Not Listening

He spoke to her, but she slept on,

She didn’t want to hear.
Yet still he spoke the urgent words
Into her sleeping ear.
 
There was such wisdom in the words,
That she chose to ignore.
Had she but listened to his thoughts,
Life could offer much more.
 
But still she turns her head away
Each time he tries to speak,
Not understanding he offers
The answers we all seek.
 
Deuteronomy 5:27
Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”

The photo of the sleeping duck and the turtle is a blessing from a friend, LB. Thank you so much!

Resting in Hope

I struggled through the last few weeks,

I worried I would fail,
But, in the end, I called on You
To help in my travail.
 
I found the peace I needed then,
To finish those long chores,
And now I can rest for a while      
In the Love that restores.
 
Acts 2:26
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope,

The photo is a blessing from LRS, Thank you SO much for sharing this with us.

The Mowing Shirt

I never know where they’ll come from,

These praises God sends me.
Today I shook my head and said,
“Oh Lord, that just can’t be”,
Yet here I sit writing that praise
As you can plainly see.
 
It’s just a tattered old work shirt
That’s ripped and frayed and torn
By all the trees it’s snagged upon
Through the years it’s been worn
While mowing in my parent’s yard.
But offer it no scorn,
 
For just today it taught me much,
A lesson I should learn.
A branch hooked me up by my shirt
While making a tight turn,
And it would not let go of me
Though I spoke sharp and stern.
 
It snagged upon an older slash
And tore that snag anew
Before I got it untangled
And pushed the tractor through,
But first I had to back it up,
Something I hate to do.
 
I had just been lamenting that
Time was moving too fast
And very soon the day would come
When these mow days are past.
They remind me of one I love,
But nothings meant to last.
 
So when the tree snagged on my shirt
It snagged on my heart, too,
As I heard a small voice tell me
What I needed to do
Was back up and let it all go
Before I pushed on through.
 
For I can’t move on in my life
Til I give the past rest,
And, while I’ll have it with me still,
I can’t live life distressed;
If I am focused on what’s lost
I can’t give life my best.
 
So I will let go of the past
When the old home is sold,
I’ll retire the mowing shirt,
So tattered, torn and old,
And turn my face to tomorrow,
Step out and live life bold.

Made My Day

It was a small act of kindness,

But it lit up my day,
And, though it wasn’t a grand act,
He went out of his way.
 
He did it with a cheerful smile
And then he walked away.
I stood there watching him walk off,
Unsure of what to say.
 
A simple deed and sweetly done,
For no reason I saw,
Simple kindness out of the blue.
It left me flushed with awe.

Nearby

I’m always grateful for the one

Who’s never far away;
The one who answers when I call,
Who’s there to help or play;
The one who laughs when I’m laughing
And listens when I cry.
Whether they’re family or friend
I’m glad that they’re nearby.
 
Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

The Difference in a Moment

I was the next one in the line,

I’d been there for a while,
Yet when I stepped up I was told
“I’m closed now,” with a smile.
The person just before me paid,
But I was turned away.
What a difference moments make
In the course of our day.
                          
But, as I waited once again,
In yet another line,
I realized that I had learned a lesson
Clear and fine.
For life is short, the moments pass,
Then we must say good bye,
However well we have behaved,
However hard we try.
 
Be sure you give each moment time
To show you its full grace,
Before you’re left with many lost
That you cannot replace.
Don’t take for granted that moments
Will constantly be there,
But recognize time passes fast,
And there is none to spare.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Until That Day

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed

But that will pass someday,
Then I will look up happily
And, with rejoicing, say,
“Dear Lord, I thank you for the grace
That brought me to today.”
But until then, I’ll keep the faith
And bow my head to pray.
 
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Blessings Counted

I stopped this morning to count them,

And I was quite amazed,
The vast abundance that I found
Left me both stunned and dazed.
I had not realized how much
Was there before my eyes
Until I stopped to count them all.
My blessings, what a surprise!
 
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Smiling Through the Tears

This wasn’t where I planned to be

At this point in my life,
I didn’t plan for loneliness
And tears to be this rife.
I didn’t plan to know this loss
Or feel its wound this way,
But I know that, ahead of me,
There lies a brighter day.
 
I know that no good can come from
Letting life make me blue,
But some days tears are all I’ve got;
They’ll have to see me through.
Yet, God has promised me this grief
Was never meant to last,
So I’ll show life a joyful face
Until this time is past.
 
John 16:20
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

Balancing

The things we balance in each day,

The chaos and the glee,
The worries that weigh our hearts down,
The joys that set them free,
Are part of God’s plan to shape us
Into who we should be.
 
Proverbs 16:11
Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making.