Fighting the Rain (a poem)

Creature of fire, standing in the night,
Alone, lonely, tired, weary.
Creature of fire, wings heavy,
Stumbling along the road.
She had been burning bright, growing,
Learning how to control some of her emotions.
She had been flying high, far, and fast,
Singing in strength and pride.
But the clouds in the sky grew dark,
Looming closer to her.
She flew on, oblivious perhaps,
Or maybe stubborn against the future.
Her happiness was strong, her persistence continued,
But within she knew something was wrong.
God sent the winds to blow the clouds closer,
And she felt the first drops of rain.
Steam arose, giving her pain,
She avoided the water, trying to fly around it.
God assured her the pain would not last,
But she must first fly through the dark and the rain.
Still she recoiled, remembering the last time she met the rain,
Remembering just how much it hurt.
She was tired of it following her,
Tired of facing it over and over again.
She saw no end, could not see beyond the rain,
Did not understand why she must endure it any longer.
So she chose to dive into the storm,
To fight no matter how much it hurt her.
But still she feared, still she trembled.
The last few storms she had faced had nearly destroyed her,
How could she do it again?
God reassured her, reminded her that every time she came out,
She had learned, grew, became stronger.
And He had been there for her, comforted her,
Held her and guided her and provided for her through it all.
He told her to believe Him again,
To not be afraid, and to trust Him once more.
She curled up at the edge of the storm,
Wanting to fight, not just fly.
He gently picked her up, telling her that she was not to fight,
That He will bring His warriors.
And she must fly to bring them hope.
And she must fly to show them the strength of love.

You Inspire

There is one girl in my life who is constantly unapologetic for who she is; ever truly herself.

One girl who wears her personality like a garment.

One girl who is loud when others are silent though they shouldn't be.

One woman who cuts through a conversation with a knife, daring you to respond.

There is one girl in my life who demands respect.

One girl in my life who speaks her mind all the time, who is not ashamed for being every drop of who she is.

And she is pure gold.

And you know what else?

She's not like me.

I? I grew up training to keep my emotions and myself in check.

I wear metaphorical masks of aspects of my personality and always toned down, never to my fullest intensity.

I grow silent about things I believe I have no place to speak about.

I measure my words, fearful of offending.

And most days I get respect from most regardless what I say or do so I feel lost when I don't get respect instead of feeling angry when I should.

I've gotten into the habit of keeping my opinions to myself, keeping who I am to some degree inside all the time.

There is one girl in my life who I look at, and I see her, and I say, "How beautiful. How much of her is not me. I need that difference in my life. I want her influence, her intensity, her perspective and thoughts and voice and choices around me, near me, beside me. I need this friend."

And you know what else?

We're not alike.

That's what's so incredible, so amazing.

I was blind to the fact before.

I prayed for people to come into my life to change me for the better. Now, I see the next step. I see her. And I need her around.

Our ethnicity is not the same, our backgrounds are so different, her opinions on many things so separate from my own, our appearances nothing alike, our cultures almost alien to each other.

But in THAT is the real beauty.

We as humans have a tendency of leaning towards sameness, pushing to be around those like us and denying the presence of anything that unsettles us, makes us uncomfortable and not fit in.

But there is a greater, stronger, better, bolder unity in uniqueness.

But all this is pointless as long as no one moves to empty a seat for the welcomed, and no allowance for change produces stagnancy and stunts our growth of who we are.

I think we need to change our mindset, from standing idly by.

Yes, I am educated. Aren't I not to use that education to benefit others?

Yes, I am privileged. But what am I to do with this privilege? Should I not use that privilege to help those who have less privilege than I?

It's time to change the way we speak.

It's time to say, "You're not just welcome here, you are wanted here."

This is what I say to her.

She is so much better than me in so many ways.

Ya know what girl? White girls are envious that you be you everyday.

In meeting you I have chanced upon a beautiful precious stone that shines colors that this precious stone doesn't compare to.

I have prayed for someone like you to come around that by just being you, you're daring me to say more, do more, be more. That can never be taken away.

You inspire.

 

 

 

 

Inspired by a friend and the speaking of Micah Bournes (http://www.micahbournes.com/).

The Comet

It shines in the sky, bright and beautiful.
But only for a while.
It flashes away, far and gone.
But only for a while.
Did you see it? Did you see it?
All who saw it say.
A glimmer of hope in the darkness.
That must have been something.
The comet.
Here, and gone.
Touches your vision, only to vanish.
Will you be around when it returns?
Don't know.
But you saw it. Or you missed it.
Will you be around when the burning rock returns?
Don't know.
But it came. And that must have been something.

I'm no angel. I'm no hero.
But I'm only here for a while.
I'm nothing special. I can't save the world.
But I'm only here for a while.
Did you know me? Do you know Him?
That's what I hope you'll see.
A glimmer of joy in the darkness.
That must be worth something.
A comet.
Not a planet. Not to be remembered for something great.
Here, and gone.
Touch your heart, only for a time.
Will I ever see you again?
Don't know.
But you knew me. Or didn't care.
Will I ever see you again?
Don't know.
But I was here with you. I hope that was something.