This week has been the worst one in recent memory. I called the police when someone knocked on the door during the day and didn’t answer when I asked who it was. I got totally freaked out that the super creepy guy down the road was trying to stage a home invasion. Imagine my relief when I opened the door and the policemen hit me in the arm with an envelope from UPS. Whoops. Looks like I wasted tax dollars. My bad. I have felt excruciating pain all week to what I chocked up as a pulled muscle from a zumba class, because you know, I’m getting old and am a weakling. When the pain was finally making me want to punch puppies and kittens, I went to the doctor. I have pluerisy in my lung. Didn’t see that one coming. If my darling children miss one more day of school for this menopausal weather they may beat each other to death in a wildly savage rendition of Hunger Games. And then today, my feelings got hurt. My character was called into question by someone who has taken little time or energy to know me and while I know it was just an attack from Satan himself, it hurt. My greatest fault is caring to much what others think of me. I may not be the friend that remembers every birthday or special event, or who goes above and beyond in some Laverne-and-Shirley episode of life, but I am the friend who thinks of you, prays for you and would give you the shirt off my back if I knew you needed it. The season of life I am in right now is just hectic. Moment to moment I am surrounded by three children who simultaneously need me to love them, wipe their butts (well, not all of them need that), feed them something they don’t deem ‘disgusting’, help them with homework, find their favorite toy, kiss their boo-boos. I mean, no sane man would make it out alive. But anyway, I cried. A lot. And to be honest, I haven’t cried like that in a long, long time. It wasn’t so much the situation but rather the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. Thankfully, my support system is awesome and didn’t let me stay down for long. Shout out to my homies who keep it real for me everyday and remind me who I am. You know who you. **ahem, nick, anna carol, steve, olivia, jenny, jana and mallory.** Anyway, I have nothing funny, light hearted or articulate to say. Only this poem that came flowing out once Jesus picked me up and dusted me off. Maybe you can relate. Tonight, it’s all I’ve got to give.
A hollow shadow, broken within.
The seeds of sadness have crept their way in.
A faint cry from the girl who once lived carefree
is hushed and pushed down deep inside of me.
I’m not sure the exact moment that quieted me for good
but the ground beneath me fell where I once firmly stood.
A think crack in my vessel slowly growing larger each day.
Until all at once I was empty and had nothing left to say.
Hopeless despair slowly fills up my soul, it’s so hard to even think.
I’m swimming with emotions but I’m beginning to sink.
I think of times that once made me strong
and before I even know it, I’m whispering a familiar song.
“And I know they’ll be days when this life brings me pain,
but if that’s what it takes to praise you, Jesus bring the rain.”
Jesus, I whisper but a little louder this time.
Oh Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, precious friend of mine!
I remember there’s hope for my broken heart.
When I’m persecuted and lied about and unjustly torn apart.
I don’t have to accept inadequacy, worthlessness or defeat.
I can cry out to Jesus on Heaven’s mercy seat!!
His word tells me to be the salt of the Earth
but I can’t do that when I allow lies from Satan to steal my self worth!
Unbelievers think I should be perfect since I follow him
they don’t understand the only one who’s ever been perfect is he who lives within.
The devil uses people, the past and my faults,
to make me believe the “saltiness” has been taken from my salt.
Jesus picked me up today, despite my wounds and broken pot.
He said, “Rise up woman of God and let me tell you what you are NOT!”
You are NOT defeated, and you are not a fake,
You are NOT up for grabs for the devil to take!
You are NOT without a father to lift you up when you fall,
and you are NOT going to give up on the purpose for which you’ve been called!
You are NOT alone and you are NOT through, for you are NOT without the Holy Spirit,
He lives inside of you.
Thanks, God. From a perfectly imperfect woman just trying to make it to Heaven.