The Fog Clears

As I mentioned yesterday,

Sometimes I have to fly

Shrouded in fog.

When that fog clears,

I don’t always like

What I see.

We received disappointing news

Later in the day yesterday.

(Often I’m writing these poems

For myself

And don’t even realize it.)

For me personally,

There were many advantages

To the decision

That had been made.

On the other hand,

I watched as my family experienced

A sense of rejection.

Uncertainty.

Disappointment.

Frustration.

Anger.

And there was

Nothing I could do.

That’s what hurt the most.

But after

Ice cream and Animaniacs,

We felt a little better.

Today

Everything is humming again.

Though my hubby

Still desires other work

And our son

Would still like to experience

His last year of college

With us close,

We’re doing OK.

The next time the fog clears

And we find ourselves

Where we don’t want to be,

It may be harder to adjust.

For now,

I’ll be thankful

And do my best

To love and encourage

Those with whom I fly

Most closely.

…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV).

Advertisement

Shrouded in Fog

When the way ahead

Is shrouded in fog

And the future is uncertain,

It’s vital

I fly

Reliant on

The One who has gone before me.

Actually,

When I see clearly…

Or think I do…

I have a less urgent reason

To trust.

And yet,

Trust is everything.

Plans,

As we know,

Can change in an instant.

The fog surprisingly,

In a real way,

Helps me see more clearly.

Because trust

Is the only prescription

For 20/20 sight.

The old song says,

Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand,
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

In the end,

I’d rather know

The Flight Instructor

Than the Flight Plan.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

Without Squawking

Do you suppose

Even the most powerful bird

Can advance

Against the current

By getting angry?

No matter how much it squawks,

The wind will continue to blow.

When I encounter headwinds,

I have the same choices.

Get angry

And

Make a fuss.

Or

Take a deep breath

Spread my wings

And fly.

Sometimes

Conditions change

Almost immediately.

What a joy!

At others

I may be in it

For the long haul.

No matter what,

The answer is still the same.

Determination.

Patience.

Energy rightfully expended.

Today

If I face the headwinds,

May I meet the challenge

Without squawking.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing (Philippians 2:14 NIV).

Drive Me Buggy

We were driving north

In Saskatchewan.

I was reading a book

With my head down

When I heard what sounded

Like raindrops on the windshield.

I looked up

And my hubby said,

“That was bugs.”

Ew, yuck!

On our return trip

We saw,

Down the road,

What appeared to be

Two plumes of smoke.

Wrong again.

They were swarms

Of tiny, flying insects.

So,

Why am I sharing this?

There are lessons to be learned

Even from bugs.

They were doing

What came instinctively.

They were flying with others

Of their kind.

And they were oblivious to

The danger approaching.

Now,

If I just do what’s always been done.

If I stick with the crowd,

Ignoring imminent danger.

If I refuse to look beyond

My immediate situation.

Tragedy is sure

To overtake me.

On the other hand,

If I recognize the danger,

Maybe I can warn others.

And maybe we can both escape.

…dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh (Jude 1:20-23 NIV).

Joy from the Heights

It’s official.

I like to fly.

Until this past weekend,

Any flight I took

Made me queasy.

Not this time…

And I’m sure it wasn’t only

The anti-nausea meds (grin).

On our flight west,

We broke through the clouds.

It was lovely.

It’s like flying above

A bed of cotton balls.

The view from below

Is obscured.

From above,

You can see

For miles and miles and miles.

And upon descent,

The clouds had broken up.

The world is amazing from above.

I especially noticed it

Upon our return.

We flew in at night.

When I see the lights

Of the city,

I see beauty.

But…

The pollution.

The dirt.

The pain.

The injustice.

For a few moments,

I can forget they exist.

Upon touching down,

I must again be ready

To engage real people

In real life.

Make I somehow

Retain the joy from the heights

And bless those I encounter

On the ground.

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation…In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land (Psalm 95:1; 4-5).

Winging West

Opportunity.

Inquiry.

Wait.

Follow-up.

Anticipation.

Progress.

Wait–again.

Encouragement.

Connection.

Routine.

Faith.

News.

Flight.

Fulfillment.

…as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15 KJV).

Head Held High

I pulled out of our parking spot

The other day.

It was gray and raining

Again.

While the weather

Doesn’t really bother me…

And I do appreciate

The budding trees

And the appearance of

Spring flowers…

I must admit

These dreary days

Are dragging on.

And then I saw it…

A robin.

What was he thinking?

How did he feel about the rain?

Of course,

I have no idea what these flyers

Think or feel

Or if they do.

But, for them, spring means

Returning home.

Building nests.

Laying eggs.

Nurturing hatchlings.

And worms.

If a robin feels,

I imagine it’s

Joy.

Expectation.

Thankfulness.

It doesn’t hide

Because of the rain.

It drinks in the life-giving benefits.

So,

When the skies are gray…

When the rain falls…

What will I do?

Will I grumble and complain?

Will I mope around

And make excuses?

Or will I look for the blessings

And anticipate the days ahead?

This bird

Who people eagerly watch for

When the winter is over

Has a lesson or two to teach me.

May I live a

Simple

Joyful

Thankful

Life.

May I face the rain

Head held high.

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving (Psalm 69:30 NIV).

Secure

My heart soars

At the thought of

Family members

Who want to spend time with me.

My heart soars

At the possibility

That I may be able to do

Something I’d pretty much

Given up on.

My heart soars

At a friend’s willingness

To do me a favour.

My hear soars

In anticipation

Of what may lie ahead.

My heart soars,

Knowing

When the excitement is gone,

I am still secure.

As is my heart.

Never will I [God] leave you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

Fly or Flounder

Funny…

How the same things that

Give me wings

Also hold me down.

As I’ve written

Many times before,

I’ve reconnected with many friends

Online.

I’ve also made some new ones.

I love it.

Emailing.

Facebooking.

Blogging.

And yet

I’d have to say…

I’m addicted.

Even though I tell myself

I’ll only check my messages

Morning, noon, and night,

I never follow through.

Even now,

Both facebook and email

Are open.

I’m like a little child.

I don’t want to miss anything.

However,

I can only accomplish

What I want,

What I should,

If I focus.

So,

Will I choose to fly

Or flounder?

I choose…

Flight!

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

Heart Set Free

A question.

A privilege.

A passage of time.

A comment.

A thought.

An Internet search.

A letter.

A commitment.

A brand new challenge.

An offer.

An acceptance.

A wondrous event.

A contact.

A couple.

Another adventure.

A coincidence.

A recommendation.

An ability stretched.

A call.

An agreement.

A heart set free.

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory (Psalm 73:23-24 NIV).