It was as if all of us were kids yesterday
Then we met in May
And you had much to say
about how hectic grew your days.
How busy to be a mother,
My little brother
In August became a Father.
It wasn’t so long ago,
He was searching for some mistletoe.
My sister, how I had missed her
When I came back into the fold
I had realized the years had slipped away
And I had become older.
My nephew on my lap
Laptop far off my mind
There’s not a better kind
of love a man can find.
As anniversaries and jingles jangle,
What is my perspective?
How do I reframe the angle?
The frame was out of focus for many years.
Yet I look upon it all with gratitude;
to be Alive and Free
This is my chosen outlook and attitude.
I could choose regret
Or worse yet,
Unforgivenness and seek revenge.
But these things only lead to dry bones.
No, I set my eyes on Jesus Christ.
His beauty and His Kingdom,
Eyes off self, eyes on what’s next.
Following Christ to be blessed.
Blessing of suffering,
Oh heaven’s tension, a song.
Blood and tears,
And lost years.
Yet God’s presence remains.
Fallen world, full of beauty.
Ragged and beleaguered soul, yet met whole.
Yearning for a world where all is made right,
And sifting through darkness, I see the Light.
Light of the world, salty flavor
Honey from the comb,
Jesus, my refuge, my Savior, my home.
Tempest and trial,
Fire and tornado, hurricane, flood, yet Shalom.
Beyond disaster, You are the Sabbath.
Although Noah did not bring rest from the Fall,
Father God sent God-man to save us all.
Although Moses could not deliver fully,
Your blood oh Jesus has paid for our sin in full.
Although Abraham had faith, and he set the example,
He looked toward a future city, and to Your Kingdom.
Although Habbakuk spoke of your future glory,
You are bringing Your glory in my own day.
So, I don’t have time to sit in dismay,
When Your love is already on full display.
When the depths of Your grace
Wash all my sin away,
And the strength of Your kindness
Give me the strength to obey
And join the fray.
The fray of the cacophony, serpentine world;
Full of the lust of the eyes, pride in resumes, and Satanic power; same ancient temptation to grasp at becoming a god.
I will choose to remain and to refrain,
So that my refrain may be
For Your glory,
For my King,
His is the Victory.
No other name but Jesus,
The Trinity is my hope.
When I see all the time travel,
I remember that You are my home.
All the reality shifts and changes,
Fading. Morphing. Ebbing. Flowing.
You are the Rock,
Who is my constant.
Consistent joy, peace, and divine mysterious love.
All good things come from above,
Behold! All good things come from above.
