Holy Fools

Yeah God,
that would be me –
the one standing on tiptoes,
nose up
and barely above the water,
flailing,
unsure how, or whether
to breath
one last time,
unsure
if the water is rising or falling.

That would be me,
hopelessly
human,
a flesh enclosed bag of contradictions,
too aware of my failings
to be aware of my gifts,
swimming
only because I have no choice,
because that tiny spark
you planted in me,
that itty bitty, almost invisible
piece
of yourself
insists that this is not the end
but the beginning,

And like a holy fool,
I believe.

About this poem

A friend of mine recently featured this quote by T.S. Eliot on her facebook page: “If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?”

It’s haunted me all weekend.

As a Christian, I believe the Holy Spirit, the indwelling spirit of God, is in us. That’s the tiny spark with the amazing power to comfort and empower, when we ourselves simply have no power ourselves. Thank goodness.

The picture was taken at Lithia Methodist Church in Lithia, Va.

Tom