HANDLE WITH CARE

PSALM 34:18 - THE LORD IS CLOSE TO THE BROKENHEARTED AND SAVES THOSE WHO ARE CRUSHED IN SPIRIT.

NOPE, DON'T HAVE A DEGREE
IN THEOLOGY.
BORN AND BRED
SOUTHERN BAPTIST,
MA'AM.
IF WE HAD TEN VISITORS
SUNDAY MORNING
GRANDPA WOULD BE OVERJOYED,
WHICH MEANT
NO SWITCHES.
BUT THAT DIDN'T MEAN
GRANDPA'S ATTENTION
WASN'T DRAWN TO ME
JUST AT DINNER TIME,
JUST AS EVERYONE WAS SEATED.
I WAS ALWAYS SHAKING IN MY SEAT
AND PRAYING SILENTLY
THAT GRANDPA WOULDN'T PICK ME
TO PRAY
OVER SUPPER
OUT LOUD
IN FRONT OF EVERYONE ELSE.
BUT,
OF COURSE,
HE WOULD,
AS IF IT WAS SOME SORT OF
PUNISHMENT.

BUT, MAKE NO MISTAKE,
I KNOW GOD'S WORD,
MOST LIKELY, THOUGH,
NOT AS WELL AS I SHOULD.
THAT'S WHY I STUDY THE BIBLE
EVERY DAY.
OK.
I TAKE THE OCCASIONAL BREAK.
BUT WHEN I DO,
I FEEL AS IF MY HEART IS DRAINING.

STARTING WHAT I CALL MY
'GOD IMMERSION PROGRAM'
IS THE BEST THING THAT HAS 
EVER HAPPENED TO ME.
TRY IT SOMETIME. 
I DARE YOU.
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE.
IN FACT,
I BET,
METAPHORICALLY.
(I CAN'T BET, REALLY, CUZ I'M A GODLY WOMAN,
AND I
99.9% OF THE TIME
NEVER TRY TO RHYME.)
YOU WILL WIN.
JUST ONE DAY.
FOR ME?
PLEASE?
JUST LIE IN BED.
NO PHYSICAL EXERCISE REQUIRED.

THESE ARE THE BASIC INSTRUCTIONS:

AS SOON AS YOU WAKE UP,
WHATEVER TIME THAT MAY BE,
THE VERY FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO 
IS 
PUT ON SOME VERY COMFY CLOTHES
(OR JUST STAY IN YOUR PJs),
THEN PUT ON SOME VERY COOL 
COMFY
HIPPY
HEADPHONES
AND LISTEN TO PRAISE AND WORSHIP MUSIC,
(YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE STATION FOR FREE).
SINGING ALONG
PRAISING AND PRAYING
UNCEASINGLY.
DON'T WORRY.
TO GOD, EVEN MY VOICE IS SWEET
TO OUR CREATOR'S EARS.
THEN, MAYBE, AS I VERY FREQUENTLY
AM LED TO DO,
MAKE SOME NOTES
IF YOU ARE LED TO DO SO TOO.



THIS PRAISE AND WORSHIP TIME,
FOR ME,
USUALLY, GOD WILLING,
INSPIRES A POEM.
AND THERE MAY BE THE OCCASIONAL TIME
THAT A SUNDAY SERMON MAY CLICK
SOMETHING IN MY MIND.

AND IF YOU CAN GET INTO
PRAISING OUR LORD FREELY,
THEN TWO OR THREE HOURS
WILL PASS BY
EXACTLY LIKE THE BLINK OF SOMEONE'S EYE.




HEY,
WHEN I'M SPENDING TIME WITH
MY BEST FRIEND EVER,
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.
I KNOW HE LOVES ME
AND I LOVE HIM.
I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH
ABOUT GOD'S AGAPE LOVE.
HE LOVES ME WHEN I FEEL AS IF NO ONE ELSE DOES.
HE IS THE ONLY ONE I CAN GO TO
WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND.

THEN,
IF AND ONLY IF I AM INSPIRED,
I WRITE.

AND I ALWAYS PRAY 
BEFORE I PUT PEN TO PAPER,
SO TO SPEAK,
THAT I CAN SOMEHOW WITH MY SIMPLE WORDS 
HELP 
SOMEONE,
ANYONE
OUT THERE IN THIS
BIG
SIN FILLED WORLD THAT IS NOT MY HOME,
THAT I IN KNOW WAY,
SHAPE OR FORM,
BELONG.

I TRY.
AND PRAY.
AND CRY.
AND TRY SOME MORE,
AND CRY SOME MORE,
MOST TIMES FEELING 
AS IF
I AM THE ONLY ONE
SUFFERING.
I JUST BELIEVE THAT
NO ONE I KNOW
UNDERSTANDS
THE PAIN.
EXCEPT FOR JESUS.

I NEEDED HELP,
OBVIOUSLY,
YESTERDAY,
SO I  CAME TO YOU,
AS I WAS INSTRUCTED TO,
AND, TO ME, SURPRISINGLY,
YOU DIDN'T REMEMBER MY NAME.
NO WORRIES, THAT HAS HAPPENED
THROUGHOUT MY LIFETIME.
INVISIBLE ME.

OK. PITY PARTY OVER.

SO I DON'T KNOW YOU WELL,
BUT THE BIBLE TELLS ME TO COME TO MY ELDERS
IF I'M IN SOME SORT OF TROUBLE
AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO WHERE ELSE TO GO.

GOING BACK TO THIS NAME THING.
IT'S QUITE EASY TO SEE THAT I HAVE A DISABILITY.
IF THE CRUTCHES 
OR WHEELCHAIR 
DIDN'T GIVE 
YOU A CLUE,
GIVE IT AWAY,
THEN HOW ABOUT THE HUMUNGOUS BRACE 
ON MY LEG?
AND YOU ARE IN CHARGE, SO TO SPEAK,
OR SO I THOUGHT.
I KNOW I HAVEN'T BEEN GOING THERE FOR
A VERY LONG TIME,
BUT GIVE ME A BREAK.
IT HAPPENS TO BE
A TAD HARD,
IF YOU HAVE YET TO NOTICE,
FOR ME TO GET AROUND.
AND NOT TO TOUT MY DISABILITY,
BECAUSE I GIVE GOD ALL OF THE GLORY,
AND I KNOW THIS PLACE IS WHAT IS EXPLAINED
AS A MEGA CHURCH.
AND, QUITE HONESTLY,
I HAVE NOT SEEN MANY OTHER
WOMEN QUITE LIKE ME.
BUT, AS I'VE JUST MENTIONED,
I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION
THAT YOU WERE A LEADER THERE,
SO, I APOLOGIZE
BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT
TO BE HELD BACK FROM THE ALTER,
IN OTHER WORDS,
PRAYER.

ACTUALLY WE HAVE MET
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
AT FIRST, YOU AND THAT OTHER GUY
SEEMED TO BE EXCITED
THAT I HAVE A CHRISTIAN BLOG
WHERE I SHARE MY CHRISTIAN POETRY.
BUT, PLEASE BE HONEST HERE -
HAVE YOU EVEN TAKEN THE TIME
TO READ ANY?
DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT I WRITE ABOUT -
THE PAINFULNESS ASSOCIATED 
WITH MY ENTIRE LIFE?

SO TODAY I AM FEELING QUITE DOWN
JUST BECAUSE YOU COULD NOT REMEMBER
MY NAME.
BUT WHAT'S NEW?
WHY SHOULD YOU?
IT'S JUST ME,
A CHRISTIAN WOMAN
WHO TRIES TO HELP OTHERS
WHO HAVE OR ARE GOING THROUGH
ANY KIND OF PAIN WHATSOEVER.
BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND.
AND I KNOW THAT JESUS
UNDERSTANDS
MORE THAN ANY BEING.

SO, WHETHER OR NOT 
YOU CAN REMEMBER MY NAME
(SHERRIE)
OR THAT I HAVE A WORLDWIDE-READ BLOG
WHERE I WRITE CHRISTIAN POETRY
OR THAT, TO MY HAPPY SURPRISE,
SOMEONE IN A COUNTRY WHERE
OF WHICH I HAVE NEVER EVEN HEARD
(SORRY OMAN)
READ WHAT I WRITE,
MY NAME IS SHERRIE SCHREIBER
AND I WRITE CHRISTIAN POETRY.
THEN,
ONLY THROUGH GOD,
I GET INTO THE 1040 WINDOW.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I DON'T THINK I'M THAT GREAT.
I JUST WRITE WHAT THE LORD GIVES ME.
I'M NOT IN CHARGE.


I WOULD APPRECIATE A SMALL FAVOR, THOUGH,
IF I AM THERE AGAIN,
THAT YOU TRY TO REMEMBER
MY NAME?
IF I AM THERE,
I AM THE ONE EITHER IN A WHEELCHAIR
OR ON CRUTCHES WITH A VERY LARGE BRACE
ON MY LEG.

AND MUST I STILL PAINT ON A HAPPY FACE
SO YOU DON'T SEE THE SCREAMING
BEAMING
SCREAMING FOR HELP
PAIN
IN MY EYES?
O, AND YES,
LEST I FORGET,
MY BLEEDING HEART
I SO CAREFULLY TRY TO WRAP IN GAUZE?


I DON'T DESERVE FORGIVENESS.
I AM NOT SAYING I AM THIS 
AWESOME CHRISTIAN WOMAN.

OK.
SO, ONE OF THE INTERESTING
(DARE I CALL IT SURPRISING?)
THINGS
ABOUT SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WITH MY KING
IS THE MORE TIME I SPEND TIME WITH HIM,
THE MORE I STUDY AND WRITE HIS WORDS
ON MY HEART,
NOT TO MENTION
THE AGONIZING CHORE
OF BINDING THEM ON MY FINGERS AS WELL,
THE MORE I
GRASP
THE FACT
THAT I DESIRE TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE,
JUST JESUS AND ME.
THERE IS NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME
LEFT ON THIS WORLD.
BUT I WILL DO MY BEST,
WRITE THE TRUTH,
BECAUSE,
REMEMBER,
I HAVE ETERNITY
TO PRAISE
THE ONLY ONE
WHO REALLY LOVES ME.
JESUS.

AND, PS:
I AM A DAUGHTER OF THE MOST HIGH KING.
I AM FRAGILE, SO HANDLE WITH CARE.

PROVERBS 7:2-4 - KEEP MY COMMANDS AND YOU WILL LIVE; GUARD MY TEACHINGS AS THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE. BIND THEM ON YOUR FINGERS; WRITE THEM ON THE TABLET OF YOUR HEART. SAY TO WISDOM, "YOU ARE MY SISTER," AND TO INSIGHT, "YOU ARE MY RELATIVE.