Your Ways

You remain incomprehensible,
unable to be understood
by simple minds,
by simple hearts.
We do not have a single clue
as to what may be going on
in our own lives
in our own hearts.
You find some way to teach us fools
through our own foolishness.
You find some way to shed some light
in this night we create.
The blind can see, the cripple walk.
They are us - as we are.
You use our flaws and failures,
our past wounds and mistakes
to lead us closer
to your perfection.
How twisted and ironic,
yet how comforting.
You use pain to heal,
break us to make us.
Put us in darkness so we can see
ever clearly in the light.
Yes it seems foolish,
almost ridiculous.
Your methods are beyond us
and your thoughts surpass all.
This is why I can still
find comfort in Your ways.

Amen.

November 30, 2008

Provided

How cruel can you be?
You give your children
precious gifts to handle,
knowing all will be broken
by the end of the day.
With child-like logic
we tend it and guard
this most fragile of gifts.
We're afraid of breaking it,
and yet we want to play.

If You had known,
why did You bother?
We try with all efforts
to preserve the purity
and protect it from taint,
but to no avail.
We fail in the midst
of all that we wished for,
and of all our hopes and dreams,
and of all our prayers.

Is there a lesson
To learn from all this?
A harsh teacher You are,
to light our hopes all aflame
'til they turn to ashes,
just to get a point
across in our hearts.
You are willing to let
Your children fall to the ground
before you pick them up.

But above it all,
you will still remain
sovereign Lord of our hearts,
the gentle shepherd leading
his lost sheep to pastures.
We will one day see
and fully realize
the depth of that promise
You have made with us: "I will
always take care of You."

Amen.

November 30, 2008