Have You Felt Where I Have Been?
A geography that I have grown to understand
The horizon 234 miles away from 40,000 feet
9 mountains in a circle with another in the middle
The shores of 3 different oceans
A sky so blue the brightness hurts your eyes
Because God put each there in the first place
Exhaustion from human endurance
To run long distance races with your all might
Repeatedly attempt 50 MPH on a bicycle
Multiple 100 mile bike rides called a century
Hiking 15 miles at 4 MPH an hour
Canoeing upstream against the wind with no other option to return
Because God held my heart in His hand helping it to pump
Extreme Poverty
Entire families huddled in a boat half the width of a room
Aborigines living in grass huts
In metal shacks rusted from a generation before
Slums with more rats than people
Rivers smelling of sewerage with no place to go
Street people selling wild nuts because it is all they had
Because even so I saw smiles on their faces that had to come from God
Beauty in nature
A single leaf dancing in the wind calling out to be touched
Beds of flowers and mushrooms wild yet looking groomed
A cloud rimmed with the glow of the sun all around
A late night borealis shimmering in the sky
Birds, animals, and insects displaying themselves to others
The immense darkness yet internal light of deep woods
Because God the artist painted them
Precious life
Grow into fullness and spread her wings
Last just for seconds but journey to the right place
Be restricted yet still enjoyed
Taken in breaths struggling to make sense in the pain
Given so all can be forgiven
Because the God I know lets us see this humanity to know the next
Artwork created by man
Crops grown in circles as far as the eye can see
Reservoirs damned to protect in floods
A painting of a train with a lighting blue background
Children grow from a baby to an adult
Mystical poetry with layers to understand
Can you be certain this was only made by men?
Mistakes be forgiven
Sometimes taking time to heal
Instantly with a smile
When you knew that was exactly what was needed
As if they never existed
Because Christ calls us to use this gift within each of us
Because I have felt where I have been:
I wait in hope to meet the Trinity
I sense a beauty I have not yet seen
I feel the community of the beyond
I know the call of God
I know I can help fix the wrong
I know where I want to be
I believe God is here with me
Sometimes God abandons you on purpose to give you strength for something else He has planned. If you are in the habit of knowing God is with you all the time, there is no worse feeling than not being able to sense His presence even if briefly. It is a very dark place that cannot be described in words. You can pray as much as you want but only God can lift this darkness. I was heading well into my second such day in a row and had to prove to myself like so many times before that God existed even in the current condition. In my anguish I found the proof in prior beauty, experiences, life, and endurance. Once understood literally hours later the grief ended for me. In these times I do not give up hope and thank God when it passes. In this case I am convinced God wanted me to experience that without Him Satan would have free reign over my soul.
For further reflection: Psalm 71:19-23
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my honor,
and comfort me once again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have rescued.
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This poem is included in the collection of 40 poems in the category of A Moment for Christ within the Immersive Prayer website. The poems are also available in book form on Amazon in Paperback or  . All Proceeds go to Charity. |
Additional Thoughts
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Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite the world’s distractions.