Sometimes we need reminders of our own humanity.  It can be as simple as a breathtaking sunrise or a sleepless night from a crying baby.  Sometimes those reminders arrive at inconvenient times and leave us winded from beauty or from heartache.  And it’s in those moments I’m reminded just how much I rely upon my Savior to embolden me to rise to every occasion.

Read my other posts in this series below.

---

Witness Like Dawn | Day 17
Let me witness like the dawn
Who needs to say nothing
For her light to bring hope
Each striving soul, longing for a sign,
Seeking solace in the morning
Her return every day
Bringing comfort to the wandering
And her sunrise bearing
The beauty of its Maker
Each hand-painted hue
A stroke from the Creator
Who gave light and life
To this world
Through Word and breath

Decluttering | Day 18
The taste of oolong brings me back
To days spent curled up inside
While the snow piled high on the sill
And my roommates tried to persuade me
That taking a walk in below freezing weather
Was normal
And we did set foot outdoors then
Back when life was full of optimism
And disregard for risk
It once felt simpler
To disconnect
And simply enjoy the time I’m given
To let go of what grounds me here
And keeps me from seeing
Where my true priorities lie
Because now, things get full
Of pointless worry and hurry
And I stop every so often to wonder
Why it is I can’t slow down

Grounded | Day 19
Even the tallest trees
Have their roots in the earth
And probably the deepest of all
For in order to tower over
The forest
They must be firmly planted
Otherwise each breath of wind
Would send them reeling
Before they had a chance to grow
The lesson is simple
Though harder to follow–
In order to soar to great heights
We must have a strong foundation

Trailblazing | Day 20
The rocks loomed above us,
A nearly sheer face to one side
As the loose pebbles crunched
Under our feet
I searched for a good handhold,
Something to help me cross
From one step to the next
The river to our right
Rushing over the rocks in
Swirling waterfalls
The crashing filled my ears,
Drowning out the other’s words
So I followed each footstep
Instead of their voices
Further on, we paused
Caught between pools and rapids
Searching for a way across
But the water was just too high
Something I never imagined witnessing
In the desert landscape
And we decided to turn back
Because sometimes the way ahead
Is clear
But the road is blocked
And we could scout every trail
Forge every path
Yet still be caught unawares
When the river rises at our heels

Beauty in Breaking | Day 21
There’s beauty in the breaking
In the mending and making whole
What lies fractured and in pieces
And seems too shattered to save
Can be made anew
Like the parts of myself
That appear like eggshells
On the floor
Breaking and healing
And starting again
Each time I lay
My own desires down

Running Late | Day 22
It’s a two cups of coffee kind of morning
One where all the lights turn red
And the gas light starts to blink
Just when I’m already late
And the bed won’t be made
Until 10 p.m.
And there’s a pile of books on the table
And a sticky mess in the cup holder
From an overripe banana

And it’s times like these
I remind myself
The laundry will be there tomorrow
The dishes will remain unwashed
The floors will always need sweeping
And the clutter will stay unmoved
So there’s no need to worry
About what’s constant
And change,
It’s just as present too

---