rest – a poem

rest – a poem

Hello, friends!

This poem was inspired by the events related in Matthew 14, if you’d like some more context.:)

teach me to rest, Father…

tell me the stories of

the Man who slept through the storm,

who retreated from the crowds,

and returned from such retreats

to have compassion…

not just to feel it throbbing in His chest,

but to surrender self-pity and pride

to the flames on the altar of truest love.

the Man whose love brought Him

through the wildest storms,

the deepest heartbreak,

the most torturous death

(and the ultimate death of death)

and finally to a place where

He receives His beloved

in the everlasting arms that

never weary now.

priceless love – a poem

Hello, friends! I unearthed an old poem to share today…happy reading!

I asked to learn love, and so

affection flew away on silver wings,

desire at its heels.

the rose-colored glasses slipped from

the bridge of my nose, and

I was left silent,

words stolen by

shock.

indignation burned

hot in my ribcage, and words I hate

bubbled to my lips.

this, God? You expect me to love

this???

as I fumed, I felt quiet eyes on

my clenched fists.

I turned and saw confusion glinting

in the eyes I met through His Word.

“but I love you.

I died for you.”

shame burned a mottled mask

across my face.

I remembered the ugliness

He sees each day.

I glanced at scarred wrists and saw

the receipt of redemption.

how could I ever refuse to give

a shred of the love

He’s lavished on me?

walk with me – a poem

walk with me – a poem

Hello, friends!

I wrote this poem after reading Psalm 103, specifically verse 14. I guess this is my shoutout across the centuries to David.:)

walk with me, Father, for

I don’t know well this road I’m on.

You alone know how many times I’ve begged

for deportation,

for transplant,

for rescue…from what?

a rescue from Your will?

You know my frame, my Builder.

You know that this atmosphere

should have crushed me long ago…and yet…

Your breath in my gasping lungs is

the only oxygen I need to survive

in this world that’s so foreign to

this blood-washed soul…

so I plead,

not for rescue,

nor for transplant,

nor for deportation, but for

more of You within me.

melt my inward dross with Your holy flame,

and weld this identity to Your name until

I know

I am nothing without You,

and all that I need is within You.

counting stars – a poem

counting stars – a poem

Hello, friends!

I wrote this poem several months ago as my brother and I were teaching through Genesis in Sunday School. The account of Abraham’s complete trust in God’s ability and commitment to keep His promises struck me so much that I wrote a poem about it.:) This one is based in Genesis 15.

my Shield and

my exceedingly great Reward…

I see no way from here to

what You have promised.

I ask for answers, and

You hold out the impossible,

asking only that

I count stars like a child…

that I wait in quiet trust,

believing the impossible as easily as

a child counting stars.

one humble step away – a poem

one humble step away – a poem

Hello, friends!

Today’s poem is actually from a few years ago…but I wanted to dig it out of the depths of the blog because I really enjoy the rhythm and the message it holds. Hope you enjoy!

two natures fight within me,

clawing for complete control

and the evil one is winning –

its dark reign I can’t o’erthrow,

for its grasp about my mind

has left an imprint stiff as stone,

and its chains about my heart

into my flesh o’er time have grown.

and I can’t break from these shackles

that hold all my habits tight,

for the rust of time has locked them

and I cry into the night

as I see the one You crafted

to be swift and strong for You

melted to the mess I am –

how could my heart be so untrue?

yet the dawn is breaking now,

and in the early morning rays

I see the promise of the future

and new mercies with new days.

and I see the power of Calvary

making chains and shackles null

as Your faithfulness transforms me

and my shell falls, dead and dull

as new life is pulsing through me –

though I’ve stumbled and I’ve failed,

still You tell me that renewal

is one humble step away.

Photo by Federico Respini on Unsplash

a poem from the archives (a.k.a. last year)

a poem from the archives (a.k.a. last year)

Hello, friends!

I dug out some of my old poetry the other day and found so many poems I’d forgotten…I touched one up and decided to share it with you here. I hope it blesses you like it did me.❤

oh, My child…

I see the pain in the way

you hold your head so high –

stiff, afraid of being weak,

vulnerable, for you feel that

another scar would be a thousand too many.

I see you, love,

when you’ve crawled to a secret place

to let out the grief

when the sobs rise without bidding,

and you trap the muffled wails deep in your throat.

even when you weep, you’re guarded…

but I see you.

I want you to know that

you can stop tracing the scars,

running your fingers through the pains in your past

as if they were pearls.

I want you to look up…

see Me, love.

aren’t I more to you than your broken dreams?

will you risk it all just to sail with Me?

I need you to trust Me when I say

this does not need to be your last chapter.

I promise…one day you will smile again

without brushing the ghost of this sorrow.

I’m wanting to read some more cozy poetry this autumn…do you have any favorite poets/collections you would recommend? Please drop any ideas in the comments!

Stay the course!

Laurel

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

some more autumn-inspired poetry (pt. 2)

some more autumn-inspired poetry (pt. 2)

Hello, friends! Here are a few more little poems that I wrote this week…hope you enjoy! ❤

haunted

my rearview mirror

is covered in dust because

I won’t live haunted.

tea

like the tea she loved,

steeped in boiling water she

only grew stronger.

shadows

don’t let the shadows win…

they dance across my path and

try to smother me in darkness.

(oh, why am I so weak??)

Father, I don’t have the strength

(or light) within this heaving chest

to let the light shine brighter than

the fear they throw around me.

Father, p l e a s e

dispel this night

and hold me tight

within the light.

Stay the course!

❤ Laurel

Photo by Taylor Wright on Unsplash

whitecaps – a poem

whitecaps – a poem

Hello, friends! I’m finally returning with one of my favorite poems from this summer…

Father, calm this raging soul…

speak peace above the whitecaps

lashing out upon the teeming shores.

hold fast this wandering heart;

bind it to Thy will in love, for

I’m tired

of telling myself the lie that

I’d be better off if only…

cut those bitter words off at the source:

this raging soul.

oh, speak peace above the whitecaps…

help me love the teeming shores.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

glowing horizon – a poem

glowing horizon – a poem

the sun slips behind a glowing horizon,

weary of casting light upon

the wicked deeds of man.

perhaps…

in the morning…

but over and over

the sun rises and sets

on a world that crowns wickedness

and spits in the face of righteousness.

one day…

I know…

a greater Son will rise and

fall no more,

casting light on a throng of faithful men

who treasured the light of this Son

while others basked only in the glory of

the one that slips now beneath a glowing horizon.

Will I ever stop writing poetry that a.) contains sunset imagery, and b.) looks forward to eternity?

I think not.

❤ Laurel

Photo by Dan Cook on Unsplash