Wonder

I want to be a child of wonder
To live in amazement
And to constantly
Be surprised by joy

May I be captured by rainbows
And washed by the rain
That precedes
The glorious vivid colors

To be exhilarated by the sights
Of the highest mountain peak
Or the rich orange of the
Sun waking the new day
Over the vast ocean's horizon

To love every living thing--
The delicate butterfly,
The wildflowers
In their wisps of color
The deer that runs with grace.

To be awestruck
By the laughter of child
Or the smile of a friend
Or the healing that finally comes.

To know the roots of life
Are ground deeply
In the One
Who creates
And sustains
And lifts up
And carries
And redeems.

Pure wonder.

The Tea Pot

There is a tea pot that sits on my stove
A precious gift from my grandmother.
It is old and is stained from many cups of tea
And the glass has a chip in it 

When I held it in my hands the other night
I thought about the fact that it resembles my life in ways
Because I now have learned to see my flaws and embrace them
Instead of hiding them or expecting perfection instead.

Accepting the blemishes
Allows the kind of growth for which I strive
And allows me to receive newness
That comes in God's time and not my own

And leaves my own prickly pursuits aside
So that I can embrace my humanness
I can cherish what is incomplete
Because I trust God is working His miracles
Even in this moment

All that is
Undone
Ungrateful
Unresolved
Still has a place
And a reason

And I am not defined by the flaws
Rather, they are part of a beautiful tapestry
That is my life--joy and sorrow woven together
To bind together all God has created into this very moment

There is a way, even in struggle or pain
That God gives a gift of strength
Constantly recreating this human being
Transforming me into all that is still possible

The circumstances do not define me
And never have, though my younger self thought so
For all that it yet unknown, yet uncovered, yet to be
IS known by the One who knows me fully and completely

And calls me Beloved.

Healing Hands

My eyes scanned the lushness

Of each photo—

Each one telling its own story

All that each revealed, a deep treasure.

And then I see one that will always

Be indelibly etched on my soul

The healing hands of James…

“There is no testimony without the test.”

How deeply the thought, even now,

Shapes my thoughts and understanding

How I see the photograph even in my dreams

And how the memory of it stays with me.

I know that moment was filled with Spirit

Was a way of reaching my soul

Through the artist who brought the story to life

And I am deeply grateful for the moment

Where I know the touch of healing hands in my life.

For as I experienced that day, that place

It was the deeper connection with the Holy

That continues to nudge me

With the knowledge that I am changed

An inexplicable jewel on my journey

Seeking and finding the Spirit that is alive

In each person I meet in a brand new way

Weaving my faith with Presence

I am awed.

Note:  When I had the gift of traveling to New Mexico this spring, I got to meet Lenny Foster in Taos and to experience his gallery of his amazing photography.  If you get a chance, go to his website.  I was so struck and so wrapped in the presence of God. Website:  www.lennyfoster.com

Eyes of Faith

Sometimes I need new perspective
I need to look at something differently
To change myself, to soften my heart
In the midst of chaos or unrest

Sometimes it's the way I'm seeing
Or not seeing.
Sometimes I'm seeing with my eyes
Instead of eyes of faith.

I know better, I've gained some wisdom
But sometimes a circumstance will occur
Or the storm wind will blow in and I'm swept up
Instead of reaching for the calm solace in my soul.

Now we see only a dim likeness of things.
As if we were seeing them in a mirror.
 But someday we will see clearly.
I cannot see completely now

Renew
Restore
Refresh me.

Let me see with eyes of faith.

Surrender

It became quickly apparent

That being thrown into the abyss

Would require something more of me

More than will or determination or fortitude

I knew surrender was the only way

Yet, I thought I had surrendered

But looking back I was only willing

To give up  parts of me at a time

There was that control again.

I had the skills needed...

I could manage, direct, influence

Fix, rescue, mend, release, save

Even in this new darkness

But so much of the healing

That has taken place

Has something to do with total surrender

For there is a great plan.

Yet it is not my plan

There is something far greater

When trust finally becomes a way of life

When total acceptance

Washes over you and changes your soul

And when, finally,

You are becoming

Who you were created to be.