Immanuel

Tags

advent, Christmast, Jesus, pain

Come into my broken and heal me, Lord God:
My pain is sore throbbing and will not let up.
Come into my broken and weep with me here:
It’s only Your love that can comfort and soothe.

He came to our broken and lived with us here:
He felt all our sorrows and all of our pains;
He came to our broken and cried for our loss,
And paid for our sin with His death on the cross.

Lord Jesus, we thank You for living with us,
And seeing the broken that others may scorn.
We choose to adore you and live now for You;
In Your healing love may we always abide.

Gwennon
November 7, 2018

I wish I were a good enough musician to play this for you on the piano. But even if I could, I have never learned to sing and play the piano at the same time.

This little song wrote itself in the parking lot of church, where I made myself late to the prayer meeting.

All Consuming

Tags

God, Jesus, pain, prayer

We’re too polarized to cement
Our opinions in agreement.
How I wish that you could only
Turn to Jesus with your sorrows
(Since your angst makes you so lonely),
Trusting Him Who makes tomorrows.
He knows ev’rything—AND CARES.
There’s no short-term fix for problems.
Only God above can solve ‘em.
And He wants to hear your prayers.

Gwennon, November 1, 2020

Composed (hopefully in secret) during the sermon in church Sunday for everyone with whom I may disagree politically. Our hope has to be in Heaven. God is still God. Regardless of government and politics. At times like this, I like to lean on Proverbs 21:1, which speaks of God holding and directing “the heart of the king” “like a watercourse”, turning it in whatever direction He wants it to go. Without meaning to, I have amalgamated several translations. You will want to look it up for yourself. The point is, God is higher than governments, and He is still in control, regardless of what we see. Or think we see.

Truly

Tags

God; church; Christian life

God does not love a perfect church,
As far as we can see:
The truly perfect, finished church
Is something yet to be.
So, all of God’s dear children here,
Whom we see face to face,
Are also still unfinished,
And must each be given grace.

Gwennon
February 3, 2020

Just a Nurse?

Tags

poem for nurses, Tribute poems

Just a person who brings comfort,
Just the one that patients trust,
Just the one that people turn to
When their health is not robust,
Just the one that others lean on
To be tender, tough, and wise,
Just the one who follows through
When weaker persons hide their eyes,
Just the one the doctors count on
To continue giving care
When the experts are long gone
You are the one who’s always there,
Just the one who has the answers
That our crisis may reverse,
Just the one who’s well-prepared,
You’re so much more than “just a nurse”!

by Gwennon
August 8, 2020

for Barb Martin, a hero in our community

As Is So Often the Case

Tags

Christian walk, hypocrisy, narrative poem

When pondering the least of these—
Those souls who make a soft appeal—
Are calls to Christ to these just tease?
Is our concern for these souls real?
To their needs will we kindly rise?
Will we make room for those outside?
Or do we cries for help despise?
Will their “too hard” needs be denied?
These seekers may not neatly fit
The schedules which our selves may please:
Are we too proud to retrofit
Those comforts which don’t work for these?
We pray for God to meet their needs,
While we ourselves may hold the keys,
But callously refuse their pleas
Because we MUST protect our ease.

Gwennon, July 12, 2020

written onto the back of the church bulletin during the middle of the sermon
after an appeal to minister to someone who loves Jesus fell flat on deaf ears

How I wish I could tell y’all that this poem applies completely to someone else and that I never need its message myself. But it’s not true. I need this message as much as the people I thought I wrote it for.

Dangerously Close

Tags

dog drama, doggie-loves, doggies, dogs, envy, humor, narrative poem, pain

Their spat began, predictably,
When those in power sat to eat,
As each pinned secret hopes upon
The wonder of a stolen treat.
Their people smiled and laughed and chewed—
So slowly did they eat their meal!—
And he edged close and closer to
The morsels he had planned to steal.
His plans to steal were ended when
Her HOWL of sorrow sounded then:
He ought to stop!
This was not fair!
He’d moved too close
And wouldn’t share!
Their people stopped to frown and stare,
And time and food moved slowly on,
And mouths and stomachs growled despair,
And still their war would NOT be gone:
He stood too close!
It wasn’t fair!
In his place
She, of course, would share.
And people ate, and dogs drooled on,
Until the envied foods were gone,
And Dad got up to find a treat
His “hungry” pups could safely eat.
And each dog snagged
A treat or two
While firmly in
Each other’s view,
But still each frowned
And drooped, and sighed,
As dreams dried up
Of treats denied,
And each thought
In his secret heart
THE OTHER
Got THE BETTER PART!!!!

Gwennon
June 14, 2020

for Roosevelt and Beatrice

Kissy Face

Tags

humor, life

I kissed lipstick on my husband,
Who then kissed it back on me;
So—SURPRISE!—I have a lipstick stain
That all the world can see.
If only I had thought to wear
A stain less deep and dark
Than this, which in its transfer
Left a brilliant scarlet mark!!
Instead, I blithely carried on,
Not knowing that my cheek
Proclaimed an inner secret
I had made no plans to speak.
I wonder if my husband, too,
Has red marks all his own,
Detailing to his workplace
How he had not lunched alone.
In future I must check my skin
Before I go outside,
Unless I want some makeup stains
To private things confide.

Gwennon
May 15, 2020

And Though We Tried

Tags

pain; love; disappointment; Christian walk; walking with Jesus, truth; life;

Sometimes we do what’s right, and things fall through:

Sometimes we do exactly

What God told us we should do,

And like those long-dead prophets

Who saw peace was overdue,

Sometimes we do what’s right, and things fall through.

Sometimes we do what’s right, and no one sees:

Sometimes we stand amazed, alone,

While living Love’s decree.

Sometimes our costly love is spurned

In perpetuity:

Sometimes we do what’s right, and no one sees.

Sometimes we do what’s right, and no one cares:

Sometimes our sacrifices

Fall on sleepers unaware;

Sometimes we give and give,

Then we’re consumed by our despairs:

Sometimes we do what’s right, and no one cares.

And hard hearts must be tilled.

And loving is God’s will.

And Christ stands with you still.

for Ana and Nicole

by Gwennon

June 9, 2018

Edited February 29, 2020

Colossians 3:23 New International Version “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

I know that our labors here are for God, and that results are not necessarily up to us since there’s truly only so much that we can control. But my heart is broken a little today over something I thought would have a happy ending. Instead, I’m learning about trusting God while forgiving the careless and the clueless. I am not enjoying the process, but I hope that God is forging godly character in me in the midst of these flames.

If those of you who pray want to pray briefly for several unnamed people, I would appreciate it.

Everyone else, ask God to meet you in the middle of your own brokenness and questions. You just might be surprised by what He does next.

I Don’t Need You

Tags

acrostic poem, cheesecake, correction, dogs, family dinner, food, Pets, temptation, Thanksgiving drama, truth

Excuse me while I find you something else

And somewhere else to occupy yourself.

The truth is, that cheesecake doesn’t need you

In its personal space at the moment.

Now let’s just move right along. Move along.

Go on with you now. Yes. You. I’m talking

To you. No one else. That “innocent” look

Has nobody fooled. You’re fooling no one.

And I’m not trying to be mean. You know

That you won’t resist temptation alone.

Cheesecake conquers self control faster than

Hot-blooded Americans realize,

Especially if mealtime was more than-

Er — a minute or two ago. You want

Some for yourself and you might as well tell

Everyone, including yourself, the truth.

Come away with me before you fall to

Agonizing depths of diet failure.

Kindly leave the table, then stay away.

Enjoy a nice big slice of self-control!

by Gwennon

November 27, 2019

for my German Shepherd, “Roosevelt”, who has expressed no overwhelming disdain for all desserts

All Purpose

Tags

dinosaur, Dinosaur Poems, driving, humor, narrative poem, Ridiculous Rhymes, triceratops

Native of all my loveliest daydreams,

Expected to jolt to life anytime

We are together. She’s more than she seems:

Perfect for young and old, inspiring rhyme

Even doing nothing at all. This sweet

Triceratops is plush and whimsical,

Delighting me, and awakening dreams

I cherish of Eden’s peace. Optimal

New friend of kids who into wonder roam.

Options for her employment are many:

Sunblock sitting on my shoulder while my

Awesome husband cheerfully drives us home.

Unexpected friend of silly granny,

Reaching for her, since she is so close by.

Gwennon

October 15, 2019