A Mothers Day tribute; The Guilty is Set Free

The Mother of All Nurturers
A Mothers Day tribute

To the mother of all nurturers
I proudly tip my cap.
My mom is still the wind beneath my wings.
From the time I was a baby
she has whispered “Yes, you can!”
And so with words that rhyme, her praise I sing.

When those bullies on the playground
pushed me down or bruised my pride,
when I was cut and didn’t make the team,
my mother would remind me
that while feelings can be hurt
rejection isn’t always what it seems.

“When a door is closed,” my mom would say
“a window opens up.”
And “the nos of life prepare us to hear yes.“
She would help me see that God’s at work
when I can?t see His hand
and that average is okay when it’s my best.

Mom would tell me I was gifted
long before I had a glimpse
of the talents I’d been given to succeed.
When the self-doubt demons stalked me,
my mother drove them out
and encouraged me to simply just believe.

Now the mother of all nurturers
needs nurturing herself.
Mom is struggling and longs to know she’s loved.
She forgets that I have called her
and misplaces cards I’ve sent
to remind her she’s the one I’m thinking of.

Lord, please help my little mother
as she drifts to sleep at night
to have dreams that celebrate her sense of worth.
May she also sense Your presence
and the comfort of Your peace.
Please sustain this one who’s nurtured me from birth.

The Guilty is Set Free
Alesson in redemption from the headlines

Though guilty,
he’s forgiven
of the debt he rightly owed.
A gracious judge has set the prisoner free.
The Law’s demand was satisfied.
His debt was paid in full.
That headline sounds
quite biblical to me.

A new birth
some might call it.
The old has passed away.
The prisoner is quite different through and through.
God’s grace means new beginnings.
What’s “amazing” can redeem
that ex-con in Missouri
(also you).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2621377/Conrealious-Mike-Anderson-Missouri-father-released-jail-brought-13-years-late-credits-God-getting-family-this.html

Contemplating a moral response; And God Created Grandparents

The Syria Dilemma
Contemplating a moral response

Can crimes against humanity
be witnessed and ignored
when innocent young victims are abused?
Are we not obligated
by a moral sense of right
to retaliate by paying judgments dues?

Can monsters be permitted
to annihilate and maim
without fear of being weighed by Justice’s scales?
Are we not our brother’s keeper
or sister’s advocate
when they lack a voice to speak up for themselves?

Yes, the war on terror continues
as incarnate evil seeks
anyone or anything within its way.
But its ploys must be resisted
anywhere at any time
so to rescue those at risk who are its prey!

And God Created Grandparents
A poem for Grandparents Day (September 8)

Grandparents are what God designed
to underscore His grace.
Their love is unconditional
as shown by their embrace.

Their hugs convey how much they care.
Their words describe their pride.
A grandma and a grandpa
make you feel so good inside.

Grandparents tend to bend the rules
and grant what you request.
They’ve learned that life says no too much
and so they’re prone to yes.

A grandma and a grandpa know
to give their brood a break
for looking back they both recall
how much their hearts would ache.

Grandparents are the means by which
the Lord helps children see
how faith that’s tested through the years
withstands adversity.

They silently draw kids to Christ
without much need for words.
Their actions speak up for themselves
as what is lived is heard.

In celebration of family reunions

A family reunion
is a portrait of a clan.
You see your relatives with warts and all.
But you also see their beauty
and what makes each one unique.
The young and old, the pudgy, short and tall.

A family reunion
is a shimmy up a tree.
It’s quite fun to see how limbs and branches grow.
And you feel just like a child
as you flit from here to there
‘mid the laughter, tears and things you tell and show.

A family reunion
is a history book of life.
It’s a volume of God’s faithfulness and love.
On each page are found the stories
that are told time and again
’bout our relatives both here and those above.

A family reunion
is a chance to make amends
or to verbalize affection one last time.
It”s that time and place where cousins
can attest how thick is blood
and observe (first-hand) the reason for this rhyme.

Remembering a mother’s love as she increasingly forgets

When I was but a boy of three,
my mother took good care of me.
She cooked my food and washed my clothes
and dressed me for the day.

She helped me tie my laces tight
and tucked me in my bed at night.
She put my needs ahead of hers
and never once complained.

When I fell down or lost my way,
my mom was never far away.
She recognized my helpless state
and made me feel secure.

But now my mom’s “the child” in need
who struggles daily to succeed
at little tasks that tax a mind
that frequently forgets.

She needs my help to get around
or look for things until they?re found.
And when her eyes betray her fear,
I hold her trembling hand.

At times her needs can drain me dry,
but when I start complaining why?
I think back to my childhood
and how she cared for me.

* I dedicate this poem to all who identify with the season of life in which I find myself. May God give us all the grace to face the challenges of what is to come. I especially want to honor my brother Marc. My only sibling lives in the same community as our mother and as such deals with the issues surrounding our mother’s dementia much more than I do. I am grateful for his tireless effort and often unappreciated care.