Archive | February 2017

Weak Spot

Feb28

Today’s poetry offering stems from a very real prayer between my heart and God’s ear recently.  As the attitude in our country becomes more and more “non-Christian” I realize how precious the freedom to choose the God I worship is to me.  If faced with denying God or losing my life I believe I am a Christian strong enough to choose Him through the end.  If faced with denying God or my child’s life ending my confidence is shaken.  I am her mother.  My job is to nurture her into a young woman whose faith chooses God.  Some costs are greater than our own lives.  How about you?  What shakes your confidence?

It’s an uneasy feeling that arrives
When I think of facing the decision,
Either denounce You and live or
Claim You as God and die.
I hope I can face that and do You proud,
Speaking Your name clear and loud.

Giving You my own life’s final breath
I believe I can do that without wavering,
My spouse and child will understand,
But there’s a weaker spot they can reach.
I pray it’s one I never have to face,
For it’s one of a very different race.

What if Lord, they threaten my child?
Even knowing they most likely will lie,
Promising her life if I deny You,
Will I, as her mother, be able to not go wild?
Will I proclaim You are the Lord God Almighty?
Refuse to deny You are God for all eternity?

How did You stand back God, when man,
Came dragging Jesus off for false charges?
How did You keep Yourself from stopping them?
These leaders of false teaching and corrupt man?
Only You could be that brave and right,
To assure us the chance to see His light.

Lord, I am not You.
Take me first.
       -dfav

—Donna

My Sins are so Many

Feb26

Photo appears courtesy of Randy Cater.
Thinking of all I know about You,
I’m amazed You keep allowing me breath.
Taking stock of my own life tells me,
I have no fingers to point in any depth.
My sins are so many.

Wash me, shower me, scrub me clean,
Until You can stand me in Your presence.
Allow me to lay facedown in the back,
Just let me see You even at a distance.
My sins are so many.

I’ve no stones to cast at anyone else,
My righteous to You must reek,
Good intentions roll by You like sludge,
How could my name You even speak?
My sins are so many.

                dfav 2/26/17

—Donna

Cottage-by-the-Sea, #5, 2/24/17

Feb24

God, we pray for healing.
We ask that Your will be done.
We try to hold on,
Knowing You are the One,
The true God, Jehovah.

God, we pray for strength.
We recognize our weakness.
We fear our pain,
Our best is just weariness,
To You, Lord, God Almighty.

God, we pray for understanding.
We know there’s much we don’t know.
Trying to comprehend it,
Gives us many ways to go,
One way leads to You.

God, we pray for forgiveness,
We flounder and we sin,
We don’t understand our minds,
Our ego wants badly to win,
But You make us successful.

God, we pray for our witness,
Our lives point others to You,
Then they must see our storms,
See the anchoring You do,
To keep us steady.

God, we pray for our selves,
We don’t do what we know to do,
We give into the easy route,
Taking our eyes off You,
And we fail You every time.

God, we pray for our souls,
We pray about eternity,
We struggle with ourselves,
Facing what is reality,
Instead of what we want.
        dfav 2/23/17

—Donna

Cottage-by-the-Sea, #4, 2/23/2017

Feb23

The moon hangs low over the sea tonight.
The stars burn bright though lesser light.
If I could but walk the moonlit path,
Would I walk to You upon the silver lined bath?

The sea laps a rhythm against the sand.
The edges blurred between sea and land.
If I could swim amongst the darkest waves,
Would I swim to You along moon lit pave?

The wind lifts air and twirls it round and round.
The currents playful and blustery hitting ground.
If I could take the wind and fly over sea,
Would I fly straight to You when of this world free?

The sand beneath my wheelchair wheels is packed.
The sand damp and cool where to sea is backed.
If I could count each grain until the end,
It couldn’t be better than having You as God and friend.

The creation You designed before me spreads.
The creation calls me and to You I’ve fled.
How could I be here before Your creation grand,
And fail to recognize You and the work of Your hands.
        dfav 2/22/17

—Donna

Cottage-by-the-Sea, #3, 2/22/17

Feb22

The cliff on which the lighthouse stands,
Hasn’t forever stood as now it stands,
The mighty force of natural elements,
Adds, subtracts from sea to land
Ever changing though it appears the same,
A silent siren or warning depends the name.

The waters which pound the rocks away,
No two drops fall the same two ways,
Nor arrive together in self-made fashion,
To create the waves of the seas way,
But their power alters everything,
The music fills and clearly rings.

The wind that hustles, bustles, towers,
Shrieks past the brave and those that cower,
Reshaping earth as it surely blows,
A shrill for voice or a terrific howler,
Then reduces self to a meek remnant,
Returning to the ends from which it was sent.

The sun, the moon, the stars at night,
Alternating features seen by sight,
Turning soil and rock to dust
Casting shadows deep into the light
The greater rules the day, the lesser dark,
The lighthouse stands so sure it’s mark.

The One and truest God of all,
The God to who restores us from our fall,
When we seek our own path and way,
Neglecting our truest, greatest call,
He reaches through the murk of man,
Reconciles us to Him in love because He can.
           dfav 2/21/17

—Donna

Forgive Us

Feb21

Abba Father:
Forgive us.
Forgive our arrogance,
That we begin to imagine,
This life is all about us.
Forgive us.
Forgive our belief,
That we’re entitled,
To what impresses us.
Forgive us.
Forgive our sense of value,
What we deem worthy,
Is so often foolish.
Forgive us.
Forgive us where we fail,
For we often do,
Without giving it thought.
Forgive us.
        dfav 2/20/17

—Donna

In Every Sunset

Feb17

When I stop seeing the colors in the sunrise,
Overlook the layers of liquid hues in a rainbow,
Fail to giggle at shapes in clouds overhead,
Then Lord, I am thinking too much about what I think I know.

When I stop noticing the vividness of a sunset,
Neglect the weathered glory of the ancient landmarks,
Fail to smile at the sweetness of newborn babes,
Then Lord, I am lost in my own self-imagined goodness and marks.

You’re always there though, whether I see it or not,
The proof of Your existence available if I look to see,
And You should be what I want to find,
In every trace of life, of hope, of love is You and Your majesty.
    dfav 2/16/17

—Donna

Second Chances

Feb12

When I promised You I would serve You forever,
I believed I knew rejection for various reasons.
Too fat…
Too poor…
Too dumb…
Plenty more…
But, what I knew was nothing, I was so naive,
It is still so hard to conceive,
I was that inexperienced.

When I stumbled along life’s path,
Eager to live the Prodigal lifestyle,
Socializing…
Dating…
Experimenting…
Living for happiness…
It’s clear I didn’t understand eternity in the moment,
Or the reality of the consequences forever spent,
From careless choices.

When politics seemed far removed from me,
I sold my vote for a saxophone song,
Cheap…
Easily fooled…
Craziness…
A segment on…
Late night talk shows gave way, I would come to see,
The price of being free,
As fodder for entertainment

When maintaining the status quo over rode
The principles of Your instructions, Lord,
Your Word…
Your Ways…
Your examples…
Your warnings…
The world took over so even basic morality so rapidly,
Smearing true goodness so overwhelmingly,
It’s hard to even see the evidence.

If chance should, indeed arrive again,
For our nation to unite under Your wing,
In humbleness…
In repentance…
In understanding…
In mourning…
May I and oh, so many, many more
Approach You at Heaven’s door,
To get us right with You again.
         dfav 2/12/17

—Donna

Still You

Feb12

In the aftermath of the storm,
When the rains are pouring,
The winds still howling,
I am straining to look ahead,
To do as You had said,
To follow You.

When the winds calmed down,
But the roof still leaked,
The walls were sagging,
I am left struggling to hear You,
To clearly follow through,
Obedience.

When the best we had was gone,
Shifting rags hoping for usable bits,
Finding unrecognizable pieces for whole,
Am I still convinced You are Jehovah God?
This path I trod,
Outlined by You?

One day this trouble won’t even be a memory,
When Heaven’s gates are flung open wide,
The family at last all been gathered,
Heaven echoing with Your very voice,
Please let my choice
Have been, You.
         dfav 2/11/17

—Donna

I Am.  Always Will Be.

Feb12

Maddening,
Chaotic,
Spinning.
My mind reels from the evening news.
Hatred.
Vileness.
Hunger.
Images from the stories spew.
God.
Love.
Kindness.
Where, in this, are You?
Hidden?
Silent?
Angry?
Poised, ready to split into?
Crying?
Amazed?
Confused?
Watching, history trickle close?
Questions.
Wonders.
Awareness.
You, my heart firmly knows.
Steady.
Holy.
Good.
I Am. Always have been.
Worthy.
Perfection.
Graciousness.
I Am. Always will be.
       dfav 2/11/17

—Donna