Comes in Waves

I'm not sure if I have shared this poem before, but my life feels like this right now. I know the Lord is guiding my life. I know that all things come through Him. I know that everything will be okay. But for now...

Waves of Life
It comes in waves
sometimes just barely lapping at your feet
tickling your toes
and even calming your fears
Not only is it bearable but it's even enjoyable
It is easy and carefree
not worth much thought or struggle
But these aren't the waves
When they come, they come in force
The swells catch you off guard
as they pull you out to sea
Breathing is drowned by the pounding surf
You struggle to gain direction
but the current drags you further under
When you catch a breath hoping it is over
another wave crashes on you
harder and fiercer than before
The surge is stronger and more brutal than the first
This time you are thrown against the rocks
creating deep stinging cuts
Your tears and pain are dismissed
even mocked and laughed at
You are tossed and thrown and tortured
until you no longer have the energy to fight
The beating has taken a toll
Your spirit is left bruised and broken
Then slowly as your body washes to shore
you begin to feel the warmth of the sun
healing and calming
You aren't the same
and as time passes you find you are stronger
Slowly, yet hesitatingly, you rise and stand
knowing it comes in waves

My Life

Life is like an old time rail journey
delays, sidetracks, smoke,
dust, cinders and jolts,
interspersed only occasionally
by beautiful vistas and
thrilling bursts of speed.
The trick is to thank the Lord
for letting you have the ride.

-Gordon B. Hinckley quoting Jenkin Lloyd Jones

Plain Brown Box

To the world, I am a plain brown box
I am simple, even boring
I look uninviting and predictable.
But I am more than a plain brown box.
Inside I am a world of possibilities.
I am the spirit of adventure who has
smelled the streets of Moscow
breathed the air of the Alps
yet desires to explore more;
I want to feel the history of Jerusalem
swim in the seas of Santorini
explore the walls of China.
I am the serenity of the earth who has
looked into the sky with amazement
watched a sunset in awe
yet wants others to see what I see;
I want you to see the stars fall from the sky
view the majesty and quiet of the mountains
listen to the waves crash softly on the shore.
I am not just the calm before the storm. I am the storm who has
felt the passions and emotions of life
cried with many and for many
protected the young, old, innocent, and vulnerable
yet I too feel weathered by the storm
tossed to and fro by the waves
broken and bruised by the wind
strengthened and supported by the fire.
To you who see me as a plain brown box,
take a step and peer inside
I am more than what you see.

Poetry

I love the poems my friend posts on her blog and I wanted to share her latest with all of you.

Love
by Czeslaw Milosz

Love means to learn to look at yourself
The way one looks at distant things
For you are only one thing among many.
And whoever sees that way heals his heart,
Without knowing it, from various ills--
A bird and a tree say to him: Friend.

Then he wants to use himself and things
So that they stand in the glow of ripeness.
It doesn't matter whether he knows what he serves:
Who serves best doesn't always understand.

Becoming New

This weekend I have reflected on the changes that have taken place in me since starting MBA school. New friendships and new challenges have stretched me in ways I never would have imagined, and I have enjoyed the transformation. Since I don't have the words to really describe the details, I thought I would post a poem I wrote many years ago. It somewhat captures the essence of this past month.

Shoes

The shoes don't fit.
They were bought for me without my knowing.
They are cumbersome, overbearing, and weighty.
I trip constantly.
I fall on my face.
Why then were they bought?
So one day my feet would be stronger,
stretching myself would be easier,
and growing would not hurt so much.
These shoes, these expectations,
may not have been my choice;
but they are who I have become.
The shoes now fit.