10 January 2014

dear frightened one

Dear younger self, 
frightened one:

You have come to a place 
where you can no longer deny 
the reality of the Lord's presence
how He had been calling and calling you 
and your closed ears would not hear.
You are ready to open your heart
to give Him room.
You have made a choice, a decision.
Those who have helped you along the way 
suggest you will soon become a mouthpiece for Him.
This is where the fear settles.  
You want to keep this private.
You respond with stubborn anger.
I don't want to be a ($@^#$* minister.
No one will make me talk about this.
Your fists are clenched
holding tight to your emotions.
You are not ready to see what I see now.
You can't see the fire that will settle 
deep in your bones and move your tongue
to not only speak
but shout, declare, sing His praise.
You can't see how the future spreads 
wide over years of learning to surrender.
But in time your eyes will open.
You will be where I am know
planning to travel to the other end of the world
to share His story, His wonder, His glory.

Velvet Ashes: encouragement for women serving overseas writing a letter to my self with Velvet Ashes






Five Minute Friday

and joining Lisa-Jo where the word is see







 

8 comments:

Unknown said...

A beautiful, thought-provoking post that has me wondering what I would write to my younger self. And which one I'd write too—there are so many! Glad I stopped in from FMF. God bless.

Unknown said...

I love the part about ... but with time. I so want to rush things :)

Anna Craig said...

Beautiful! I love poems :) I think all missionaries probably feel this way. I know I fought it for a while before realizing it was what I was made to do.

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of Psalm 96:2,3 our missions verse.

Anonymous said...

So glad you opened up clenched fists to share with us this gift of your poetry. We don't take that lightly!

Linda Stoll said...

Maybe those letters to ourselves are the most powerful writing we do ... clarity, wake-up call, recalibration, affirmation ...

Jody Lee Collins said...

Karin, you are inspiration,especially with these words,"You can't see how the future spreads
wide over years of learning to surrender."
this has the feel Sarah Young's books,just sitting and listening to what Jesus says and writing it all down.
I can't wait to read what God has in store

Nancy Hamilton Sturm said...

May God richly bless you in His new ministry. Love the poem.