Walk On, Daughter

Walk On, Daughter

My enemy knows me.
Moments of weakness leave me wide open and raw.
He takes his shot.
Again. Again. Again.
Fisting into barely-healed scars,
He circles.
Predatory.
Insidious.
He knows he can't take anything away,
So he slyly badgers me instead,
Trying to trick me into throwing my gifts away;
Trading love for passion,
security for possibility,
And trust for control.
He sees my shaky hands,
And the lies begin their familiar flow,
Washing over me,
Bathing me in clinging, oily doubt.
Maybe I made the wrong decisions.
Maybe I am trapped.
Maybe I need to run away.
Maybe I've been fooling myself all along.
Maybe everything I've ever believed is wrong.
Maybe I'm missing out on the great life I could have if only I was brave enough to leave the one I possess.
Lies. Lies.
But lies frequently spoken can wear down a mountain of faith.
Where can I go for safety and rest?
I flee to a waiting Father.
His voice speaks truth louder than my fears.
He leads me past memorials of faithfulness rewarded.
He exposes the lies.
Shadows retreat from him.
He laughs at my enemy, who has wet himself and fled.
He puts a great arm around me, tender and strong.
"Walk on, daughter. I am enough."
He is.

Waken and Rise

Waken and Rise

Spring winds sweep in
Bringing sunshine and a scattering of seeds.
The earth softens and warms,
Waking the sleepers and coaxing stems into the light.
We stir. We stretch.
We begin to...
Vibrant and green, we break through the crumbled earth.
We fell, and we died, but
We are rising.
We are alive with promise and all the fertile joy of springtime.
Winter recedes into faint memory
As the warmth and sweetness of soil and sun
Erase its traces,
Covering them with a blanket of green. Rejoice, oh seeds and bulbs!
You died, but a new season comes.
We waken and rise.
Spring is here!

A Prayer for the Brokenhearted and Depressed

A prayer for the brokenhearted and depressed

Have mercy on the brokenhearted, oh God.
To those wandering in the dark maze of depression,
Shine a guiding light to safety.
Silence the lies that fill their minds, and Replace them with words of truth and love.
Break down their idols of ambition and perfection.
Lift their eyes to you.
Deliver them from blindness.
Heal their brokenness.
Forgive them for their sins, and
Give them grace to forgive themselves. Raise them up from the clutches of death. Show them the promise of new life in you. Give them courage to face the pain of life. Enable them to see beauty in the midst of brokenness.
Surround them with voices of love and truth.
Do not leave them alone.
Have mercy on your children, oh God. Save them with your mighty hand.
Shelter and sustain them in your love. May they be reborn in you.
May they rise up in your strength.
May they love with your love.
May they live in humility, laying down their dreams and ambitions before your goodness.
Make them new, oh God.
Come and save your children.

Pain the Earth

Pain the Earth

Pain the earth;
Hope the seeds;
Death the winter;
Sorrow; grief.

Snow the searching;
Ice the hate;
Sleet the trudging,
Lonely wait.

Rain the wisdom;
Love the sun;
Faith the sprouting;
Winter: done.

Joy the growing;
Peace the shoots;
Goodness budding;
Courage: roots.

Change the seasons;
Life the field;
God the grower;
We the yield.

Grace the flowers;
Mercy: fruit;
Love the harvest;
All things: new.

Day is Done

Day is done
Silent bed
Darkened house
Heavy head
Blanket warm
Pillow deep
Drooping eyes
Time for sleep
Busy week
Hungry day
Mostly work
Bits of play
Circles run
Pages read
Day is done
Time for bed.

Thank You, Husband

Thank You, Husband

You're curled up in the dark
Breathing soft and slow.
Your warm and quiet presence
Is a mystery even now.
How many years did I sleep alone?
Now I never do.
You chased me down and caught me up. You made me your bride.
My blanket is heavy and white.
Yours is thin and quilted dark.
We lie side by side,
Two silent pea pods.
What would we ever do with silence?
Your ugly fan keeps it away.
I've grown used to the whirring.
It is part of me, like you.
How many nights have I laid down
Taking you for granted?
Your quiet presence
Chases loneliness away.
Thank you.

Fickle Heart

Fickle Heart

Oh fickle, unknowable heart,
How long have I lived with you,
Yet a stranger you are.
Yes, stranger and stranger
With depths and twisted chasms.
Puzzle maze chambers
Lead me, a wanderer,
Through the mystery
Of your aching inconsistency.
You rise and fall
Lurching, unsteady,
Dropping me from
Feet to knees to face
As I seek to know you.
Baffling heart
Puzzle pathway
Leading me from
Childhood to maturity.
With uncertain steps,
I journey on.