Bu-bush

bu-busha.html

A COMMON BURNING BUSH

BURNING BUSH

Do we not see at all the burning bush
Aflame with lively-God?
Are we so busy with the mundane days
Our eyes are on the sod?
Have we noticed in the simplest commonplace
The miracles on which we've trod?
Oh, grant, Lord, that our eyes may open
Fully wonder-wide,
To catch each special shower of promises
That you bring to our side.
Lord, let us see your holy burning bush
And turn, yes, turn aside!

May we know that our feet press close
To your own holy sod,
And we are not stripped barren of the wondrous
Power of living God!
We kneel before your awesomeness, dear Friend:
Oh, let us no more plod!
Teach us to stretch our wings aloft to you,
In joy, yes, joyous tide!
Then every day will be a miracle spent with you,
And peace known deep inside.

SHALL WE SEE GOD'S BURNING BUSHES?

The poet, Emily Dickenson wrote of common bushes declaring God. But those who didn't "see" just sat around and picked berries.

May we never be too blind to see God in everything -- in the beauties of Nature, in the beautific smiles of little children, in the good food he has provided. And yes, let us expect to see the fire of God, calling us to his purposes, in the harder things to bear: poverty and need, hardships and difficulties, pain, sorrow.

For our God "is an awesome God". He has not called us to sit around and pick berries, unseeing, while he ever sends us burning bushes aflame with the potential to provide all we shall need to live out his holiness, shall desire of the the hope of the Lord working within us.

TURN ASIDE TO HEAR THE VOICE
Draw near, draw near to God. He sees the intent of your heart. He will not break your lovely spirit, but only conform you to his own beauty-image. When Moses saw the burning bush in the desert, he turned aside to look at a miracle. And so, he prepared himself to hear the voice of God.

May God create in you that attraction -- not of your own making, but of his shaping -- which will allow you to bloom in someone else's desert of loneliness, need, or despair. Oh, that you may become a precious sight, and a sure welcome to the weary traveler seeking rest. May God in his joy, empower you to be Someone in/with/through him (and not in/of your own strengths or talents), so that others will turn aside to look at the Jesus living-blooming-flaming sweetly within you.

GOD SPILLING FORTH

From the recesses of my life, spill
Beauty-circumstances: a thrill
Of overcoming-hopefulness to fill
My heart with "God in me."

Though fear sometimes stalks me still,
And doubts or questions arise at will,
May I trust God carefully to fulfill
The plan he's mapped for me.

And when, in broken tears, and pain,
I plead his touch make me whole again,
To rescue me from depression's chillblain --
He sees the need in me.

A "broken and a contrite heart" is gain
When I remember the Lord does not disdain!
God spills forth joy in my deepest rain;
For he is hope, to me.

[note, this poem was first published
in the Famous Poets Anthology 1996]

SOUND

My ears surrender to the sound
That saturates with bird-song:
The blackbirds' tweedle-dee,
The sparrows' chipper-cheee,
With an occasional griping caw
Of black old crow, and softer,
Muted cooing of rock-pigeons on the wire.
Singing of the gain
Of God's care, again,
In the midst of drippy rain.

May my heart surrender to the sound
That satiates with God-song:
He makes provision through my pain,
And sends his gracious symphony
Of holy, inspiring Spirit-fire.

PROMISES

What has God promised me?
A rose garden, a lovely place? No, surely not.
But he has promised that he will always hold my hand.
An easy life, an easy way? No, surely not.
But he has given me his path to follow.
What has God promised me?
That if I come to him, he accepts me, unconditionally.
He loves me -- because all God knows or is able to do,
is love and love.

He has promised me a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.
He has promised me eternal life through Christ,
who died for me, rose from the dead for me,
and lives within me.

Has he promised that I will always know the way?
No, surely not!
But he is The Way. The way to life and hope and peace.
Let me rest joyfully, in the promises God has made to me.

INTERTWINING

Oh Lord, please send your deepest blessing
To free me from boredom's oppressing;
Let me go forth as holy blessing,
While I feel your warmth caressing.
Saturate my soul with holy glue:
As I surrender to all power in you.
Oh Lord, stretch forth your arm in blessing:
For surely nothing is more pressing
Than to make me more than window-dressing;
Yes, wipe me clean of second-guessing
As I am filled with all that's true,
Until I fully intertwine with you.

THANKS

Lord, thank you for my mobility
To move about as one who is free:
Because you lend your own nobility,
Finally I forget self, and
Lean-cling-depend utterly on you.
You have poured on me robe-ability
To be garbed in the love of you.

Thank you, God, for my ability,
So that I become, in you, fuller "me".
By the measure of God's capability,
Eventually I submit to you, and
Am filled-overflowed hopefully with you!

NOT TIED DOWN

Celebration-power of a risen Lord,
Work your way past my swathings,
Penetrate this too-tight-to-wriggle cocoon
Which gathers me in at my edges
And won't let me expand
To fill up my spaces with God.

Resurrection-power, be a strong sword
To pierce all idle mouthings,
And center me down in a too-bright-to-giggle maroon
Robe of joy; trim out weeds and sedges
That stop me short of the Promised Land
Where all thought and heart focus on God.

Lord, be "real" enough to change my behavior
Until I carry the risen Christ's empowering:
My one thought to "know" the Living Saviour,
Only then shall my soul come in to flowering.
I celebrate the Ressurection-power;
Christ is my hope in this darkening hour!

BREATH OF LIFE

Oh, Breath of Life,
Though we cannot see you clearly,
And Christ our Risen Lord said:
"The wind blows where it wills,
and you can't say where it comes from or goes to,
yet you can see the evidence of its passing." (see John 3:8)

But thank you, yet, for being our Breath,
And withstanding the sands of time,
For we know that you, Holy Lord,
Do not ever flow without reason or rhyme.

Oh, Breath of Life, although we must endure
in this world of sin,
Christ sets us free from the snares of evil men.
He lets our spirits climb to a far higher level
even when our outward sight only sees trouble.

And even when our breath breathes out fear-doubt,
You are no stranger to us, Lord.
For as the Scriptures say,
"The Breath of the Almighty has given me LIFE"! (see Job 33:4)

Be our breath and inspiration, Oh God our delight,
And hold our hand securely
through present darkness of night,
For though in this world we walk by faith and not sight,
You have promised that one day, we will only delight;
There shall not be tears then, nor sadness nor flight;
For all will be revealed in land of infinite Light!
(see Rev. 21:1-5)

copying is limited to personal enjoyment and to share with a few friends