Thursday, December 16, 2010

hem us in lord

do you ever
find yourself
nearly in tears
i mean
ready to
hiccup drool honk wail
in wal-mart?
(or the mall, or target, or your favorite local grocery?)
yesterday
i seriously
believed
i would come
undone
if jack touched one more thing
or
when the right ham wasn't available
or
upon the traffic jam near cat food

grief had barged in
unannounced
what was it that made me
think of cameron?

ann voskamp wrote yesterday
about reading scripture in a
shanty in guatemala
she
needed a piece of heaven to steady her here on earth

i steadied myself
with
psalm 139:5-6
you hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

hem us in
lord

Some great reads:

The Rusted Chain
Caffeinated Randomness
Moments of Whismy
Home Sanctuary

7 comments:

  1. That's the thing about grief. It never seems to knock.

    Last week while shopping at Ingles, I heard James Taylor's "Gone to Carolina in My Mind", and struggled to pull it back together. I forgot most of what was on my list and just pushed a half full cart around the store awhile.

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  2. When the waves come, they seem to completely sideswipe us, pulling us under. And it seems, the harder I resist, the stronger the pull, out to see, to drown in grief. But somehow, if I resist the urge to resist...it carries me awhile. I float. And eventually, I can stand again.

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  3. I appreciate this verse today, Kendal. Praying for you.

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  4. It's funny what makes us think of lost ones and how just when we think that we're past the pain, it comes to us in waves. Thank you for being so open and sharing this with us. I'll be praying for you and your family this season.

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  5. a spark to a tear can issue forth from nothing but air. I'm glad you know how to get hemmed in. I'm needing some of it myself. God bless you and yours.

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  6. Thank you for your comment today; it is a blessing to know that we are not alone in our battles whatever they may be.
    May He comfort us both today!

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