No Wonder

Last night, you had trouble sleeping,
your mind whirled in the same spot,
like a lamb grazing
until the grass is gone
and only dirt remains,

so stupid
it can’t even see the grass
a few feet away,
green and beckoning,

no wonder we need a shepherd,
some one to guide us to the happiness
that is so close
we can’t see it.

About this poem

I love sheep. They are photogenic. They look lovely on the landscape. They give us wool. But sheep, for the most part, really are pretty stupid animals. But then, sometimes we can’t see the joy God has placed right in front of us, either, so we humans probably shouldn’t be too critical.

Happiness is not having everything be “OK”. In fact, some things can and do suck way too often. But Happiness is saying that we won’t let those things rob us of all our joy, and claiming and embracing and being grateful for the things around us that are wonderful, and no matter what is happening in our life, there are plenty of those, part of God’s gift to help us get through the rough stuff.

But a gift is only a gift if we bother to unwrap the present.

Tom

About these Lenten Poems

My friend Cathy Benson is on to something. Instead of doing without for Lent, she is doing MORE with a prayer project that is thoughtful and caring.

Giving up something for Lent is a church tradition, not a biblical command. It was designed to get our minds and hearts right as we approach the holy week and Easter. It’s a good spiritual discipline.

But I think a spiritual discipline of doing something more is also a powerful way to prepare our hearts for Easter. The Methodists, through their “Rethink Church” initiative have come up with a photographic way to do this (see below). I am going to add a poem with each image for the lent season to help prepare myself. Feel free to glom on to the idea, visit the blog and read, or share your thoughts and prayers.