Do You See Him? Keep Looking.

Do you see him?

These are people who were looking closely, or maybe just listening carefully - Moses, David, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, just to name a few.

Do you see Browning's reference to Moses' encounter, or to David's revelation? This is one of my favorite pieces of poetry. My own poem is at the very bottom, where it belongs in this sort of company.

Look closely.

…And truly, I reiterate, nothing’s small!

No lily-muffled hum of a summer-bee,

But finds some coupling with the spinning stars;

No pebble at your foot, but proves a sphere;

No chaffinch, but implies the cherubim;

And (glancing on my own thin, veined wrist),

In such a little tremor of the blood

The whole strong clamour of a vehement soul

Doth utter itself distinct. Earth’s crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God;

But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,

The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries,

And daub their natural faces unaware…

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh Book 7

::

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.”
When the Lord saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
“Here I am!” Moses replied.
“Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

- Exodus 3:2-6

::
 

 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
 Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world.

- Psalm 19:1-4

::

You Let Me See You

God, you let me see you.
I watched you assemble the dusk.
I watched your heart set the treetops aglow
and make fireflies out of the dust.

God, you made me love you
because you were so in love with me.
Your love made the land, the texture of skin,
and the delicate wings of a bee.

God, you let me know you.
You swelled my heart with what you feel.
Your every child fills my tears,
I want to see them all in your sun-setting field.

Lord, I want to be with you.
I want to fall to your ground with the leaves.
I want to fade with the last light of your day
and live in your setting heart eternally.

::

And there is so, so, so much more.  Keep looking.

 

The Sweetness of Promise

Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I had friends and family over for a little party. I was reminded of the way God invites us into his family, his feast, and into his eternity. A little party or a wonderful feast is really about having a great time and enjoying life together. Beneath the surface is also love, love for the people around us, especially if we are people who proclaim to love God. We automatically extend love and trust to people we invite into our homes by just opening the door, serving them, talking with them. And yes, we had wine, too. It wasn't the well-aged wine that God talks about, but it wasn't from the bottom shelf at least. Read the verses below. There's a feast to be had!

Wow, who am I, Sue Donaldson? I don't even like hosting or party-planning, or cooking for that matter. I think I've just figured out what Jesus, Sue and others are talking about when they talk about inviting people in - to love one another the way God loved us. 

Being that cooking and hosting are not my usual areas of inspiration, the poem below was the closest I could come to the idea. Maybe the next party should be dessert!

The Sweetness of Promise 

You sprinkle the day with light

like a confectioner with sugar.

Your sweet melodies the birds recite

and the blossoms your fingers uncover.

What is this array

but a bouquet of your arranging?

What is the soft form of my heart

but a confection or your own shaping?

This, your menagerie of living things

too delicate to last and too pretty to eat,

but yet a shame not to savor

delicacies so sweet.

...

...for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
Proverbs 15:15 

 ...Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.
Matthew 6:28-30

In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will spread a wonderful feast
    for all the people of the world.
It will be a delicious banquet
    with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat.
There he will remove the cloud of gloom,
    the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.

 In that day the people will proclaim,
“This is our God!    We trusted in him, and he saved us!

Isaiah 25:6-7,9 

Sue Donaldson is a Christian mentor to me and a great writer, speaker, and host. Visit her blog at welcomeheart.com.

 

 

Up

As I've been taking care of my little nephew and daughter this week, I'm reminded of our basic human nature. It's easy to spot in little ones. My nephew who is 13 months old, cries, screams even, for help at the drop of a hat. My almost 4-year-old, on the other hand, has learned a lot of self-reliance, which is wonderful, but frustrating. I suppose the striving helps her understand when to persevere and when to rely on help. Same here. Sometimes I just wish I could go back to my nephew's way of utter reliance - crying out because I'm certain my caretaker is there to help me. My little nephew just learned how to say, "up" when he wants to be held. Do we know how to say this?

This short poem today comes from the weary heart we all have sometimes, longing for our Savior's return. But I hope we make this cry a way of living every day, finding rest even as we're working, overcoming frustration and despair with hope! 

Up

Wrap us in your round arms.

Nest us in the palm of your sky.

Bundle the smallest of us in your heart.

Scoop us up beneath your wings and fly.

Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!
Psalm 61:4

Come back to the place of safety,
    all you prisoners who still have hope!
I promise this very day
    that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles.
Zechariah 9:12

 

Children's Rightful Place

Little children in their rightful place
never run out of time or space.
They never get tired
nor do they ever die,
they believe they can live forever
and pretend they can fly.

Anything could be outside their door -
they've never seen this land before,
but boldly they go,
trusting their sword,
and the invisible vessels
that they travel aboard.

They listen to stories
And believe them.
They close their eyes
and can see them.
They see open doors
and enter through them,
into unseen kingdoms
and live within them.


..."Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.  I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
-Luke 18:16-17

The Fading Picture In The Frame

Is it yours?

Have you come to terms with the loss of yourself?

Have you realized that you must let it go?

So let go.

I’m still grieving, myself,

over my own dear loss,

my portrait upon the altar,

paling in the mirror,

lasting like a love affair.

So who is the fairest of them all,

my truest love,

the last name I’ll call?

I can’t find him in this fading frame,

And hope is lost in the echo of my own name.

He must be the one who isn’t dying,

not fading,

but waiting

upon the altar,

to give me his name,

and saying it the same,

“Your face is my face.

I will love you forever.

Let me stand in your place.”

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
- Colossians 3:3

My Contribution, My Own Words

Thank you, Mr. Hyatt Moore, for your inspiration. Thank you for making your contribution. This excerpt from Mr. Moore's blog, Blank Slate, is a great and wonderful charge to all of us who have been hiding from our dreams in uncertainty and self-consciousness. So, taking the challenge presented, here is a piece of my contribution, my own words. I'm doing it for the one who created and sent me, my God and Father in Heaven. For Him, I will abandon myself, my world, and live unashamed and uncovered as one of his beloved children. So here (below) are some of my own words about this charge we've been given, like castaways sending off desperate little messages, carried quietly by nothing but the bottle and the faith they are secured in. Go with God.

From "Your Contribution" August 7th, 2014

"...What is it that you do, that only you can do?
Think about it.
We live not just for ourselves. Even if our work is done in a solitary way, in the end it’s for a wider world.
What is it you would do even if no one paid you for it . . . if no one asked you do to it?
In many ways it’s why we were born. Seeing our unique set of gifts as contribution gives us reason for being.
Another thing: I learned a long time ago that the one who sees a need most clearly is almost always the one to address it. Not the nebulous “they.” They will never see it. They will never do it. Not right.
Further: Making our unique contribution brings the best out in us. We abandon ourselves to whatever it is and have done with debilitating self-consciousness.
We contribute to a higher cause . . . even if for only one person. Even if for only a child.
So, here’s my challenge for you. Identify your life contribution. If that’s too big, make it just for today.
State who you’re doing it for.
Then get on with it.
The world will be better. And so will you."
- Hyatt Moore

::

Songs In Bottles

Would God ever allow us to foresee

those we might be singing to,

as we cork our songs into bottles at sea

to cross centuries far and blue?

Will we ever have the pleasure of meeting

those unknown who will know us?

Hear us they might, though our hearts have ceased beating

and our throats are silenced by dust.

But what a rare treat among the living and fleeting

that an era might find us together,

that a blind vessel might find a shore for keeping

through a short passage dotted in forever.

Would time ever find you imagining,

dear cast away beneath the stars,

that the love in your heart-sized melody

might ever travel so near or so far?

A Clean Conscience

I hate cleaning. Hate is a strong word, but it just seems to pour from my mouth easily when it comes to things I don't want to do. God knows this. I can only imagine that he hates cleaning, too, because he sees all of the dirt that no one else can ever see. I read this verse from 1 Peter 3 this morning and it brought to mind this poem. Forget the clean house— give me a clean heart, O God. (Psalm 51)

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 3:18-21  New Living Translation

This Crowded Little House

I have no room to complain,
no room to judge.
In the crowded corners of this heart,
I have little room to budge.

Some days I want to free this little house,
mess it up with a deep flood,
overwhelm and dislodge,
every little thing with God's love.

Stepping out from the shadows...

Giving my poetry blog another try after almost a year of reflection. If you've ever started a blog, I'm sure you understand. It takes a lot of faith and optimism to keep anything going. Oh yeah, and determination. I was inspired by this article to step out there again, and Sue Donaldson, a beloved blogger. Thank you. I published a poetry book and I'm one of the few who have ever read it. So onward into the internet.

Americans Love Poetry, But Not Poetry Books, The Millions

I'll start again here with something short and sweet - about the way we can feel when realizing our place in the scope of time, history, the Bible even, and the internet. But please don't forget that God is good.

Among My Ancestors

Bury me, Lord, here among my ancestors,
lay me down like a page within your volumes,
write down my cries of life upon the silent paper,
then bind and shelve me here within our tombs.