USE ME (RVD)

EVERYWHERE,

PAIN IS THERE.

AT LEAST THE DEAR

TRIES TO GREET ME

CHEERFULLY

EACH AND EVERY MORNING.

(NOTE TO SELF: NEXT TIME, JUST PRETEND YOU'RE ASLEEP.)

BUT IS IT REALLY ASKING TOO MUCH

FOR THIS PAIN-FILLED FRIEND

TO JUST DISAPPEAR

AS IF IT HAD NEVER BEEN THERE?

OKAY,

YES,

I HAVE TO HAVE A THORN IN MY SIDE,

MY MUSE OR WHATEVER

SO I KEEP WRITING NOT TO MENTION PLANTING SEEDS.

BUT COULD YOU HAVE NOT TAKEN YOUR TIME

TO PICK A MUCH SMALLER THORN

FROM A MUCH SMALLER TREE?

I SUPPOSE SUCH A STUBBORN PERSON

ISN'T EASILY SWAYED.

AGREED?

LORD,

CHANGE ME.

DON'T GIVE UP PLEASE (RVD)

THERE IS NOTHING

YOU CANNOT DO

WITHOUT THE LORD'S HELP,

SITTING UNDER HIS WINGS,

SHELTERED FROM THE SCARY STORMS

THAT SEEM TO, WITHOUT WARNING,

CONSTANTLY COME

AND FLOOD OUR HOME.

JESUS CALLS

US 

BEAUTIFUL,

THE APPLE OF HIS EYE.

HE HAS PROMISED US

HE WOULD NOT

ASK US TO DO

ANYTHING

HE ALREADY HAS NOT DONE HIMSELF.

NOTHING OR NO ONE

IS BEYOND

GOD'S LOVE.

YES,

I SUFFER FROM SEVERE CHRONIC

BACK PAIN

FOR YEARS NOW.

BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP MY WRITING SPREADING INTO COUNTRIES AND PEOPLES I HAVE NEVER SEEN.

MY PRAYER, LORD, THOUGH

HAS BEEN THIS:

IF I COULD HELP JUST ONE OTHER BEREFT SOLEMN OPEN SOLE,

THEN MY RACE WAS OVER.

BUT, AS YOUR WORD SAYS,

YOU, OUR CREATOR,

WANTS MUCH MORE

THAN WE WANT FOR OURSELELVES.

EVERY ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN

HAS A PURPOSE IN THIS SHORT LIFE.

YOU,

BEING HERE,

 IS NOT BY CIRCUMSTANCE

OR, GOD FORBID ME,

BUT THIS THING WE CALL LUCK.

PLEASE,

I AM BEGGING YOU

NO MATTER WHAT 

DON'T GIVE IN

DON'T GIVE UP

FOR A RAINBOW AWAITS YOU

AT THE END.

PSALM 34:18

THE LORD IS CLOSE

TO THE BROKENHEARTED

AND SAVES THOSE

WHO ARE CRUSHED IN SPIRIT.

NOT LOST (RVD)

HERE I AM, LORD,

THE EXACT SAME ME

AS WHEN YOU LAST CHECKED IN.

LYING IN MY BED,

ADDICTED TO SOME TV SHOWS

THAT MOST DEFINITELY

DO NOT FEED MY SOUL.,

WILL THINGS EVER CHANGE,

OR WILL MY BODY HERE IN EARTH

JUST GET WORSE?

OF COURSE I STILL LOVE YOU, LORD.

I WOULD BE A FOOL TO NOT.

FOR WITHOUT YOUR LOVE

AND CLEANSING BLOOD

I

WOULD BE LOST.

SO I BEG YOU TO DELIVER ME

FROM THESE ADDICTIONS

SO THAT I MAY

DO YOUR WILL

AND BE CURED OF THESE AFFLICTIONS.

1 JOHN 1:7

BUT IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT,

AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT,

WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER,

AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS,

HIS SON,

PURIFIES US FROM ALL SIN.

BUT FOR YOU (RVD)

STRESSED, FRUSTRATED
BY THE INSENSITIVITY
OF THOSE AROUND ME.
CAN'T THEY SEE
MY STRUGGLES AND CRIES,
MY DAILY GRIND?
JUST OPEN YOUR EYES.
HERE I LIE,
NOT QUITE HOPELESS IN MY BED,
WONDERING 
IF THINGS WILL EVER CHANGE.
WILL I BE THIS WAY FOREVER?
MY STRUGGLES BIND ME,
KEEP ME AWAY
FROM THIS RACE.
BUT I SHALL NEVER LET
MY SELF-DOUBTS AND EMPTINESS
INTERFERE
WITH YOUR GRACE.
FOR WHERE WOULD I BE
WITHOUT YOU?

ISAIAH 40:29 

HE GIVES STRENGTH TO THE WEARY

AND INCREASES 

THE POWER

OF THE WEEK

TOXICITY (RVD)

DON'T LET TOXIC PEOPLE

RUIN YOUR LIFE.

YOU KNOW THE KIND?

THE ONE'S THAT WANT TO RAIN ON YOUR PARADE?
JUST BECAUSE THEY MAY BE FAMILY
DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY DON'T BRING TOXICITY
INTO YOUR RACE TO ETERNITY.
GOD TELLS US TO GUARD OUR HEARTS DAILY,
AND IT TOOK ME A LONG, LONG TIME
TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT ONE SMALL WORD OF LOVE.
AFTER ALL, I'VE ALWAYS WORN MY HEART ON MY SLEEVE.
"YOU'RE TO SENSITIVE," I WAS TOLD DAILY,
UNFORTUNATELY,
TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S INGRAINED
INTO AND WRITTEN ON MY SOUL.
BUT,
PRAISE THE LORD,
HIS SCRIPTURE AND WORDS OF
AGAPE LOVE,
ARE DEEPER IN MY SOUL,
AND THOSE TOXIC WORDS WILL NEVER GAIN CONTROL
OF ANYTHING THAT MATTERS
BECAUSE I KNOW
WHO REALLY LOVES ME.
JESUS DOES.

PROVERBS 4:23 - ABOVE ALL ELSE,
GUARD YOUR HEART,
FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO
FLOWS THROUGH IT.

I KNOW YOU KNOW (COMPLETELY REVISED)

LORD,

I KNOW

YOU KNOW

I HAVE BEEN BROKEN
TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT,

BOTH IN BODY AND SPIRIT.

I WRITE ABOUT IT SO VERY MANY TIMES.

SHOULDN'T I HAVE ALREADY MOVED ON?

I LET THE DIRTY SECRET

OUT OF THAT DUSTY INSIDE-LOCKED CLOSET,

WHY,
OH WHY
I SIGH
 IS MY TASK YOU SET BEFORE ME YOURSELF
NOT YET COMPLETED,
BECAUSE I AM
EXHAUSTIVELY DEPLETED.
I ONLY FEEL THIS WAY, THOUGH,
WHEN I AM ALONE,
NOT LOOKING TOWARD YOUR THRONE.

LORD,
I KNOW
YOU KNOW

 THAT I AM SO TIRED OF HAVING TO PROVE MYSELF

OVER AND OVER
AND OVER AGAIN.

I WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH,

I WILL NEVER BE SMART ENOUGH
FOR THEM.

AND,
DARE WE MENTION THE FACT

THAT I CONSIDER MYSELF (shrug) AN ARTIST?

BUT, JESUS, YOU MADE ME
IN YOUR IMAGE.

I AM YOURS.

I WOULD NEVER HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY.
JESUS,
I KNOW

YOU KNOW

THAT MOST DAYS I HOPE

I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TIME LEFT

BECAUSE JUST THE OTHER DAY

 I WAS PRETTY SURE
 I MAY HAVE JUST CAUGHT A GLIMPSE

OF THE FINISH LINE.

YES.

I KNOW.

I'M NOT DONE YET.

DON'T COUNT ME OUT.
NOT TO BE SNIPPY,
BUT
I KNOW
YOU KNOW
I'VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE.
(OR MAYBE NOT.)

I'VE STEPPED THROUGH THIS FIRST DOOR,

THE COATROOM

SO TO SPEAK,

AND I CAN SEE A LARGER DOOR
BEYOND THIS PLACE.

AND,
HONESTLY,
I REALLY DON'T THINK
 IT'S THAT FAR.

SO I WILL STEP OUT IN FAITH,

KNOWING
ASSUREDLY
YOU WILL LIGHT MY WAY.

I TRUST IN ONLY YOU

AND YOUR WORD.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY?

BECAUSE
I KNOW
YOU KNOW

HOW VERY MUCH YOU LOVE ME SO.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

WE LIVE BY FAITH,

NOT BY SIGHT

GOODBYE MAMA JAN

I QUIETLY GLANCED
AROUND THE HUSHED ROOM

AT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
LOVINGLY

SURROUNDING
OUR MOTHER'S DEATHBED

AS SHE TOOK HER 
TWO LAST PEACEFUL BREATHS,
I LEANED DOWN TO TELL HER 
HOW VERY MUCH I LOVED HER
AND HOW VERY SORRY
I HADN'T BEEN A BETTER DAUGHTER.
AND AS I KISSED HER CHEEK FOR THE FINAL TIME,
 I NOTICED SHE HAD A SMALL TEAR IN HER EYE.
SHE HAD BEEN LISTENING
TO A CLOSE FRIEND

SING SWEET HYMNS
OF THE SWEET BY AND BY

AND THEN
 HER SOUL LEFT HER QUIETLY,

LIKE A WHISPER OR THE SOUND OF AN ANGEL'S  WINGS.

I MAY HAVE SADNESS IN MY HEART FOR NOW

BECAUSE I WILL MISS YOUR SWEET SMILE

THAT BROUGHT A GLITTER TO YOUR SOUL AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL EYES,

BUT I WANT TO REJOICE AND BE HAPPY FOR YOU,

KNOWING YOU ARE A PART OF GOD'S FAMILY.

NOW REST IN OUR FATHER'S ARMS,

REUNITED WITH YOUR LOVED ONES,

EXACTLY WHERE YOU BELONG.
SEE YOU SOON.

2 CORINTHIANS 8


...TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY
IS TO BE PRESENT WITH THE LORD.