poetry friday: ~~Jesus saves~~

i've decided that today would be a great day to share a poem i wrote more than 20 years ago. it seems the message is as important today as it was back then.

i've always loved writing poems. from the time i was a young girl, the sound of words-especially rhyming words, has been music to my ears. i consider it a gift, of course, to be able to write things that touch people. to be able to write things that mean something to someone. i never think it's me. i never assume that i've created this talent on my own. i know, i've always known, that my writing is an incredible gift from God. and knowing that makes it a huge responsibility. one that i don't take lightly. one that i don't want to waste. i pray that in everything i write that i always use my gift in a way that gives glory to Him.

the poem is called "Jesus saves" because He did. and He does. He saved me from this world. He saved me from myself. He saved me when no one else could. and if you need saving, He's willing to save you too.

so here it is, my 20 year old poem. i hope you like it.

Jesus saves

"you're stupid," he mocked through a heart of stone.

"i know," my mind replied.

"you're wrong!", he yelled at me again,

i guess i just don't try.

"you're fat. you're ugly. you've failed again",

these thoughts won't go away.

the dark sets in, my heart is crushed,

i can't live another day.

"but i love you," a voice calls from above,

"who me?", i asked the man.

"yes you," He said, "without a doubt,

you see, I understand.

just how it feels to think this world

doesn't have a place for you.

and how it feels when others fault

most everything you do.

I've been there...I know your pain,

but I can make it turn around,

into a love you've never known,

it's just waiting to be found."

"but i'm not good enough," i said through tears,

and i'm a sinner, through and through.

"I know," He said, and stretched out His arms,

but my heart has room for you."

if you have a poem you'd like me to share on my blog, send it to me at colleen-1969@hotmail.com. i'd love to hear from you!!!

1440 minutes a day

1440. that's how many minutes are in each day. that's how many there were yesterday. and the day before. and the day before that. 

1440.

that's over a thousand opportunities to make a difference. over a thousand chances to make someone smile. over a thousand moments to touch someones life.

seems overwhelming really. and unrealistic, of course. to think that we would spend all of our time today on other people. to think that we would look for ways to help others without first helping ourselves.  

after all we've got a lot to do in one day. and by the time we get done doing everything we need to do for us, there's usually nothing left for anyone else. and even worse, there's usually nothing left for God.

oh, we could throw in a couple of prayers here and there. maybe a quick thank you. a hurried hello. but there's just not enough time in the day. we reason with ourselves that He understands. He knows our heart. He knows our intentions. He knows if we had an extra minute we'd be spending it with Him.

but would we?

1440 minutes and we barely have a moment to spare?

we cram so much stuff into one day that it becomes habit to push Him to the bottom of our list. and our daily habit eventually becomes a daily way of life. before we know it, we start to feel far away from Him. we can't feel His presence. we strain to hear His voice. and when we can't hear His voice, we don't know what direction He needs us to go. 

there are things He needs us to do but we can't hear Him above the chaos we've created around us. we exhaust ourselves to the point that we have no energy to do anymore or anything for anyone or anybody. the world becomes all about us. 

and when it's all about us we miss those thousand opportunities to make a difference. to make someone smile. to touch someone's life. 

imagine at the start of each day, someone knocks on our door and hands us a gift. inside it are the 1440 minutes of the day at hand. we can do anything we want with them. from experience we know that these minutes will disappear quickly. and there's not a promise attached that we'll get to use all of them. 

we have to act fast. we have to remain focused. we have to take those minutes and spend them the best way possible. we have to remember that these exact minutes, these exact moments will never pass our way again. 

knock knock. 

God has just given us 1440 moments of a lifetime.

how will you spend yours today?

i want to live as if Jesus' death means something to me

i want to live my life as if Jesus dying on the Cross means something to me. i don't want it to be obvious only at Church. or only on Easter. or just at Christmas. i want it to be an everyday love affair. i want to wake up thanking Him, go to bed thanking Him, and spend every moment in between trying to bring Him glory.

i want more than a casual relationship, i want Him to be my best friend. i want Him to know my voice. i want to know His. i want to be like David-someone "after God's own heart."

i want to remember His sacrifice. remember His suffering. remember His willingness to take the place for my sins. 

i want to remember how He was betrayed. how He was ridiculed. how He was mocked. and realize that He did it for me, so that i wouldn't have to pay the price. because i could never pay it. He knew that. and He did what He had to do-what only He could do-so that i might have eternal life.

i don't want that realization to get lost on me. i don't want to take it for granted. i don't want to live my life arrogantly and selfishly, as if i can do anything i want and get away with it.

but i often get sidetracked. i often have setbacks. no matter how much i want to be with Him, i find other things that take up my time. other things that become my priority. no matter how much i want to live for Him, i still find other things i want to live for. other things that become my focus.

i am surrounded by temptations. i am surrounded by the desires of this world. so often i take two steps forward and then jump three steps back. my mind wanders. my thoughts drift. my words contradict.

and in my actions i become the betrayer. the one who ridicules. the one who mocks. suddenly it is me who nailed Jesus to the Cross. who couldn't stay awake in the garden. who sells Him so easily for 30 pieces of silver. 

i don't want to get lost. i don't want to take Him for granted. i don't want to be arrogant and selfish. but i do. and i have. and i am.

and yet despite it all...despite myself...the fact remains...Jesus died for me. He took the suffering, He took the abuse, He took the shame...because He loved me. even before this world ever knew me, He knew me.  and He loved me, and  He loves me, with an everlasting love.

i don't want to live my life as if Jesus dying on the Cross means nothing to me. i don't want to live as if i'm not aware of the sacrifice. that i'm not aware of the suffering. i want my actions to live up to my heart. i want to live my life in a way that boldly declares that His death up on that Cross means everything to me.

because it should. and it has. and it does.