Life

I came to You, a broken, shattered soul

seeking refuge from my sin and darkness.

My hope was bleak, my soul was tarnished;

my tears fell onto sin's hardness.

You dressed my cuts, you brought me home;

You called me daughter and loosed my bonds.

When I, in sin, was alone

You comforted me and healed my wounds.

You give me hope in the bleakest mountains:

Your grace overwhelms my soul.

My joy bubbles over in fountains

as You make my pieces whole.

No one can stand without You, God;

Your grace is everlasting.

You are the rock, foundation, and rod:

Your love is never ending.

So tickly!

So innocent!

They laugh

with you until the end, then suddenly they start to frown

their blameless attitude goes down, down, down

and suddenly they

go off, and out;

their trusting smile

shifts to a pout; but never fear,

for they are still

here, your

little kids

are still crawl-

ing up, down

and over

and around.

You can still teach them to laugh, and love, and fly:

with God's wisdom, they can reach beyond the sky.

The trivial ribbons that tie me,

like chains, to being blithe

are gone, floating away in the wind

with a pang of regret and loss of being lithe.

I sigh and start to run without looking;

I forget that I'm free to the world.

But my parents say "Shh. Stop running;

instead trust in God and His Word."

I heed their advice and take God's hand,

comforting, soft, and warm.

As He leads me to a peaceful land,

I know that He would never do me harm.

Unexpectedly I'm thrown into the fire

of despair and grief and desolation.

But like a Phoenix I'm built in situations dire;

out of ashes rises hope, calm, and alleviation.

As I step out bolder and stronger,

I realize with exuberance

being free of now frivolous ribbon

gives me knowledge and God's gift of endurance.