stories of travel, medical missions, and more
The path before his eyes
Led ever upward
His tunic oft-catching
On twigs and brush and bur
He pauses
Deep breath
And the upward climb
Begins once more
A drop of sweat falls
His heart pounds in his core
Skyward gaze
The sun is hot
His right hand holds a beaded string
The Crucifix
Left hand pulls the tunic
Catching once more on a stick
The top
Done climbing
And falling to his knees
At the tower of stones
“Deus meus,” he begins in hushed tones
Crying to God on His eternal throne
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Through the trees
On the trail
In the Lost part of the wood
I gaze quietly
Secretly
To view all that I could
Down drop the leaves
Red and holy
Paved in blood—the path before me
Crunching
Softly
These life-spent leaves, discarded by trees
Nearby sits a pond
Glassy and calm
With willows and rushes and cedars and pines
Northern beauty
Truly
A place caught in unmoving time
In the corner
Risen from the water
Lies the abode of Mr. Beaver and his spouse
Woven
From a grove and
Simply a well-constructed house
Now through the mists
Of my mind
Imagining, I close my eyes
Quietly
Hauntingly
A shadowy shape in my mind’s eye comes nigh
Graceful and looming
Glides this creature
This moose with legs to the sky
Shifting
And looking
He turns and for a moment meets my eye
He turns back
His large snout
Eating the bush and twigs near the water
Walking on
Through the mist
As my own thoughts shake and falter
Eyes open
It’s done and gone
With my vision over, I walk on
Down the trail once more
Breathing
And living
Each of these rich moments, adored
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Sit with me,
Autumn is here
The trees tell stories old and dear
With aged-brown leaves quaking, shaking
And silenced souls solemnly listening
Sit with me,
And quietly hear
The rustling tall grass and the ghostly deer
Catch the bouquet of yesterday’s flowers
As the sun sets now in the waning hours
Sit with me,
I say!
For winter shall grasp us any day
This place we so love will be burdened with snow
And we shall sit inside by the fire’s warm glow
Sit with me,
God is nigh
We shall feel His love as He smiles on high
A calling bird haunts as acorns fall from trees
God speaks through silence and crunching leaves
Sit with me,
Autumn is here.
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Refuge
Deluge
Mighty quiet rest
Impart
on my heart
your solemn Holy best
Refuge
Deluge
Soul washed clean
Restore
dear Lord
my spirit’s tearing seams
Refuge
Deluge
God, you are always near
Heal this
heart of steel
and take away my fear
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Sun rises—eyelid of the day opens wide.
Pine tops blaze with the barely risen sun.
Before the day’s problem had begun,
the sun took its place with pride.
I close my eyes
and listen to the aspen-quaking breath of God.
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Waves break tall—close to the shore
White-water washes and smooths each stone
Cleansing my sinew and bones
Wind blows the mist through heaven’s open door
God is in the wind and waves
He will my soul restore
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rest, oh Lord, give me rest
that I may carry on
and walk this road
that taunts my soul
grant these demons—be gone
peace, oh Lord, give me peace
bring an end to my wars
send a message dire
of mutual ceasefire
and make me feel your peace to my core
love, oh Lord, show me your love
which I often overlook
remind me of your heart
keep me never apart
from the loving Father and his Holy Book
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Space of Hills, high and black
Near the Lands, bad and mystic
Follow the deer and track
an ancient relic
of this old, old place
Reach up to the endless river
of sky, scattered—the Milky Way
Orion and his unseen quiver
fires arrows at the rise of a new day
Take the trail—footpath of beast and man
Get lost in those vanilla trees
Breathe in their life and understand
the quiet and beauty
of these Black Hills
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So far the distance,
so long the wait,
a rough road winding,
as a light so blinding,
blocks my sight.
What’s ahead?
What will come?
How will I know where to run?
Around the corner,
I walk through the night and see a light,
(a familiar face, a reminder, a friend)
my Savior: the pain and worry He will mend.
-busy in thought-
How could I be so blind not to see
that is was not me?
Though my life is often a mess,
what my Father does daily for me, I will never forget.
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Small encouragement from yours truly:
Though travel is currently limited, the lessons we learn along the way still exist. As soon as you can, get out there and seek to learn more about other cultures and people. And if physically going is out of the question, travel through a good book. Read an author or title outside of your comfort zone. Find the things that help you discover the hidden traces of yourself under the rubble of the day-to-day monotony.
Speech over. You may go about your business.
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