Practicing Humble

I’m still working on humble, Lord,

And maybe patience, too.
But when things get out of control
I find I turn to You.
 
By seeking You, I find myself,
Humbled and touched by shame,
Once more on track to live life in
The shadow of Your name.
 
Yet it is that weakness, Oh Lord,
That helps me bear with love
The flaws in others, so like mine,
That You forgave me of.
 
So I will work on patience, now,
And humility, too,
That someday, with a little grace,
I’ll draw closer to You.
 
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Work Joyfully

A little bee buzzing at work,

So busy in its day.
Working among the cheery blooms
It finds along the way.

How happy is that little bee,
To do its simple work.
It goes about it joyfully,
With no intent to shirk.

I think there’s something to be said
For simple joys like this,
To be content in who we are
To me, seems to be bliss.

And I know my life’s more complex
Than that of a small bee,
Yet, there’s something so relevant
That that small bee taught me.

No job is insignificant
It it’s done joyfully
And I am blessed to do the work
That You’ve laid out for me.

To The Water

I come again to the water

Where I first called Your name,
Where I was washed clean of the sin
Which I had born in shame.

I come again to the water
For I have sinned once more
And I seek healing from that sin
Upon this rocky shore.

I come again to the water,
Grateful, Lord, for Your grace.
Knowing that I’ve been forgiven,
That I will see Your face.

I come again to the water

For baptism on earth,
But it will be in Christ's spirit
That I’ll know true rebirth.

Mark 1:8
I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John 4:24
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Still Worrying

The stairs lead somewhere out of sight

And someday I’ll go see,
But right now I feel safe right here,
And safe sounds good to me.

Of course there could be something else
That I should do out there,
But stepping outside of my box
Still gives me quite a scare.

They say that worry ends with faith,
But what I’d like to know
Is everything that lies ahead,
Before I start to go.

I know that’s not how it should work,
Yet that first step scares me.
I’d like to take in in good faith…
And someday that will be.

Matthew 14:31
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Songs of Praise

Sing to the Lord with all your heart,

In all things praise His name,
For His love is a gift to all,
Regardless of our shame.

Sing to the Lord, rejoice in Him,
For He is the hope of all.
Lift up your voices in His Praise,
That He might hear your call.  

Sing to the Lord, oh join me now,
For God is on His throne
And He will hold you close to Him,
Though you feel all alone!

Psalm 71:14
As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

Blessings To Come

Some look at life and see what they’ve lost

But that can’t be said of me.
I look at all that I’ve had and lost
And thank God for what will be.
 
There’s always new beauty born in spring
And summer’s harvest is sweet
I may not have everything I want,
But my life’s full and complete.
 
So I don’t look at last year’s lost blooms
And morn the seasons now past
Instead I rejoice for what’s to come
And the blessings that will last!
 
Psalm 21:6
Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

Solitary Time

There are those times when I need space

To be alone in peace.
With all the chaos of our lives
We each need some release,
But in my case I grow such thorns
If I have no respite
From all the chaos of my life,
Even for a small bit.
So now and then I slip away
And find a quiet place
To renew my less prickly side
And remember His Grace.
 
1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

His Wing, My Prayer

When I head out to hit the road,

I do it with a prayer.
I ask that God cover me close
While I spend time out there.
 
I know that I need Him at home,
But, when I start to roll,
I worry about all the things
That I cannot control.
 
So I ask that He cover me,
Keep me beneath His wing,
And help me make it safely home
Through all the day might bring.
 
Psalm 91:4
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Tears and Joy

Tears and joy mingle this week

In my sweet memories.
So many whom I’ve loved are lost
Yet still live on with me!
 
Oh Lord, please hold them tight for me,
Since I no longer can,
Remind them that I love them still
And I’ll hug them again.

At my Back

I heard You whisper, “stop that now”,

As thought formed into word.
I realized what I’d have said
Was kinder left unheard.
 
You caught me as my temper rose
And settled me back down,
Reminding me that anger’s flood
Is a bitter place to drown.
 
You’re always right behind me, Lord,
Reminding me to wait,
To think before I go too far,
Before it is too late.

And I don’t always listen, Lord,

Though I know that I should,
But You’re still there, reminding me
That I’d rather do good.