POETRY & More

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Today I cringed when I got a good look at the person I have become, and my heart grew sad. Who is this person? I don’t want to be her. Is this all that I’ve become? A bitter, judgmental, lonely woman? Ashamed of what comes out of my mouth and heart. Has God seen this all along, or does He see more? Do I have hope? Can this wretched being be changed through faith-based writing and Christian encouragement?

I spout the life of a Christian when all the while the only thing that seeps out of me is dirty vile. I reek of unkind and unloving reactions. I stink of selfishness and vanity. How did this come to be? When did I become this? I thought that I was doing so good! What good? No, there is no good in me.

I know that for me it is impossible to change me, but dear Lord, will You? Will You change me, please? I can’t stand the sight of me. The way I don’t seek You the way I should. The way I don’t give back to humanity as I should. The way I ignore the lonely and the weary. Not even my father, who is all alone, do I go to visit. I have become stuck in this world that I have created; all alone am I.

Please, my Savior, pull me out of this ditch that I have dug and jumped into. Pull me out, dear Lord. Please. Restore in me the light that once was there, the beauty of Your Spirit within my soul. Please live in me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit like never before. If once You loved me, and once You smiled at me, and once You had plans for me, please continue with Your plans for me. Please don’t wipe me from Your thoughts. Please don’t lose interest in me. Please don’t hide Your face from me. I have seen me, and I am disgusted. Please cleanse me, dear Jesus, from my sins—the ones that get dirtier and dirtier and worsen by the hour. Please free me, dear Lord! How do my sins take over so quickly?

It is not enough to come to You once in a while. Sin is so vile; it can trap us when we are not expecting it. So, expect it. Don’t let sin in. How can I do that? By staying close to You at all times. That is the only way that sin will not invade; it cannot and will not hurt me when You are around. So please, dear Jesus, stay here with me. Don’t let me out of Your sight. Please, please forgive my failures and constant sins. This spiritual reflection is my plea for Your guidance and grace.

Dear Jesus,

This is a serious business here serving You. You are pure and holy, and You ask that we as Your children be holy as well. Please help us to be more like You, my Lord. You are not only holy but also a merciful God. Your upright character is excellent; You do not sin nor make mistakes. All the while, You maintain patience and temperance toward us. You forgive us over and over again, listen to us, and lead and guide us. You watch over us even when we are in sin.

Dare I talk about my character flaws? I have many. To name a few, I must admit that I am not very patient. My temperance needs improvement, and I often forgive because I feel I have to, not necessarily because I feel it in my heart. If I were God, I might have destroyed the planet and myself. No, no, no! When things go wrong, I whine like a helpless baby. Most times, I don’t wait on God to bring His light and healing to me.

God has a way of supernaturally making everything turn out right. His love is so special and unconditional. There are consequences for sin; yet, even in the hardships we endure, He is there with us, helping us grow. This is a true example of Christian encouragement.

Lord Jesus, please help us to see You, to understand what You are about and why we should emulate You. If we understand You more, then maybe we can strive to be more like You in our faith-based writing and spiritual reflection.

I choose Jesus. I choose You, dear Lord. Forever, I want to praise You and honor You. Forever, I desire to be by Your side. Whatever plans You have for me, Lord, I want those plans. I choose those. Please lead and guide us to choose Your plans and not our own. Amen.

Dear Jesus,

Today I realized that if you were to decide that you just didn’t want to bother with us here on earth anymore, we would melt away and become dust again. There would be no life. This understanding is why I know that your goodness spreads across the earth to both the just and the unjust. However, it is not our place to judge. I don’t understand why those who don’t believe in you remain blessed and in powerful positions, while the just suffer and lack.

What I do know is that You are with us. You watch our steps, reigning over us forever, as long as it pleases You. I also know that sometimes in our path, we must fall hard, even twice or three times. I believe that through these falls, we can grow, gain clarity, and become humble. Just don’t give up. Don’t stop trying.

Only God knows why your neighbor has a large home, substantial savings, and a circle of good friends and family. We don’t know what goes on behind closed doors; no one hangs their laundry out to dry in the front yard for others to see—it’s done in the backyard, in a hidden place.

Carry on with your head held high—not in pride, but in reverence to God. Look to Him and keep your eyes on Him. He will not lead you astray. Go to Him. Let Him heal you, comfort you, and guide your path.

God isn’t finished with you yet. We don’t know the future, nor is it intended for us to know. This means we must live each moment in the present, not dwelling on what could be or what could have been. We only have today. Sometimes, we delay the next phase of our lives because we are stuck in the present phase, which is trying to teach us something and help us grow.

Live each day, each hour, as if it were your last, and your judgment day would reflect how you lived today. How would you choose to live it? What would you do? A simple day may seem just that, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. The unseen is ever-present. "Let wisdom be your sister and common sense your closest friend" (Prov. 7:4). You see, they are there for us if we allow them to be. The fruits of the spirit (Gal. 5:22) can thrive if we nurture them, and there is the armor of God (Eph. 6:10) if we take the time to wear it.

As part of our Christian encouragement, God has fully armed us to prepare for living a holy life for Him. It is up to us to take up our cross and to live for Him. Wherever He wants to lead me, I will go, trusting fully that He will guide me on the right path. Ultimately, this path leads to the wedding day when He comes for us.