Outside The Box Believers

Faith cannot be placed into a box.

Yet the faithful feel forced to fit into a mold.

A mold made by doubt within our own kind and carried out by nonbelievers just waiting to say, “I told you so.”

We’re not perfect and though we should strive for it, we shall never let our pride or sense of togetherness make anyone else feel small or not good enough.

Because the truth is none of us would sacrifice our last breath to honor a notion that we did not understand.

Yet we would give up a nourishing meal to live up to standards set by these box makers.

And we become numb to these insecurities because it’s easier to bury scars than to wear them proudly.

Yet when we do, we put ourselves in that same box and fear pushing the envelope might cause gossip and judgments by fellow box dwellers.

But we are not called to be in corners, we are called to break down barriers, be relatable, be scarred, be inspiring.

Be outside the box thinkers.

For Noah’s arc was outside the box.

Esther’s boldness was outside the box.

Paul’s change of heart was outside the box.

So we shouldn’t try to fit our faith inside this little box, we should let it grow into vineyards of luscious fruit.

Let it spiral in directions off the beaten path.

Let the wrong turns and spoiled vines be lessons to legions of followers.

Let them strengthen your heart so that it becomes durable to what ever trials it may face.

For God didn’t create us in our mothers’ wombs to be frail box inhabitants.

We are wonderful, fearless, one of a kind, box breakers formed to be soldiers in His army.

To stand up for what is right by him and to not be held down by these rules that minimize Him.

We are who we are for a purpose and denying what makes us that denies Him.

Let us all love each other for that reason so that we no longer judge each other by denominations or by sins but learn to love with grace and gratitude.

Let us help others out of their boxes to be revolutionaries of their own faith.

For God has a relationship with all of us and it’s in that relationship that we are molded and it’s in Him where we find our strength.

And no box could ever contain the love that He has for us and the love that His spirit will bring.

An Endless Second

I sometimes find myself fighting for you to surface

And because I lack in force, I grow weary in spirit

Then our antagonist pushes to sink you deeper and deeper

 

My breath shortens and my heart’s staccato pounding accelerates

Just enough to lose visions of what truly holds weight

I stand puzzled as to where we left off and unsure as to which direction leads closer to you

 

But hope taps on my shoulder as a conductor taps his baton on his music stand

To signify the ready and the set but it’s up to me for the go

And that last second will feel endless as I long for understanding of a future you already know

The Harvest

The high grass brings comfort to souls that dwell in shadows

It creates curtains of loneliness that are quickly welcomed

As the sun travels the lengthy sky

Spectrums burn through the gaps

Exposing wounds of neglect and self pity

Healing winds seem to go unnoticed

As you can’t see a breeze, only its effects

Yet the green blades of past regrets bend and stretch with each passing moment

Allowing thoughts to salute the tears of yesterday’s sins

For the pasture will continue to be cultivated until the land is overused

And when that day comes the hope will be in the harvest

Confliction

You painted Your canvas under one sky

You set it to revolve between darkness and light

And created juxtaposition within each extreme

 

Your light, a harsh yet gratifying warmth

Your dark, a bullet-hole-lighted path

Then created us to be the victor in this confliction

Love (Kenya)

love (kenya)

The big round eyes of a baby looking back at you

The way a stranger hugs you for the first time

The smile of the woman who doesn’t understand a word you speak

The circle of support around you that have heard your darkest and bear it with you

The reuniting of friendships between peers and mentors

The twinkling stars in the sky that help light the darkness

The gentle breeze on warm days that provides relief

The outreach of one dry, rough hand to another

The wisdom that is spoken to your particular predicament

The shared moments of silence where words are no longer needed

The time in His presence where calm fills the atmosphere

The unexpected, instantaneous answers to prayers

The discovery of rest after an uneasy test of faith

The hope that a single sunrise conveys

The sigh of relief and sense of peace that comes with each sunset

The love of our Father day after day, disguised in pieces on our daily retreat