,

So we can love holding strong to our loved one.

Ruptured relations, broken hearts and promises

Don’t break ties forever with those we love;

Because God’s love is the river we share between us,

When in need, our relations know our love’s there to carry them on.

Aligned by Cataclysm

Aligned by Cataclysm

Crash of waves. Roll of thunder.

A mighty cataclysm of force will be

The moment of change, the reason of strain,

Status quo will cease to be.

Change, they say, is inevitable;

If that’s so, why do we battle against it so?

Where battle is greatest, our fight rages hardest;

Why won’t we let it go?

Some people grow with little fight

While others roar against the flow.

Staying in calm waters is peaceful they say,

Yet stagnant and stale it grows.

Change for change sake is often unwise,

While learning from life’s storms is wise.

“Come follow Me,” the Teacher said,

Does not mean following as blind.

It’s a willingness to trust with faith

The One of whom God’s prophets told;

It’s a leaning completely upon His grace

At first timid, then more bold.

“Come follow Me,” makes one giddy at first,

Then recognition of what that means

Can cause doubt, indecision, and rebellion;

Yet without storms growth is rarely seen.

Doubt, indecision, and disobedience,

“My choice,” we often say,

But if we’re to grow and if we’re to go,

Then to the Master we must obey.

“What’s that?” you say, I hear nothing now,

The heavens seem closed to my prayers.

God’s shut His door, His ears closed, it feels.

Please God don’t leave me here.

I want You; I choose You.

How can I change? What have I done?

How can I grow like You?

“Listen carefully. Have peace. Walk My way.

I’ve been waiting. Follow Me through the waves.

It lasts mere moments in history. Trust Me now.

Share the burden with Me. I’ll show you how.

Come on. You have it. Keep your eyes on Me.

You are growing, keep walking and see.

The cataclysm, a great force, don’t resist.

Grow with the storm. Change, don’t just exist.

I’m calling you to more than each breath.

I call you to follow, tell, and show.”

What greater purpose? What better change? Why did I say no?

Lord, those storms strong, thunder peals loud, waves raged over my head;

In and by them You brought me through.

Now I will never be the same, I hear You call my name

Call and grow me, take and mould me, I’m Yours to use.

For growth does come through cataclysm

Through it I’m more nearly aligned with Thee.

--Gail Suratt Davis

July 27, 2019