I took a few hours last week Thursday to sit down, have some coffee, and try my hand at writing something specific. I actually intended to sit down and hope to write a song (never tried this before), but this poem came out instead. It's my first draft, but I'm not sure I will make any changes, at least not for now. It was based off of portions of Isaiah 42 and 43 from The Message Remix. Enjoy.

You With Me, Me With You

You’ve said once, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you”.
Many times I wonder, what made you
Commit to something so painful
When most of the time I’m acting so woeful?
You guide me, direct me,
Never let me go.
Even when I struggle with things
I already should know.
You tell me not to be afraid,
Reminding me that my debt’s already been paid.
You don’t keep me from trouble;
Instead you help me navigate those nasty bubbles.
You’re more interested in helping me grow than keeping me safe,
In developing my trust in you than keeping a steady pace.
You allow me to come between rocks and tough spaces,
Yet keep those from becoming my final resting places.
When I focus on you I can walk on water;
Without you is when I begin to falter.
Instead of removing nasty crevasses in life,
You guide me step by step around that strife.
My trust in you is what You’re after,
Like a safety net as I swing from rafter to rafter.
I’ll blindly follow wherever you lead me,
Trusting You wholeheartedly, even completely.
You are my personal God, the love of my life;
Your Word penetrates my heart with a knife.
Application is my biggest issue;
Desperate to follow You, trying not to miss You.
I love how much you love me;
How You desire my eyes open to see
What you have destined for me to become,
All my thoughts and actions driven by the One
Who’s called my name, claimed me as His own,
Your love for me forever I’ve known.
Allowing you to guide step by step is a real adventure,
Who would ever want to wander down a road they know is sure.
That doesn’t help me to trust You,
Knowing that is as adventurous as a petting zoo.
As scary as it is I want adventure, I want danger;
To live any other way would just be stranger
Than anything I’ve ever known.
Created to live a safe life….not why I’ve been born.
I’m ready to enter this great battle with You as my ally,
Are you ready to hear me shout my battle cry?
It’s You with me,
Me with You.
I can hear Lord Elrond tell Aragorn, “Put aside the Ranger, become who you were born to be.”
That’s what I want Jesus, for You to welcome me
Into a story much larger than myself,
Something that requires your great wealth
Of love, knowledge, tools, and guidance.
All there to help me shout “GOOD RIDDANCE”
To the devil who so diligently attacks,
Striving in all ways possible to break my back.
He’s there at every corner trying to trip me up,
But yes, it’s true, God’s right there to back me up!
Remember, He’s here to take my hand when I don’t know the way,
Especially when it feels like I’m searching for a needle in the hay.
God specializes in rescue missions,
Situations that require His defeat of Satan’s evil minions.
Christ desperately loves us more than we know,
His only hope is that our love for Him will grow
Into something mature and powerful;
Ready to serve others, that’s no bull.
I’ve learned to believe that God’s heart is good,
Never have to worry about knocking on wood.
Yes, He is wild at heart,
Why would I want Him to play any other part?
Life was not meant to be dull and boring,
What joy is there in that kind of story?
No, I feel alive when I’m huffing and puffing,
With every breath that’s in me struggling.
That’s when I really get to see God come through,
And prove to me that His word is indeed true.
I love you Lord, this I know,
Thank You for loving me, and helping me to grow!
You’re the love of my life, a life I offer to You…..
Ok God, it’s Your turn, You know what to do.
Give me more adventure, chances for me to grasp your hand,
Trusting you completely, to guide me to land
That You’ve prepared for me since the beginning of time,
Spending eternity with you, won’t that be sublime!