Kind to the Ungrateful and Wicked

 Here's a poem for National Poetry Month! It is largely inspired by the account of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that is given in Luke 6. I am particularly moved by The Lord's radical command to not only love those who love us but to go beyond that and love our enemies and pray for them! Just as God our Father is kind and merciful to the ungrateful and wicked, so we must be too. And it's even easier to do that when we realize that so often we ourselves are the ungrateful and wicked. Yet God's rich mercy and grace still reaches to us despite this and brings us back to restoration when we return to Him in repentance. We who are forgiven so much must be willing to forgive others as well. Let us follow our Lord's example and command to show love to all, especially those we think deserve it least.


Kind To The Ungrateful and Wicked
(poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/12/2022)
(Genesis 1:14-19, Genesis 1:26-31, Psalms 8, Psalms 139, Psalms 118:24, Matthew 5:38-48, Luke 6:27-38, James 1:17, Colossians 1:13-17, Job 38-42, Psalms 90, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Romans 5:8, John 15:12-17, John 13:1-20, Matthew 5:13-16, James 1:19-20, Romans 2:1-4, Ephesians 4:29-32, Ephesians 5:1-2, Revelation 19:11-16, Luke 7:40-50, Psalms 103, Psalms 150, Matthew 7:12, Romans 13:8-14, Romans 12, 1 Peter 2:9-12, Malachi 4:2, Galatians 6:2, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 3:16-22, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, Jeremiah 31:3)

Welcome to My morning- welcome to My day
The blue sky and sunshine a backdrop to birds' refrain
The morning dew on each petal like a mint on your hotel pillow
Everything about today's been prepared for you in advance
Blink your eyes open in bed, roll down the window and stick out your head
Take in a big breath of fresh air- the same breathed since ages past
Go forth to face the day made for you and written before time
Filled with its share of toil mingling with peace and rest
Carefully arranged by The One Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
How many walk oblivious to the obvious blessings that surround them
Every breath that fills their lungs a fresh gesture of grace
Every heartbeat is one more that they weren't obligated to receive
And people go on their merry ways with nary an upward gaze
Choices are made in twenty four hour spans with after effects that still send shock waves for days or maybe years
Some even echo in eternity, bathed in blackness or light
The Eternal Time Keeper watches it all play out on Earth
As He holds everything together and intervenes with Divine authority and supreme knowledge both here and across the universe
The Giver of all good gifts makes every day like Christmas
The Gift given that day can still be unwrapped afresh each new day
Though sadly some stubbornly refuse but this never sways His mood
His eyes still look eternally with love on them through tears
He sends the sun each dawn to shine on the wicked and righteous alike
He sends the rain in its season on both the good and bad
Yet the ugly is in all of humanity and only The Beautiful One can transform it
The Beauty became the beast after Snow White bit the poison apple
The silver bullet crisscrossed His heart to render Him dead to pay for all misdeeds
Grace personified walked out of the grave with a real life fairy tale ending
All those who give themselves over to endless Love's entreaty
Can live each day with joy looking forward to living happily ever after in Love's kingdom
And in each staggering step of this race that inches ever closer to eternity's edge
Mercy's transformed miscreants must administer mercy to all just like The Father of Mercy
For even though the ungrateful and wicked spurn His open arms with sneers
He exudes kindness on them relentlessly throughout life and beyond
Even in eternity, His kindness won't force folks to be with Him who reject Him
And in the time allotted before the final breaths are lent to frames of dust and rib
Every moment is the time for lovingkindness to lavishly wash each other's feet
No matter the response, the seeds must still get water and sunshine that they might yet grow
Only God decides on the growth in accordance with the willingness of human beans
And as His kindness brought us to repentance who grow in His vine
May we continually extend olive branches of love that overwhelm all like a flood
Those who are forgiven much also love both God and man much
Man's anger accomplisheth not God's righteousness- and man can't control outcomes
Faithful obedience calls for trust in The Faithful and True one who is always good
Let Mercy lead us to never respond to hostility in kind- but in tireless kindness
That the world might know and give thanks to the embodiment of Good
Who still welcomes us each morning to the new day He has made that we 
Should rejoice and be glad in it and shine like the Sun of righteousness
That the world might see our good deeds, love and kindness and glorify the
Author of all Good and Love and Joy Whose heart is wonderfully kind.

Missed Moments (poem)

This is a sometimes annual thing of reflection I do around my birthday. It's basically a bit of reminiscing and some lamenting about choices made and consequences that come with them. I have said before that sometimes I regret not being as open to some friendships at younger ages or willing to further pursue possible romantic relationships- but in the end, I have to trust that God allowed things to happen as they did for a reason and He's still worked out His good plan for me moment by moment. This is also a "what if?" musing about spiritual choices, eternity, sin and righteousness.


"Missed Moments"
(Poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/4/2020)
(Philippians 2:14-16, Hebrews 3:7-14, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Philippians 3:7-20, Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 25:11, Proverbs 27:1, Romans 9, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Ecclesiastes 7:10-14, Romans 8:28, 1 Corinthians 3, James 3, Psalms 90 (Especially v. 12), Ecclesiastes 12:11-14)

A word aptly spoken makes golden moments
How quickly a word ineptly spoken turns them to dross
How many scenes of life could have been so different
If only a different door had been chosen?
The road not taken makes all the difference in the world
Memories meander through time and linger longer than we'd ever expect
Except the good ones seem far too fleeting and the bad ones far too abundant
Why did I say that stupid thing then instead of something else?
Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut?
Words have a deadly power of permanence no matter how much
we might want to retract
The scorpion's sting still burns like fire every time the scab's reopened
Why did I do that back then? Why was I so dumb?
Apologies can be made but consequences must always be faced
What if I could slide down Alice's rabbit hole to another world?
What kind of person would I be if I had studied another subject?
What if I had taken up another career instead?
What if I had been more outgoing and taken more chances on friends?
What if I had kissed that girl and she had become my wife?
So many things replay in my mind that a time machine might fix
But lightning never strikes twice and thunder continues to roil in my soul
Sometimes the pain and sadness are so intense when sitting in quiet loneliness
Regrets haunt dreams and reveries with a parasite's tenacity
There's a desperation in lament that yearns to put right what once went wrong
The sins of commission resound like a gong in time with the sins of omission
Why didn't I take action when I knew what to do then?
Why didn't I speak up and say what needed to be said?
Time relentlessly passes and the moments are lost
Are they gone beyond all hope of recovery?
When the corner is turned and opportunities missed
They never come in exactly the same way again
And when eternal choices are made things are bound that can never be unbound.
Though tears flow like Esau's, the blessing is lost and
The time of God's favour comes to an end.
The past is gone and can't be changed but it can pass on its lessons.
The future still looms with possibilities of whatever we make it.
May The Spirit teach me His lessons in the present
so I can live in the light of each tense like Scrooge on Christmas morning.
The joy only found in Christ somehow sifts through
The wreckage of my life to find a rainbow in the silver lining.
The pangs of past pains hurt my heart but also mold it
to be shaped more like the Saviour's heart.
As He still works to work all these things together for good
according to His master plan,
may He use the missed moments to make my life
both now and in the future what He wants it to be.
His cross and empty tomb redeemed my life-
May He use all that I am in the time that is left
to share His truth and love with all around me.
With past faults behind me, the bad memories make me all the more
thankful for the good memories and they all spur me to
live every day for The One who loves me
and make choices of righteousness to redeem the time so
that His light shines- because Jesus makes the only golden moments in my life.
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My Only Good (poem)

Note: I thought it might be fun to post this during this week as a way to celebrate both National Poetry Month (which is in April) and Holy Week. I have done poetry readings videos for this week, if anyone's interested (These are specifically available for my family and friends on Facebook.) (I still did them to amuse myself even if no one's interested- lol. :-)) The text of this poem and a little introduction is below. Enjoy! Happy Easter! 
In honour of Holy Week and The Lord Jesus, I also wanted to read poems reflecting on the sacrifice Jesus made for all of us when He died and rose to pay for all sins for all time. We can have forgiveness of sins and salvation from the hell we deserve and entry into the Heaven we don't deserve all through our faith in the love God has for us and the salvation He has provided through Christ! (Romans 10:9-13) ................................................................................


Happy Resurrection Sunday! This poem is one I wrote in the late hours of Holy Saturday and finished in the early hours of Easter Sunday. Thank You, Lord God for loving sinners like me even though I do so much wrong. You proved Your love through Jesus' death and Resurrection. He bore the punishment I deserved that brought me peace! This poem is a reminder of what it cost Jesus to bring us salvation. It is also a reminder of how much God loves us and still restores even when we still fall into sin at times and then come back to Him in repentance. He is still sanctifying me and makes it more clear to me all the time how much I need Him. He is my only good. I pray any who don't know Him might choose to call upon Him in faith and trust His death and rise to pay for all sins and follow Him too. Jesus loves you! :-)


"My Only Good"
(original poem copyright Nathan Ludwick 4/12/2020)
(Genesis 1-3, Revelation 20-22, Revelation 19:16, Luke 23:34, Isaiah 53, Psalms 51, Luke 24:1-12, Romans 7, 1 John 1:9, Psalms 19, Colossians 1:17-20, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Romans 5:6-8)

In the beginning it was all good
Then sin had to come and ruin the neighbourhood
God made a perfect world of oceans and mountains and animals and plants
Oh, to travel back in time to perfect fellowship in Eden
You made man in Your image- male and female You created them
And You said everything You made was very good- then we perverted all that
And I can't just blame Adam and Eve or Satan and demons
Every day I grapple with sin and I see more and more how much I love the forbidden
I know it's born of hell and I know it grieves Your heart,
Yet time and again I dive in wholeheartedly with wicked delight and clamp down like a bulldog
I feel I've wrested the title from Paul; I'm in a tribe of sinners and serve as chief of all
I don't want to do the wrong I do but loneliness courts fantasy with guilty pleasures in the dark
But The Spirit brings me back to repentance and the mind of Christ brings a different thought
Every time I sin in the flesh now it time travels 2000 years in the past
Another lustful sexual thought- another brutal lash upon Your back
Another misleading word or flat out lie- another thorn upon Your brow
Another fit of unrighteous rage- another spike of pain through the nails in Your hands
All the sins of all humans for all time laid upon You all at once in unimaginable pain
Yet while gasping for breath You still look at me and everyone else- the source of Your pain
With divine love and plead, "Father, forgive them- they know not what they do."
And You gave up the ghost for such a worm as I- as The Father and The Ghost gave You up
The sinless Son became sin so that I could become righteousness.
And this is all part of God's good plan- it pleased The Father to crush Christ to spare my life
It was very good when You finished creation on Friday and it was very good when You finished new creation on Good Friday.
And now when temptation hits and I lick my lips with lust, may the taste of Your flesh and blood fill me with revile and recoil
As the only true satisfaction of walking with Jesus in service of Heaven comes to my recall
When You first came You had no beauty for us to desire You yet we had no beauty for You to desire us.
Yet You delight in me because I'm Your creation and You love me- so I will follow and love You as You enable.
Love conquers all and You proved it when You rose again and defeated sin, death, the devil and hell.
I praise You, King of kings and Lord of lords- may my life be pleasing to You as I await Your return or for You to call me Home for eternity.
And in the end, it will be all good.

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God In Every Language (poem)

Note: This is a piece I have pulled out of the archives. I thought it might be fun to post this during this week as a way to celebrate both National Poetry Month (which is in April) and Holy Week. I will plan to do poetry readings videos for the rest of week, if anyone's interested (These are specifically available for my family and friends on Facebook.) (I'll still do them to amuse myself even if no one's interested- lol. :-)) The text of the poem and a little introduction is below. Enjoy! Happy Easter! In honour of Holy Week and The Lord Jesus, I also wanted to read poems reflecting on the sacrifice Jesus made for all of us when He died and rose to pay for all sins for all time. We can have forgiveness of sins and salvation from the hell we deserve and entry into the Heaven we don't deserve all through our faith in the love God has for us and the salvation He has provided through Christ! (Romans 10:9-13) ................................................................................

This is a poem I wrote inspired by the 2010 Taste of Heaven missions conference at my church. The love of God goes out clearly in every language through the sacrifice Jesus made by dying for us on the cross. As Isaiah 53:6 and Romans 5:8 tell us, all of us went astray like sheep and God laid all our sins on Christ- and demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! Thank You, Lord for Your great love demonstrated to us on Good Friday.


"God in Every Language"
(original poem; copyright Nathan Ludwick 10/3/2010)
(John 3:16, Philippians 2:1-11, 2 Peter 3:8-9, Acts 1:8, Revelation 7:9)

A baby's cry sounds the same in every language
No matter what race or ethnicity, a mother's instincts always kick in.
Though our characters and letters may be different, this is one way we all speak the same tongue.
From the drum beats on the plains of Africa to the sitar's charms in Indian halls,
To the bagpipes on Scotland's hills and the sweet steel pan rhythms of Trinidad's streets-
Music is everywhere.
It is the universal language that binds us together in our thoughts and emotions.
Like the melodies that set us at peace or stir us to action,
Sometimes when we can't say it in words, we really can say it in a song.
It's amazing how just a ball to play with can join us together in sport and competition.
The fellowship and comradery transcend our nationalities if but for a brief moment and unity rings loudly.
But of all the universal languages, the greatest of these is still love.
The acts of true love deliver an unmistakable message in every corner of the world.
The act of kindness for a stranger makes a Good Samaritan out of all of us.
And the Greatest One of all has left an indelible mark when He stopped to help us prodigals home.
Real love demands actions and manifests itself in selfless kindness.
And what kindness was sent to us when Jesus emptied Himself of all but love.
The Saviour spoke the cry heard 'round the world when He said, "It is finished."
This is the one true love that every heart can hear and know.
This is because death still plagues every mortal soul.
But death's Master took it on and won to live forevermore.
This love cries out in every language beckoning all those who will listen and understand
To join the global eternal feast inside Heaven's door.
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What meaning is meaning what? (poem)

Note: This is a piece I have pulled out of the archives. I thought it might be fun to post this during this week as a way to celebrate both National Poetry Month (which is in April) and Holy Week. I will plan to do poetry readings videos for the rest of week, if anyone's interested (These are specifically available for my family and friends on Facebook.) (I'll still do them to amuse myself even if no one's interested- lol. :-)) 
The text of the poem and a little introduction is below. Enjoy! Happy Easter!
In honour of Holy Week and The Lord Jesus, I also wanted to read poems reflecting on the sacrifice Jesus made for all of us when He died and rose to pay for all sins for all time. We can have forgiveness of sins and salvation from the hell we deserve and entry into the Heaven we don't deserve all through our faith in the love God has for us and the salvation He has provided through Christ! (Romans 10:9-13)
................................................................................
This poem employs the language of language itself to make a spiritual point. English major nerds should appreciate this. ;-) (Of which I would totally consider myself part of that number. I minored in English myself.) It's largely inspired by one of my favourite Bible books- Ecclesiastes- and the wisdom found there about The Lord Jesus who truly brings meaning to our life, both here and eternally.


What meaning is meaning what?

(original poem copyright Nathan Ludwick 2/27/2010) 

(Proverbs 25:11, John 10:10, Ecclesiastes 1:1, Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)

Every sentence has a verb for proper meaning.
It seems every sentience has a verb in the meaning of meaning.
Are the well to do the ones who have done well?
Well, to do is what we all seem to strive for.
We're not content to simply just be because
It's not enough of an action word.
The amazing paradox of the vernal equinox
Is having all the time in the world yet nothing to do.
We can mask the panic in our eyes with layers
Of activities and tasks for responsible adult lives.
But when we give ourselves a moment to breathe and not think
We realize we don't know how to do nothing and not sleep.
Boredom and laziness may be bosom buddies
But the problem Is in our bosom beneath that cushion.
We have plans, goals and dreams mapped out for life
But the list of things to do before kicking the bucket
When all accomplished is still just a drop in the bucket
And it's never enough to wash our car, much less our heart.
Love of self is the bacteria that lines the inside
And man's search for meaning makes but a poor bandage
Our verbs still serve only to propel our own renown
We need a modifier to change our life sentence
And the aptly spoken Word sets us back on the street
With a joyous adverb as we narrowly tread from dross to gold.

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In Like A Lamb And A Lion (poem)

Note: This is a piece I have pulled out of the archives. I thought it might be fun to post this during this week as a way to celebrate both National Poetry Month (which is in April) and Holy Week. I will plan to do poetry readings videos for the rest of week, if anyone's interested (These are specifically available for my family and friends on Facebook.) (I'll still do them to amuse myself even if no one's interested- lol. :-)) (
The text of the poem and my original introduction (slightly updated) is below. Enjoy! Happy Easter!
In honour of Holy Week and The Lord Jesus, I also wanted to read poems reflecting on the sacrifice Jesus made for all of us when He died and rose to pay for all sins for all time. We can have forgiveness of sins and salvation from the hell we deserve and entry into the Heaven we don't deserve all through our faith in the love God has for us and the salvation He has provided through Christ! (Romans 10:9-13)
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This is an original writing I did in 2012. This one certainly ties in with the theme overall of Marching to Zion (the theme of the blog post I originally posted this in years ago) , as it’s very fitting in March, though it’s true any time of the year. This is an original poem I wrote "the other day" (when I write a lot of things- lol) that I’d had the idea to do for quite a while, but it finally came together just recently. It’s based on a familiar phrase you may have heard before- “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” So here’s an ode to the march of One who is called both Lion and Lamb.

“In Like a Lamb and a Lion”
(poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 3/27/2012)
(Song of Solomon 2:1, Isaiah 53, Revelation 5:5, Revelation 7:9-10, Revelation 12:11, John 1:29)

An icy death grip keeps us frozen in a winter wasteland
The old clouds blast forth with a cold and derisive snort
Chilled to the bone, we lay our bone-tired bones to rest
With an icy stare, the sky glares on us with snowfall but no sun
We silently wait and pray with one last ebb of hope for spring to come
And after a twenty day march, one small ray leads the charge
Then with a roar, spring comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.
As the vernal equinox melts the frost, so too another spring has sprung of trust.
The precious rose that the Heavens entrusted to Earth has come.
It bears the crown of thorns like spring’s lamb bears the horns.
The rose was crushed to break the curse of winter’s eternal infernal solstice.
The lamb’s wool was shorn to make clothes for the naked daughters and sons.
On second bloom, Sharon’s Rose breathes life anew.
So too the slaughtered Lamb roars to life again.
Spring has come to end the winter of our discontent and despair
Spring comes in like a lamb and goes out the same
Spring comes back in like a lion, holding forever safe those in Judah’s mane.

…………………………………………………………………………………….

That said, alright already- I relinquish the pen. (Well, you know- keyboard- but I thought “pen” sounded more poetic.) Anyway, in this myriad of musings on The Master of All That Effuses, may it be less confusing and eluding, and more amusing, bemusing and colluding into (E-)lucidating. May He that illumined this illuminate me. And all of us- keep walking in Heavenly S(o)unlight each day. Do right and hold on- Jesus is coming and will set all things right one day. In the mean time, keep holding on to Him no matter what. God bless. :-)

Love Comes Knocking (poem)

I wanted to get one more poem in under the wire for National Poetry Month in April and so here is this entry. The last minute nature of it seems appropriate since it talks about how love can seem the same way at times. It never seems to come at an opportune time but the opportunities for love are there all the time, if we take time to follow the Spirit's lead and engage them. This poem is inspired by a real life encounter with one such opportunity.

"Love Comes Knocking"
(poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 3/23/2018)
(2 Corinthians 4:7, Revelation 3:20, Philippians 2, 1 Corinthians 13, Song of Songs 8:6-7, Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 25, Luke 15, John 13:34-35, Hebrews 13:2, 1 John 3:16-18)

Love comes knocking
Throughout each day
And at all hours of the night
Never pushing and demanding
Just wishing and hoping with a hand out
It's never on time but it's never too late
It takes you by surprise with its weight
You're hit with it at your lowest time
Right when you feel you can't take any more
It's always inconvenient for those who don't have time to take time
But it's a giver not a taker
And it gives you more than you could ever give
Nothing you lose compares to what you gain
Its every appointment is divinely ordained
It's the only thing you get more of when you give it all away
Love crosses the street to reach out and pull up
Love pours itself all out- not just half way
Love is the greatest and it always abides
Love is what makes life truly life
It pulls its wool over our hides
It clothes us with its brand so others can believe their eyes
Love knows no stranger- only long lost friends
Love invites all to come on in
Love declares all of infinite value
Love gives in sacrifice to show by action that it is real and alive
Love never gives out and never gives up
And Love is as strong as death
And rises to forgive in extravagance
Love is the answer and the antidote to all the world's evils
Love flows deep and wide like a river at the base of a tree
Love changes your whole world and it's what the world needs now
Love is true and right and the only Good in this world
And when you open your heart
Love comes in quietly, softly and tenderly
Love never fails- He is forever!
Let Love give and give Love- for free
Love won't force the locked in
- Love comes knocking

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A Cry of Praise to The Lord (poem)

      There is a misguided notion that people often seem to get about following Jesus. For some reason, we think that the rest of our life on earth will be not only much improved but also somehow carefree. Sometimes we think everything is supposed to go well for us. After all, Romans 8:28 says that God works everything together for our good, to the good of those who love Him and are called by Him. That verse does mean God can bring bad things together for our good but our definition of "good" is often quite different from God's. Many times we go through some very painful circumstances as followers of Christ in order to bring about our spiritual good whether we can see it right at the time or not- or whether we ever see a good purpose in this life. Jesus Himself told us that we would suffer persecution in this life for following Him. We can still trust that our Father is always good and always has a good plan and purpose in mind. He seeks to help us and never to harm us because He loves us. It can be tough to remember that sometimes when we are struggling with such horrible pain. Yet we know that God Himself endured horrible pain and suffering Himself on our behalf and because we have a God familiar with suffering and temptation, we know He can identify and help us through it when we go through it. It's hard to hold to faith at times when our world is shaken- but it's especially at those times when we must remember that faith in Jesus is all we have to hold on to at all. And if Jesus could still say, "Not My will but Thy will be done" in the midst of His trial, we can still say the same to God and offer praise with Job in the midst of our suffering. "The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away; may the Name of The Lord be praised." (Job 1:21)


A Cry of Praise to The Lord
(poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 6/9/2017)
(Matthew 5, Psalms 6, 10 and 31, Proverbs 14:10 and 13, Proverbs 15:13 and 16, Proverbs 18:14, book of Ecclesiastes (especially verse 7:13), Psalms 139, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Micah 7:18-20, Proverbs 12:25 and 13:12 and 13:19, Proverbs 14:26 and 30, Proverbs 25:20, Proverbs 27:1 and 14, Proverbs 15:30, Isaiah 53, Luke 22:39-46, Psalms 46:10, Hebrews 11-12 and 13:1-16, book of Lamentations, Joel 1:13-14 and 2:1, Joel 2:12-16, John 14:27, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, John 6:68, Jeremiah 9, Psalms 51 and 88, Psalms 42 and 103, Job 1-2, Job 13:15, Job 42, 2 Corinthians 7:8-13, Revelation 21-22)

Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah! Praise ye The Lord!
It used to be so easy to cheerfully sing those words
With shouts of joy and songs of praise
I'd be at the lead taking the crew to church
But now the praise rings hollow coming from a broken heart
Somehow I keep a smile pasted on when my world's fallen apart
Do you really want to know how I'm doing? If we're real, here's what you'll find
A scream of fury and frustration that could shatter ear drums and souls
A cry of utter misery and sadness enough to rend garments and hearts
But neither of us wants to face the desperate longings of despair trying to hold to Hope
So instead I'll steady myself again and say our calming phrase, "I'm fine."
And that mantra lets us go through the paces in the places we don't want to let go
If I ever do open up, the inside pent up feelings might just explode
Through tears of grief and stammering tongue, this should bring relief to my soul
But my tears are my food and you've poured vinegar on my soda with your words
Miserable lot of comforters- why do your consolations sound so glib and trite?
While you revel in the happiness you are always so quick to share and tout?
Your platitudes and attitudes just leave me disillusioned and jealous of the image you project
Sometimes all I want and need is your listening open ear and your unopened mouth
And I'll try to tell you what's going on, even though I don't always know myself
Why are you downcast within me, O my soul? Where's your hope in God?
A Pollyanna theology is so quickly thrown when met with Job's lament
Yet though He slay me, I will still trust Him- He's the only Hope I've got
So I'll sing a song of praise, racked with pain- to The Lord familiar with pain
Where else could I go? You are the One with the Words of Life
And while I offer the praise ever due His Name, I gasp it out between tears
Awake! Weep all and wail- this is a time to mourn- better mourning than feasting
Ezekiel can't cry for his wife while Hosea's crying for his!
I can't blithely just lip sync songs of praise without telling God of the sadness that
roils inside me like a hurricane
Sometimes I'm awash in its fierceness in the quiet moments when I'm alone
Yet I'm not alone in the grief- we just all learn to bury it so deep beneath
Eden sank to grief and the whole world's been crying ever since
I'm on the run with Elijah from violent men who seek my life
Or I'm on the run with Jonah from The Lord who wants to use me to help save some other lives
I'll grasp the heel and then the side and wrestle with a broken hip until blessing Divine
I'm in the time of Jacob's trouble looking for Jacob's ladder
Clutching the cross like Simon of Cyrene wanting a life that's serene
But the narrow path of blood soaked sweat and tears cuts through my facades of protection
And drive me back to my Lord to weep at His feet and wash them with my hair
Firmly grip the horns of the altar like Adonijah and beg like Haman at Esther's legs
And though the crops have failed just like my heart almost did,
I've got to back it up in another direction- who can straighten what He has made crooked?
Better a broken Hallelujah than none and I think maybe that's the kind He likes best
So I'm trusting that the mourning may last for a night, but joy cometh in the morning
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted
And even my lament shall be worship to the One whose mercies are new every day!
So I'll sing praise with Job- like the morning stars shouted for joy at Creation!
"The Lord gave and The Lord has taken away- blessed be the Name of The Lord!"
Paul's thorn in the flesh wounds deeply but Your grace is sufficient
Hold the hem of His robe like this daughter of Israel and know that His power's flowing
Even as they nailed You to the cross-
Father, Thy will be done! Mt. Moriah's ram and later Lamb remind me that God knows my pain
Let me mourn like Daniel and Ezra, not just over a ruined city, but ruined hearts
Sin is crouching at my door too- the source of so many souls crushed
The trumpet in Zion sounds- a call to fast and lament
May my eyes be red like Jeremiah's with lamentations for the beautiful cities wrecked
Who is the maker of my woe but the man in the mirror himself?
The old, haggard face that haunts me still when I let the cravings take control
Yet I know that man is dead because he was crucified with Thee on the tree
May that ghost be banished forever by The Holy Ghost-
The struggle is with me now, but I know that day will come
Even as the sadness may engulf me at times and I feel so utterly alone
I know Your Presence is here, Father, whether I feel it or not
And You've never abandoned me once on this journey You've wrought
Let the sorrow for suffering be stretched beyond to the Godly sadness for sin
Good grief! That's exactly what I need
It forces me to see how everything else always fails to satisfy
And it drives me ever closer to my loving Lord God Father who alone meets all my needs
Thank You for tears that tear open the shell I encase myself in
Thank You for salvation that lasts forever- starting here and through eternity
I know the Joy's coming and one day He will be here again to
forever wipe away all tears from my eyes
And until The Glory of Heaven descends from the skies
May His love flow through me to all so we all feel the warmth
And I'll cry tears of sadness for now trusting they'll be one day transformed to joy
And I'll sing His song in the land of my sojourn and forevermore
Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah! Praise ye The Lord!

Why not? (poem)

To the brothers and sisters of the Dispersion in the time of their exile....

"I will sing His song in the land of my sojourn....."- Rich Mullins

"So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood. Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Though Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His Name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." (Hebrews 13:12-16)


Why not?
(copyright by Nathan Ludwick 1/16/2017)
(Job 38-40, Hebrews 11-12, Psalms 73, 84 and 137, the book of Ecclesiastes, Romans 8, 1 Peter 1:17-19, Matthew 13, Psalms 119:19, Hebrews 13:10-16, Revelation 21:5, Revelation 21-22)

Why shouldn't I expect suffering in the world?
What makes me special and exempt?
Why do I expect perfection in a quite imperfect world?
Sometimes I feel so restless- I can't sit down or stand up or lie down
I've got to run around or I'll explode...
Restless legs and a reckless heart
Are a wanderer's trademark
Not all who wander are lost,
but not all who are lost wonder while they wander.
Some trade priceless treasure for their precious things
Some pierce themselves with many griefs in search of so many schemes.
The wind flitters and floats this way and that
We think we're walking on air as we strive and strain for it
But even on Cloud 9, it's still just beyond our grasp
If we ever caught it, we'd find that it's just empty air
Just like the pinnacle of our lives' pursuits have only an empty heir
Vanity, vanity- everything is vanity!
If a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions,
Why do we strive after wind and wind up reaping the whirlwind?
If anything, we should labor like Ruth in the Kinsman-Redeemer's harvest
So that our thorny soil might get pruned and yet bear fruit
Fruit that The Lord of the Harvest can use to sow what He reaps
But rather than grow spiritual cucumbers, the cares of this life
Keep us encumbered instead.
We want our best life now on our terms rather than waiting
for the coming glory.
Why do I want this world to be perfect when I have a perfect one waiting?
Now is the winter of our discontent and rather than bury it in the snow
we must embrace it.
Hug tight all the scars and bruises of this world and flick off
all our rotting bandages.
There's only One who holds all things together and He's still got
the whole world in His hands.
And while we look forward to standing with Him in Heaven
First we must stand with Him in Gethsemane.
Let us weep with Him who weeps rather than just fall asleep.
In our struggles with sin, we haven't yet resisted to the
point of shedding our blood- but He did.
The Father poured the cup of His wrath on His Son
And the blood-stained cross speaks a better word than the blood of Abel or any of us.
Yes, by faith we share His glory in the Resurrection, but first we bear His reproach.
As Moses left Egypt's palace and chose to suffer alongside his people,
So Christ left Heaven's throne and chose to suffer alongside His people.
Thou didst leave Thy throne, O Lord- help me to leave my throne as well.
Like captives in Babylon, we are exiles on this planet- wanderers
looking for a new city- a real home.
May the restlessness in our hearts keep us from ever being
content with poor substitutes on earth.
We're all panning for gold in life, but let us pan the fool's gold that abounds.
Let's sell it all to buy the field and get the real gold treasure we've found.
He is the abundant life that flows in us and reminds us of what
this world was made to be before sin's catastrophe.
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
We all live in our present suffering, but we dream of the restoration coming.
And while we live so that His love might leave others with
the mark of the Divine that points us all back to Christ,
may we all solider on, steady further up and further in-
aliens and strangers on the road that's straight and narrow, all the way to Him!
We must solider on in the land of our sojourn
and fight the good fight, knowing that He's already won the battle.
Even amidst all our struggles and sorrows, we know
The Man of Sorrows knows and feels every one and helps us through them
And one day He will take all those old battle scars and
give them a full healing through and through when He makes all things new!

"You and You Alone" (poem)

Note:  This is the second of three blog posts that are entries that I submitted for my church's Art Exhibit earlier this year and they were first originally published August 5, 2015 in the commemorative booklet detailing all the artists' work. :-) The theme was God's creation.

This last one is just simply a hymn of praise to The Lord Jesus Christ for being my All and truly my One Thing I need.
“Purity of heart is to will one thing”- Soren Kierkegaard  
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”- Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:8)
Thank You, Lord Jesus- You are my Everything. I praise You for You are worthy to be praised- You reign above all others!

 
“You and You Alone”

(original poem by Nathan Ludwick; copyright 7/14/2013)

(John 15:5, Psalms 50, Romans 11:35, Job 41:11, 1 Chronicles 29:10-20, Job 42:2, John 3:16-17, Psalms 68:35, Psalms 84:10, Psalms 85:9-13, Psalms 63, Psalms 96, Psalms 98, Psalms 40, Psalms 150, Psalms 45:1, Matthew 5:8, Psalms 100, Psalms 42:1-2, Psalms 139, Psalms 73:24-26, Philippians 1:21 and 3:8, the book of Ecclesiastes)

There’s nothing new under the sun… it’s all been said and done
What can I do that is ever truly original?
Even in asking this, I know I’m not the only one.
All these musings were recorded ages ago by Solomon.
Yet as Thy Spirit moved his quill to pen, Your Spirit moves my pen to do the same.
You are The Inspiration and The Meaning- The Only One that makes Life anything.
You are The Newness we all crave.
Your Word commands us to sing a new song unto The Lord.
Strive as we may there’s nothing really new we can say.
It’s only You who puts a new song in our heart- a song born of gratitude for the legs quickened from the quicksand of miry clay now standing firm on The Rock.
From the New Heart and Spirit You transplant into our edifices,
a new song of praise will flow to The Holy Christ.
There’s nothing I can give You that’s not already Yours.
You who own the cattle on a thousand hills seek the one thing we can give that You gave
but will not reclaim at force- our free wills.
Your will will come through anyway- no plan of Yours can be thwarted.
I am nothing and can do nothing without You.
I give my life and will back to The One who gave it first.
Thy love is enough for me, Lord- You are good enough for me.
As I pray to You, clutching my Bible close like I’m holding a love letter to my heart
Take and make me all Yours- to You alone do I lift up my soul- all praise to You alone!

Building Down and Up (poem)

(Sometimes) annual reflection. :-)

Building Down and Up
(poem by Nathan Ludwick; copyright 6/1/2015)
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Habakkuk 1:5, Psalms 127, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Colossians 3:1-4, Galatians 2:20, John 12:20-26, Luke 6:46-49, Hebrews 13:12-16, Philippians 3:7-20, Luke 14:25-35, Philippians 1:21, Matthew 6:25-34, Proverbs 24:3-4, Proverbs 1:7, Job 13:15, Isaiah 2:22, Genesis 11, Matthew 7:12-14, Luke 9:23, John 6:68, John 14:6, John 10:10)

Thirty-three on the tree
For a life of debris
What a feat of carpentry!
A way of life made a way of death
But that death made The Way of Life
The straight and narrow Way of Life
That only a few ever find
The crossbeams of its firm foundation laid by Christ
The Lord is the Master Builder and Code Inspector
Without Whom the laborers build in vain
A vain tower of Babel
Built of all that man's capable
A towering monument to ill-placed confidence
And it seems the older you get the less sure of things you get
Every day I grow more sure that I'm not sure of anything but one
I put no trust in man who has but a breath and I put trust in God who gives the breath
The rubble of old towers and old dreams seem to be the same material
The material and substance of things hoped for of impermanence
Down goes what came up and down goes the day- like the old refrain- nothing gold can stay
Midas' touch can't touch this one gold thing that does stay
The Carpenter's luminescent streets- the real life yellow brick road I will one day say hello to in time
The only hope for the future that helps me move past the past and present myself to The Father's present for me
And what a present it is to have reached the same years of struggle our Lord endured
Together with Christ in His glory and Resurrection but first in His suffering
And shall I not accept both good and bad from The Lord's hand?
But let me only fall into the hands of The Lord-
The hands that wound and heal are the only ones I trust
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him
One day I will also be together with Christ in death
Knowing that because of Him I am always with Him in Life.
Both seeds' and dreams' deaths bring much growth
And the suffering is not worth comparing to the glory to be revealed in the new coming.
The former things have passed- all is made new through the Catalyst of soils' and souls' contents.
The stuff of earth still competes for my allegiance but it joins me thirty-three on the tree
Dying to live and living to die daily- all only for Lord Jesus, my best thought.
Be Thou my vision, mission, blueprints, building and foundation- firm forever holding me together.

Obscure Clarity (poem)

     This is a poem I wrote a while back that I wanted to post on the blog here as I came across it in my old writings today. [Every now and then I like to repost some of my older writings from previous blogs and such just for archival purposes, and also because they are meaningful to me and I hope God may use them to encourage someone else too. :-)]
    It's kind of making fun of poems that are so deep with their meanings and have all these big words that you have to wade through to try to get to what you think the author meant. And the ambiguity that's almost purposefully put in place sometimes gets me annoyed sometimes- because you need to say what you mean and mean what you say. (Like Jesus said in Matthew 5:33-37) Of course, it's also written in a similar style as part of the joke. But catch the punchline at the end. (Bonus points to catch the references :-))
    Well, thanks to everyone who reads these things for faithfully doing that and for your prayers and God bless us, everyone! Hallelujah! Praise The Lord Jesus- He reigns! :-)

Obscure Clarity
....................
(copyright Nathan Ludwick 8/16/2008)
(Matthew 13:11-15, Proverbs 25:11, 1 Corinthians 1:25)

Insipid, vapid, rapid drips onto my page
Conspired, desired, inspired attempts in vain
What does it mean to glean meaning?
Is the inkwell deep or has it run dry?
Behind every conjured image does a metaphor hide?
Tired, mired, attired phrases to decipher
Incited, recited, invited analysis forms a cipher
Where everything is possible and nothing is as it seems
Enter the labyrinth to find out what it means
And the minotaur is just men who tire
Contrived, imbibed, arrived at what should be
Controlled, retold, untold concealed revealed themes
The world's foolish wisdom in majestic rhyme schemes
The Lord's wise foolishness plain, real and free

What Can Make Me Whole Again? (poem)

What can make me whole again?
(by Nathan Ludwick- August 5, 2007)

What am I to you but just another pretty face?
What are any of us but carbon-based space?
Are we but a breath in the span of an eternal sigh?
Is our definition of life straining to fill a void inside?
In our Babylonian thinking, must there be another day?
Are we trying to live or outlive our own fantasy?
Are we partakers or does the wind elude us eternally?
Does what we're looking for ever really satisfy?
Is utopia purchased with a pot of gold over the rainbow?
What is the connection that makes existence tolerable?
Do lovers and dreamers construct myths to confine?
Does anyone ever really look out for the other guy?
Why is it easier to say labels than to name names?
Is philanthropy ever truly unselfish gain?
Is routine our code for controlled chaos?
Do our mirrors reflect more than Narcissus and Icharus?
Do our treasures and gold serve only to cap a cavity?
Does our primal carnality outweigh instrinsic capacity?
Does the heart of eternity still beat in our withered forms?
Can this mortal coil transcend immortal throes?
Is the song of the pack the call of the wild in our souls?
Is death where we begin and life where we end?
Does the roar of Judah's Lion still resound in our fleshy heart?
In Androcles' kindness, do we embrace the wounded paw?
Do celestial heights raise the plane of our existence?
When will Aslan be on the move from the land beyond the sea?
When will we read the first chapter of the Greatest Story of all?