POETRY

A Little More Human

Scattered thoughts
Rabbit trails
Unsettled heart
Never fails

I stop to pray
But I can't focus
So much to do
How do I approach this

Why are my thoughts
Over there and not here
Why is my heart
Weighed down by the fear

The fear that You're not pleased
The fear that You're distant
The fear that I'm not good enough
The fear that I'm not worth it

The hamster wheel of life
Seems to never end
The race to get ahead
Is a race I'll never win

I'm trying hard to stop
I'm trying hard to pray
I'm trying hard to listen
To be still and contemplate

God, I know what You want
You want my affection
So why do I struggle
To focus my attention

Can You remove the distractions
Can You remove the noise
Can You quiet the chaos
So I can hear Your voice

But silence is the response
Nothing is all I hear
The distractions still remain
And the noise is still there

But then I have this thought
Could it really be Your voice
Maybe You want to meet me
In the middle of the noise

Maybe all my worries
Are the material for my prayers
Maybe all the distractions
Are the things I need to share

Maybe You don't want
My empty pretty prayers
Maybe what You want
Are my anxieties and my cares

Maybe what You want
Is simply to be with me
Not just a flow of words
That don't really mean anything

Maybe prayer is less about words
And more about communion
Maybe prayer is relational
And a little more human

Because I so often forget
That you were fully God and fully man
So it's easy for me to think
That You don't relate to who I am

But You know me and You see me
You're the very air I breath
So maybe all the noise
Is an opportunity to see

To see that You are present
In the middle of it all
To see that You are close
That You hear me when I call

To see that what weighs me down
Are the things I need to bring
The things that hold me back
Are the things You want from me

Not just a crafted paragraph
That I hope will make you happy
But a real conversation
With the One who really knows me

So here are all my worries
My rabbit trails and fears
Here are all my anxieties
My troubles and my tears

I lay them at Your feet
I put them in Your hands
I'm ok to just sit with You
Face to face with my closet friend

You never wanted my performance
You never wanted a perfect script
You just want to be with me
To fill me with Your Spirit

You knew me and You loved me
Before I ever spoke a word
So I'll stop trying to impress You
And just be here with you, Lord

All of the noise
All of the cares
Let's talk about them Lord
I know they aren't my alone to bear

So I'll just sit here with You
I'll just be still and listen
Lord, may I come just as I am
And may my prayer be a little more human

(Poetry by Jonah Lusk)

Breathe Deep

I know you're tired.
I know you're done.

Constantly moving.
Always on the run.

So much to do.
So little time.

I see the tears.
I hear the sigh.

So what if we got away?
What if we pressed pause?

What if we stopped?
No more balancing it all.

Because My child you have limits.
You can't actually do it all.

You are finite and human.
And it's ok to drop the ball.

Because the ball is not yours alone to carry.
That burden is not yours alone to bear.

Trust Me when I tell you.
I am here, and I am there.

I am watching over your children.
As they sleep and eat and play.

I am in the midst of your marriage.
As you scan the calendar for a date.

I am present in your job.
As you work to make ends meet.

I am present in your home.
As you laugh and pray and eat.

There is no place that I am not.
So just give it all to Me.

Put it all in My hands.
Lay it all at My feet.

Take My yoke upon you.
Learn from Me and see.

See just how I do it.
Let Me teach you how to be.

Let Me teach you how to live.
How to see what really matters.

Let Me be your foundation.
Centered, no longer scattered.

Rest your head against Me.
Trust that it's in My hands.

Abundant life is yours today.
Peace is yours, My friend.

Slow down. Stop running.
I am strong where you are weak.

I love you, My child.
Come to Me and breathe deep.

Our Resurrection

Lifted up.
This was the cost.
Savior of the world.
Hanging on a cross.

Beaten. Bleeding.
Weak and thirsty.
A declaration to the world.
A message of mercy.

Forsaken. Abandoned.
Despised and rejected.
This is our King.
Can you imagine it?

The One who formed the heavens.
The One who shaped the earth.
Now suspended between the two.
This is how much you're worth.

Scars on His back.
Nails in His hands.
Pierced for my sins.
The spotless lamb.

Gasping for air.
Struggling to breathe.
Each labored breath,
Giving new life to me.

But it was joy that kept Him.
It was love in His eyes.
Forgiveness for our sins.
Freedom on the other side.

So He endured the cross.
Despising its shame.
This was the price,
To give us a new name.

The cross. Our victory.
His death. Our life.
This is the good news.
The greatest sacrifice.

Debt paid. Chains broken.
Healed and restored.
Loved. Redeemed.
Peace like never before.

Yet the cross is not the end.
It's only the beginning.
Not just saved from our sins.
No, we were saved for something.

To walk in freedom.
To carry the news.
To love our neighbor.
To stand on the truth.

To preach the gospel.
To pray for the sick.
To be the hands and feet of Jesus.
A people filled with His Spirit.

So we rejoice in the cross.
That Friday was good.
Because Sunday is coming.
Just like He said it would.

The grave couldn't hold Him.
The keys to death and hell are His.
Only graveclothes are in that tomb.
This is our resurrection.