Part One: God of Yesterdays
Part Two: God of Today
III.
The God of my tomorrow:
Preparing
a place for me
YOU WILL BE
God of tomorrow—
There,
Wilderness wastelands,
“This cup,
this bitter cup. . .
You have given it;
How can I refuse?”
Valley of the shadow. . .
.
You are there,
Will be there,
Faithful in my
faithlessness.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and
tomorrow
Lie ahead,
Mist-enshrouded,
Nothing certain but
uncertainty.
One thing sure:
YOU WILL BE THERE,
The Lion
Driving out my enemies,
Making the wilderness
Your castle.
Around the corner of my
tomorrows. . .
YOU WILL BE THERE,
Promising Tomorrowland,
When “all will be right,
When Aslan comes. . .”
Wedding dress for widow’s
weeds,
Love songs for funeral
dirges,
Beauty for ashes,
Mourning into dancing. .
. .
Dancing,
No more hindered by these
Wooden legs,
Broken wings.
Farther up and farther
in. . .
YOU WILL BE,
YOU ARE THERE.
This three-part poem dates, I think, from the first few weeks back in the U.S. after our return from the mission field. Apologies to the very many authors, especially C.S. Lewis, whose scraps of ideas are quilted together here.
What a perfect final installment! My favorite line here is "Wedding dress for widow's weeds." So good aloud and the substance is even better.
ReplyDeleteThank you, friend. Glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI just took a "running start" as you suggested and read all three parts together. Oh, how I love this entire piece! At the very least, I'd like to print it out and put it up on my wall--but I am also thinking I might like to incorporate your poem into a work of art somehow--if you'd be willing, of course. I haven't yet wrapped my head around what that would look like, but the wheels are starting to turn.
ReplyDeleteFor reasons I can't quite explain, the second "dancing" here grabbed me most in this third part. And of course the final two lines--the beautiful summation of the God who was and is and is to come, the I AM.
Thank you for bringing this poem off the shelf and so graciously bestowing it on us. I have been deeply encouraged by it.
Thank you for those kind words, dear one. It would be marvelous to have you incorporate this into your beautiful art. Yes, of course. All thanks to God for using it to encourage you. May He let you know this weekend how near He is.
ReplyDelete