Dream or Vision

I fell asleep one afternoon,

Was it a dream or vision?

A tunnel gray and long,

Raised an intriguing decision.

 

Should I enter quickly?

Carefully tiptoe inside?

Or race ahead recklessly,

Caution thrown aside?

 

The light at the end

Was not white, as expected.

A warm yellow glow

Towards me was directed.

 

Wispy cloud-like beings

Drifted across the light,

Not wraiths, but angels,

A tantalizing sight.

 

But as I stood and pondered,

“Has my time come?”

The tunnel walls collapsed.

And the dream was gone.

 

I woke up disappointed.

“I am still here,” I thought.

Perhaps, the next time will bring,

The heavenly peace I’ve sought.

Dining at the Table

 

 

Dining at the Table

 

We sat at a table on our first date.

It was in a restaurant.

I don’t remember what we ate,

But the conversation was appetizing.

 

For decades we sat at a dinner table,

Sharing the important and the trivial,

Talking through the chatter of children,

Nourished by both food and conversation.

 

We sat at a table one Saturday evening,

Not knowing it was the last time.

Later, I could not remember what we ate.

Only the freshly baked blueberry muffins.

 

Now I sit at a table with one placemat,

Picking at tasteless morsels,

While devouring rich memories,

Gourmet leftovers reheated.

And the Angels Sang

When the angels sang…

 

Into the dark of a cold winter night,

Came a warm and radiant light.

Into a world where wars do not cease,

Came a babe who is Prince of Peace.

 

Into the confusion of a human mind,

Came a Counselor, wise and kind.

Into a life full of pain and grief,

Came the Shepherd for a wand’ring sheep.

 

And a hardened heart by sin so racked,

Looked on the light and defenses cracked,

Amazing love broke every barrier,

As the heart bowed down to the Lord and Savior.

 

And the angels sang!

Hurricane

Trees bend before your breath,

Water surges on the shores,

Sheets of rain pour from above,

The wind ferocious roars.

 

Nature wreaks its havoc,

On structures built by man,

Collapsing as it wishes,

Defying human plan.

 

Some bow before you trembling,

Others in defiance stand,

But it matters not to you, who are

Both horrible and grand.

Mend Me with Gold

Our love was held in a priceless artifact,

Exquisitely and skillfully formed.

It was so full that it spilled out.

We wished we could bottle it and give it away

To those who didn’t seem to have enough.

 

When the hand of death snatched you away,

It was not the beautiful pitcher that broke.

It was my heart that shattered.

Countless pieces, sharp shards,

Piercing me at every moment and movement.

 

Can the broken be mended and restored?

Artisans reassemble broken pottery,

Filling the cracks with liquid gold.

The damaged piece leaves their hands

Stronger and more beautiful than before.

 

Will the divine potter, master craftsman,

Reassemble my heart, remake me?

Can I emerge stronger and more beautiful?

More conformed to the image of His Son?

Can my heart be mended with gold?

 

A vlog of the same title can be found on youtube:  @ruthchapin8805

Gemstones in my Wake

On the boat watching the wake,

I see the spray of water,

Droplets sparkling in the sunlight,

Are thousands of dazzling diamonds.

 

I dream I am a queen,

Riding in my chariot,

Driven by my favorite knight,

Leaving diamonds in my wake.

 

But I am but a woman,

My boat and my knight are gone.

If only I could cast behind me,

Shining pearls of wisdom.

The Crimson Veil

I stand before a holy God,

By frequent failings marred,

By persistent sinning scarred,

By troubles encumbered,

By enemies outnumbered.

How often I’ve blundered,

Opportunities squandered,

With patience expired,

With work uninspired.

 

What will He do with me?

His glory encountered,

My ego devoured.

Will He redirect me?

Will He redefine me?

Will He be angered

By His image disfigured,

His perfect plan altered,

As I’ve stumbled and faltered?

 

His gaze is piercing, but…

          With loving eyes, He looks

Through the crimson veil,

Drawn from wounds of the nail,

          And by His grace, I am…

Redeemed!             

                                

Reaching

Before I met you,

I believed you existed,

Somewhere beyond my reach.

 

And when I met you,

My heart beat faster,

Knowing you were within reach.

 

For over 50 years

We circled and danced

Passionately reaching.

 

Now you are gone.

And once again, you exist

Somewhere beyond my reach.

 

And yet, I can’t let go.

My heart and mind keep stretching

Into a soundless void…

Reaching…

Reaching…

Reaching…

As in Adam All Die

As in Adam all men die,

So shall I pass through that veil,

Travel down the darkened path,

The rendezvous that none can fail.

 

Some I love have passed before,

Leaving me behind to cry,

Repeating to myself with grief,

“As in Adam all men die.”

 

But those who belong to Christ,

In a victory complete,

Will live again with Him.

Death crushed beneath His feet.

 

From I Corinthians 15:22-27

Sitting in the Stillness

“I’m alone,” she thought.

“The presence is gone,

The throbbing pulse of energy

Which had become part of myself.”

 

He danced through life.

Exuding a vibrant persona

Of agility and strength,

Both physical and mental.

 

So she sits in the stillness,

The space too quiet,

The air hanging heavy

With overwhelming grief and loss.

Forever

 I didn't just want

"Til death do us part. "

I wanted forever.

Your loss broke my heart.

My only solace,

The hope that I live in,

We'll be together forever, 

Someday in heaven.

The Lonely Path

I did not mean to walk this path.

I stumble, slip and fall,

Blocked from the path I prefer,

By death’s impenetrable wall.

 

I did not make a wrong turn.

A landslide forced me here.

I do the best that I can do,

In spite of grief and fear.

 

The ground is so uneven,

I trip on jutting rock,

And then I hit loose gravel,

Or roots that interlock.

 

I wished to avoid it,

This painful lonely journey,

Without the one I dearly love,

But, this path was chosen for me.

No Replacement

 I put a large pillow on the end of the sofa.

When I lie down for a nap,

I think my head is in your lap.

 

I took your placemat from the table.

I know you are not there.

I wrap my arms around your chair.

 

I slide my hand across your side of the bed.

The blankets are still and cold.

There is no hand to hold.

 

I talk to handsome you in that photograph.

It is propped up in a chair.

Words hang unanswered in the air.

 

But that place that held my love for you,

Could that be empty?  Never!

Full and overflowing.  Forever and forever.

Never the Same

You touched my life too deeply,

I loved you too completely,

I will never be the same.

 

Too many days together,

A bond too strong to sever,

I will never be the same.

 

Until some sweet tomorrow,

May abolish tears and sorrow,

I will never be the same.

Here I Am

Here I am alone in the darkness,

No hand near mine to hold,

No embrace wards off the cold.

 

Here I am alone with my questions,

No answer to my “why?”

No one to hear me cry.

 

Here I am struggling painfully forward,

Is there a path ahead for me,

A future yet to be?

 

Here I am so weak, flawed and broken,

Will my wounded heart be mended,

God’s healing power extended?

 

Here I am….

Silent Sob

Silent snowflakes fall to earth,

Leaves float gently down.

A tear drops from a wrinkled cheek,

But no one hears a sound.

 

My heart is shattered, broken.

My thoughts are incoherent.

A sob, a scream well up within,

But no one else can hear it.

 

Death snatched away my dearest love.

In vain I call his name.

His voice, his touch have disappeared,

And nothing is the same.

In God's Time

If you were anywhere on earth,

I would search until I found you.

I have already looked for you,

In the places you have inhabited.

 

But then my thoughts go to

How I found you to begin with.

I did not search for you.

I just stayed on the path God planned.

 

And we found each other surprisingly,

Seemingly as a coincidence.

But we came to believe, it was

The guidance of a divine hand.

 

What am I to believe now?

If our meeting was God-ordained,

What am I to think of our parting?

Was it a mistake…horrible and unintended?

 

“Shall we accept good from God,

And not trouble?” said Job.

Did God plan the joyous meeting

And not the painful parting?

 

In God’s time…

Meeting

Parting

Reuniting.

Achan's Sin

Achan’s Sin…and Mine

             (Joshua 7)

Have I squandered and hidden away,

That which is yours by right?

A bar of gold, a pile of silver,

A garment of radiant light?

 

Have I buried under my tent,

A holy, sacred thing?

An item intended for worship

A trophy for my king?

 

Has my sin impacted others,

Leading to their defeat?

Will confession undo the wrong,

As I come to the mercy seat?

 

From Achan’s sin came destruction,

His family’s death by stoning.

My sin by the grace of God,

Is cleansed by the blood’s atoning.

Water from the Rock

Moses struck the rock,

And water gushed out.

In my heart there is a rock,

Heavy and dense with grief.

Can water gush out?

 

The pain in my stricken heart

Leaks only tears.

Can the water of life,

Refreshing and invigorating,

Once more flow?

 

How hard must the rock be hit,

Before it cracks open?

How severe the pain,

Before it liquifies,

And water runs free?

 

Is water from the rock,

Too much to expect?

I pray this is only a dry spell.

I pray for a spring.

I pray for water.

Thoughts on Numbers 10:1-10

The silver trumpets sound.

We gather all around,

 Awaiting your direction.

 

The silver trumpets sound,

Though the enemy surround,

We trust in your protection.

 

The silver trumpets sound.

Reveal a glory that astounds.

We bask in its reflection.