SO CONFUSED.
AND MUST I MENTION FRUSTRATED?
I WAS SURE THAT DOOR WAS OPEN.
BUT I GUESS I MUST HAVE KNOCKED TOO HARD,
CUZ I THINK I MAY HAVE DISLOCATED
MY SHOULDER BLADE.
I MEAN,
WHAT'S WITH ALL OF THIS
WHAT, TO SENSITIVE ME,
SEEMS LIKE RED TAPE?
WE GO TO THIS CHURCH,
WHERE HE HAPPENS TO BE THE PASTOR.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO TAKE NOTES
IN CASE A POEM MIGHT COME OUT OF IT LATER.
I MAY THINK I KNOW THE BIBLE
BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS,
BUT I'M SURE THERE ARE A FEW CHAPTERS
IN A FEW BOOKS
(PROBABLY IN EXODUS OR NUMBERS)
THAT I HAVEN'T STUDIED ENOUGH.
AND I ALWAYS MAKE SURE WHAT HE HAS TO SAY
LINES UP WITH WHAT YOU HAVE SAID, LORD.
AND, THANK YOU JESUS,
FOR ANSWERING MY PRAYERS
AND HELPING ME TO MAKE FRIENDS.
YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT AN EASY THING
FOR ME TO DO.
I'VE BEEN TOLD BY MANY EX-FRIENDS
THAT MY LIFE IS JUST WAY TOO DRAMATIC.
UH, I'M SORRY I'M DISABLED?
YOU SEE, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN
MUCH EASIER FOR ME
TO WRITE DOWN WHAT I'M FEELING
RATHER THAN TO SPEAK IT.
BESIDES, NO ONE EVER LISTENED TO ME
ANYWAY.
ARE YOU KIDDING?
MY MOTHER WAS THE OLDEST OF SEVEN,
SO I HAD AUNTS AND UNCLES
AND TONS OF YOUNGER COUSINS,
ALL MOSTLY SPEAKING MUCH LOUDER
IN THEIR SOUTHERN ARIZONA ACCENTS.
WAIT, WASN'T I TALKING
ABOUT MEGA CHURCHES BEING
NOT PARTICULARLY TO MY LIKING?
BUT, PLEASE DON'T SEND THAT BIG FISH
TO SWALLOW ME YET, LORD.
GIVE ME A CHANCE
I'M TRYING VERY HARD HERE TO BE FAITHFUL
I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE DISABLED PARKING
THERE THAT'S SO CLOSE TO THE SANCTUARY.
AND THE GIFT SHOP IS AMAZING.
BUT, BACK TO THE HANDICAPPED THING.
COULD YOU JUST MAYBE GIVE THEM
SOME THOUGHT
TO SAVING UP-FRONT SPOTS
FOR THOSE OF US WHO CANNOT STAND UP?
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THE WORDS
TO YOUR SONGS
SO I CAN SING ALONG,
NOT TO MENTION TO SEE THE BAND,
AND, O, YES, THE PASTOR.
AND THE ONE SWEET USHER IS SO HELPFUL
AND SEEMS GRATEFUL
TO HELP US SET ASIDE
MY WHEELCHAIR,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 'THE THORN'.
BUT, IF I AM STILL TO BE HONEST,
AFTER ALL,
I AM BORN AND BRED SOUTHERN BAPTIST,
SO MEGA CHURCHES?
YEP, A TAD TOO SCARY.
AND WHY, O WHY
IS THAT ALL THEY SEEM TO HAVE
HERE IN THE BEAUTIFUL I.E.*?
(I JUST ROLLED MY EYES RIGHT THERE.
DID YOU SEE?)
REALLY, ALL I SINCERELY WISH
IS JUST A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO
AND MEET
MY OWN PASTOR
EVEN THOUGH
HE DOESN'T KNOW ME BY SIGHT.
I'M NOT SURE IF HE EVEN KNOWS MY NAME,
LET ALONE THAT FACT THAT I'M A POET
AND IN A WHEELCHAIR
AND DISABLED.
YES, HE'S DONE SO MUCH MORE
THAN ME,
LORD
BUT, REALLY,
DEAR JESUS,
YOU ASSURED ME
THAT YOU DIDN'T PLAY FAVORITES
IN FACT, YOU TOLD ME IN YOUR WORD
THAT NOT ONLY DID YOU HAVE
MY LIFE PLANNED
WAY BEFORE I WAS EVEN BORN,
BUT I AM SPECIAL AND THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE,
NOT TO MENTION THE DAUGHTER
OF THE ONE AND ONLY KING.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU WANT MORE FOR ME
THAN I COULD EVER DREAM.
AND I BELIEVE YOU.
SO WHOEVER READS THESE POEMS,
WHEREVER IT TAKES ME,
WHOMEVER THESE SIMPLE WORDS OF MINE TOUCH,
THIS RED TAPE
IS NOTHING COMPARED
TO THE STRENGTH OF MY LORD.
AND, WHO KNOWS,
THIS MIGHT NOT EVEN BE THE RIGHT DOOR.
I THOUGHT IT WAS OPEN,
BUT I MAY HAVE BEEN MISTAKEN.
AND WHEN I STARTED WRITING,
MY PRAYER WAS THAT IF I COULD HELP
JUST ONE OTHER HURTING SOUL,
MY JOB WOULD BE DONE.
IT WOULD ALL BE WORTH IT.
I COUNTED THE COST,
I'M STAYING ON TRACK,
STAYING ON THIS LIGHTED PATH,
HIGHTAILING IT OFF OF THAT FENCE,
KEEPING MY EYES ON THE PRIZE,
AND ALWAYS, FOREVER, LORD,
KEEPING MY HEART AND SOUL
ON YOU
ALONE
MY SWEET KING.
ROMANS 5:3-5
NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE ALSO GLORY IN OUR SUFFERINGS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SUFFERING PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE; AND PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER; AND CHARACTER, HOPE. AND HOPE DOES NOT PUT US TO SHAME, BECAUSE GOD'S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED OUT INTO OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US.
*INLAND EMPIRE - FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, ABOUT AN HOUR WEST OF LA.
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