A Very Holy Bravery

 May 27, 2015

A Very Holy Bravery
  (For my best friend, JR)

A very holy bravery my cousin showed tonight.

She knows a living battle, and oft’ has kneeled to fight.

And now she asks assistance from me that I would pray

For her to win this battle she fights within today.

The Father Who has loved her and saved her as His own

Knows what a fight within her is vying for His throne.

He sits as King of Glory upon the golden seat

Established there, within her heart, where she and He do meet.

I know our LORD can win this, but struggles come before;

I must kneel down, petition, the victory from my LORD.

“My Father, help my sister, who’s going through this war.

You’ve saved her soul, but foulest fiends are knocking at her door.

They hate Thy Name of Glory; they’d dare destroy Thy child.

I know that Thou art greater: You can o’ercome all wilds.

My sister struggles hardly, she calls and begs for Thee.

Make haste, my LORD, to help her.  Now be availed, I plead.

The heart is quite deceitful; it makes us think we’re fine,

Or puts us in a misery, (despondent, mucky clime).

I know that Thou art greater, e’en when our hearts condemn:

Jesus is our Savior! There’s nought greater than Him!

And so I beg Thy help LORD, to aid my sister dear.

Destroy all that’s against Thee, all sin, and every fear.”

The Warrior Wife

May 27, 2015

The Warrior Wife

(for my sweet cousin, Stephanie)

It’s been some time since my cousin said

Those words which circle in my head

Which show such quiet, holy fire,

The love for husband, her Admired:

“Don’t look, dear man; I shield thine eyes.”

(Not quite those words), but very wise,

She took in that which would trip him,

Directed his eyes away from sin.

She, noble, holy, Warrior Wife,

Desires the best for her man’s life,

Desires that nothing come between

Her man and God, or her, his queen.

She knows that love is not just words;

It’s shown through action, she has learned.

She gives, he gives, all that they have

To be one whole, not sep’rate halves.

In Christ, the Warrior Wife can stand

And better her beloved man.

Upon her knees she fights for him,

Petitions Christ Who Only wins.

When he is weak and she the strong,

She doth believe: she must pray on.

The Warrior Wife imperfect is;

Through shortcomings she knows of this.

In Christ, she has a hallowed place

In which to stand, fulfil, & grace.

LORD, make a Warrior Wife someday

Of she who now to Thee doth pray,

And thank Thee for my cousin sweet

Who this example is to me. 

On my Young Man Cousin

May 26, 2015

On my Young Man Cousin

(For A & B)

With shining eyes and lively face

He tells me all his escapades

Of what he’s seen and what he’s read,

Of schemes and thoughts within his head.

I listen rapt to all his words,

But very little can be heard,

For all my thoughts and all the awe

That he would tell me ought at all!

How can this be that such a chap

Has grown to such a man as that?!

I held him in my arms at ten

And now he’s joined the ranks of “Men”!

We were good buddies then, ‘tis true,

But now he’s joined the “older group,”

And he treats me as if I’m young,

Or understand his youthful tongue!

I find my thoughts so far away

Not on his words, but bent to pray:

“Lord, help me shore him up for Christ

(Not that I live a perfect life),

But help me hear in such a way

That points him back to You today.

Help me speak with godliness

That holds Thy Word up as “The Best”.

Already he has learned so much;

Already he has felt Thy touch.

On Christ’s foundation he now stands,

Oh bless Thou now his life and hands!

Let him Thy will know for himself

And give Thee all his life and health.

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl

May 25, 2015

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl 

(for Lela)
 

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

With naturally-tan brown skin,

With a darling nose with a delicate dip

And a slight, dear cleft in your chin,

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

You’re quite grown up (too fast!).

I remember you as a Baby Girl,

How did the time sneak past?

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

You’ll soon a lady be.

You’re most a lady as still a girl,

You mean so much to me!

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

With a heart so big for God,

With a life that’s changed by Jesus Christ

And one washed clean by His blood.

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

You’ve served your family well.

You soon will have a home your own.

With a husband and children you’ll dwell.

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

Until you see that day,

Enjoy your life as a single girl

And love Christ in every way.

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

The age between us two

Is great I know, but what a friend!

 I so, so much love you!

The Throne Room of the King

May 18 or after, 2015
 

The Throne Room of the King

My heart is full of gunk and sin,

E’en in the Throne Room deep within.

With all that stuff I have dethroned

Him Who deserves the crown alone.

Oh LORD, come in! rule from this Throne;

Be King o’er me and God alone!

This stinking mire, Iniquity,

Has filled the place where You should be.

I know not how to go about

Repenting that it be cleaned out!

Give me a heart of true sorrow

For all the sin that’s caused you woe.

Speak to my heart, bid me repent—

What price of love for me was spent!

And once it’s cleansed, and all sin’s gone,

LORD, come and reign, rule from this Throne!

Be Thou Our Helper

May 5, 2015

Be Thou Our Helper 

“Be Thou our Helper, LORD.”

So oft’ my granddad prayed.

It was his prayer ‘most daily:

The LORD in his mind stayed.

My Granddad knew his failings;

His weakness he could see.

That God alone was strong enough

His life and prayers taught me.

His days on earth were numbered;

God gave him ninety-one.

Each moment was a priv’lege

To serve this man of God.

(Of course I didn’t see it

Always in such a light,

But as the days were passing,

The LORD was giving sight.)

And now his time for leaving,

“Promotion Day,” has come,

And we, with hope-filled teardrops,

Know he’s arrived at home.

And we, the ones who stay here,

Turn hearts again to Thee:

“Thou art All-Knowing, Father;

Be Helper now to me.

Be Helper to each member

That we would run the race

And be Thy faithful servants

Until we see Thy Face.”

The Satisfaction of My Father

April 21, 2015

The Satisfaction of My Father

I can’t do this anymore, my Lord! I long

For things out of my grasp, out of my reach,

For things that are short-lived, inferior,

To that which, by the Gospels, I've heard preached.

A husband is the thing I long for most,

The one that comes most often to my mind.

Sometimes a panic-longing washes me,

And, reeling, I'm no match for it, I find.

Oh, will he come? Will I e’er have a man?

(But what a question!) Is a man the height

Of that for which I ought to wish, to long?

Is he the one on which I fix my sight?

Is not My Father quite enough for me?

Is not He strong that ransomed my lost soul?

Is not He faithful and all-loving in His thoughts

That He, by His own self, would make me whole?

And why do I look now for someone else,

Another who might “truly satisfy”?

Can a mere man do what the Lord my God

Can only do for them He sanctifies?

Ah, LORD! I find my longing quite too much!

Too much to conquer or to quite contain!

Thou art enough for me, this I have heard,

But I must hear it from Thy mouth again.

Oh, LORD, speak now into my frantic heart.

Whisper or blow in me Thy softest breath.

Speak in my ear with Thy still, calming voice,

And all these sinful fightings put to death.

Thou art enough. Thou art enough for me!

I cling to Thee with spindly human arms.

But greater than that which now clings to Thee,

The Gracious Love that wraps out all alarms.

My LORD, Thy love is sweeter than I know.

Open mine eyes that I might see Thy face,

Draw me that I might closer to be to Thee

And trust Thee more because of this dark place.

Song of a Mother-heart (Isaiah 54:1-3)

April 19 or 20, 2015

Song of a Mother-heart

(Isaiah 54:1-3)

I sing to Thee now, O LORD, Who hast made me,

I sing to Thee now, for Thou, Lord, hast bade me.

A barren woman, no husband nor child,

I break forth into singing, aloud do I cry,

Thou hast given me children, (more than body could bear!),

They are mine by Thy working, through service and prayer.

I praise Thee! Thou wrought this! I am not without child;

I am not without husband, Thou art my Strong Guide!

I enlarge now my heart, take in each dear one;

My "tent" receives all, each daughter and son.

This tabernacle holds far more than I dreamed;

Though I fade like a flower, Thy blessings I see.

So I stretch forth my curtains, my cords I lengthen;

The canopy is spread; my stakes I strengthen.

And then this: (bless'd thought!) Thou providest the bread!

(Thou first feddest me, now these shall be fed!)

Thou clothed me with finest and whitest of linen,

And now, by Thy Spirit, Thou clothest my children.

So many to name, so many I love!

Unnumbered, save only by Jehovah above.

These spiritual babes I've been given by Thee;

Teach, make them Thine for eternity!