A WOMAN I HAD NEVER MET
PLACED HER HANDS SO VERY SWEETLY ON MY SHOULDERS
AND MADE ME CRY.
THAT WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT,
JUST A SIMPLE GESTURE,
BUT GIVEN AND RECEIVED IN LOVE,
JUST EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED.
I WAS FEELING WORSE THEN USUAL
AND SHE SAW ME STRUGGLE INSIDE
ON MY CRUTCHES
AND IN MY LEG BRACE.
COULD SHE SEE THE LONELINESS ON MY FACE?
I HAVE NOT YET CONNECTED
WITH A SISTER MY AGE
MORE THAN ONCE.
IT'S A HUMONGOUS PLACE.
ABOUT THE SIZE OF DISNEYLAND.
I DID HIT IT OFF WITH ONE OTHER SISTER.
I STILL WEAR THE BRACELET SHE SO
LOVINGLY GAVE ME.
FOR THOSE OF YOU
WHO DO NOT KNOW,
THAT'S CALLED CHRISTIANITY.
I LOOK FOR HER EVERY TIME WE GO,
BUT, NO.
TODAY, THOUGH, THE SITUATION WAS
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
I'M AN OVER SHARER,
THAT'S JUST WHO I AM,
SO I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT
I DIDN'T GET MUCH OF A CHANCE
TO TALK
TO THIS SWEETHEART LOVING SISTER,
BUT IT SEEMED AS IF SHE COULD SEE
MY CRUSHED HEART
AND MY NEED FOR COMFORT.
AND SHE COULD SEE, TOO,
THAT I WAS PRAISING OUR GOD
THE BEST THAT SOMEONE THAT CAN'T
STAND UP CAN DO.
I HOPE SHE SAW IN ME AT LEAST
A FRACTION
OF THE LOVE OF JESUS I SAW IN HER.
I GAVE HER ONE OF MY BLOG CARDS,
AS I USUALLY DO AS AN INTRODUCTION,
AND I LIKE TO SHARE MY POETRY,
PRAYING THAT IT HELPS SOMEONE
OTHER THAN ME.
SHE EVEN GOT UPSET WHEN ONE
'PRIVILEGED' SISTER
IT SEEMED AS IF WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING,
PRECARIOUSLY CLIMBED OVER MY BAD LEG
AT LEAST 100 TIMES,
OR SO IT SEEMED.
ALTHOUGH LITTLE MISSY APOLOGIZED
AFTERWARD, AFTER SHE SAW MY CRUTCHES
AND HOW HARD IT WAS
FOR ME TO STAND UP.
BUT AN APOLOGY IS NOT AN APOLOGY
IF FOLLOWED BY THE EXPLANATION
THAT APPARENTLY I HAD TAKEN HER SEAT.
YOU SEE, AS I'VE PREVIOUSLY STATED,
THIS IS A GINORMOUS CHURCH,
BUT FOR SOME REASON,
THE NOT-SO-CAPABLE SEATING
IS IN SECTION Z.
YEAH, THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK FOR ME.
I SAT THERE THE FIRST TIME WE WENT THERE,
AND I COULDN'T EVEN READ THE WORDS
TO THE SONGS THAT I WAS HEARING
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME
ON NOT ONE OF THE THREE SCREENS.
I COULDN'T EVEN SEE THE PASTOR,
I COULD ONLY HEAR HIS VOICE,
BUT I WAS EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE
A CERTAIN USED-TO-BE FAVORITE
PASTOR'S VOICE.
THERE'S A REASON WE ARE NOT TO
GO TO CHURCH
JUST TO HEAR FROM A MAN.
MOST OF THE REASON I GO
IS FOR THE FELLOWSHIP
AND THE MUSIC.
IF I HAVEN'T MADE IT CLEAR,
I LOVE TO PRAISE MY LORD.
IT BUMS ME OUT THAT I CAN'T DANCE.
THERE IS NOTHING MORE
THAT I LIKE TO DO
THAN TO PRAISE MY LORD.
BUT THIS IS VERY DIFFICULT
WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE THE WORDS.
SO I DRAW MY NOT-SO-CAPABLE CARD,
SLOWLY WALK TO THE FRONT,
FROWN SWEETLY,
(HEY, I'M STILL CUTE,
EVEN AT SIXTY)
NOTICING THAT THE FIRST THREE ROWS
ARE RESERVED,
NOT FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME,
BUT, APPARENTLY, FOR THE PRIVILEGED,
THE ONES WHO HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS,
I SUPPOSE.
WOULDN'T IT MAKE MORE SENSE IF THOSE PRIVILEGED ONES THAT HAD TO GET UP AND DOWN SO FREQUENTLY HAVE RESERVED SEATING IN THE BACK ROWS RATHER THAN RESERVE SECTION Z FOR THE ONES THAT CANNOT PHYSICALLY STAND UP AND DESIRE TO PRAISE GOD?
SHOULDN'T WE AND PEOPLE LIKE ME
HAVE RESERVED PARKING IN FRONT,
POSSIBLY ROWS A, B & C?
JUST A THOUGHT.
AND IF YOU ARE READING THIS NOW
MY SWEET BEAUTIFUL SISTER,
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW
HOW MUCH I NEEDED YOU
TO STAND UP FOR ME,
TO COMFORT ME,
TO LOVE ME.
YOUR GENTLE TOUCH AFFECTED ME
IN SUCH A WAY THAT MY SIMPLE WORDS
CANNOT EXPRESS.
YOU HEARD FROM GOD.
YOU WERE THERE IF FOR NO OTHER REASON
THAN TO COMFORT A SISTER.
HEBREWS 10:23-25
LET US HOLD UNSWERVINGLY TO THE HOPE WE PROFESS, FOR HE WHO PROMISED IS FAITHFUL AND LET US CONSIDER HOW WE MAY SPUR ONE ANOTHER ONE TOWARD LOVE AND GOOD DEEDS, NOT GIVING UP MEETING TOGETHER, AS SOME ARE IN THE HABIT OF DOING, BUT ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER -- AND ALL THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING
B
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