Love Mercy

Love mercy.

Don't ignore the nudging of God's Spirit,
His voice in your ear,
His shout from life's street corners,
to love mercy,
lavish mercy.

Pour out mercy
with kind generosity,
with humility,
without conditions,
without disdain,
and not because it's deserved,
it's commanded,
demanded,
or a required task,
a duty.

Bless with mercy,
be extravagant,
without reserve,
without hesitation.

Don't wait for a request.
Don't wait for a word of repentance,
contrition or desperation.

Be the one to take the first step.
Leap forward, anticipate.
In tenderness release mercy
and as mercy is given,
forgive.

If it's a part of what you know needs to be done,
if you have been wronged
offended,
betrayed,
if anger rules you,
find its festering root and forgive.

You must,
for your own sake,
forgive.
Yes, you must!
Do it and let that be the end.

God will enable you.
Ask Him. He will help you.
He did it before you and for you.

Unforgiveness is a poison,
eating its host
from the inside out.
Mercy and forgiveness
a balm,
an antidote,
a refreshing.

Live in God's power
and any and every moment,
when His Spirit whispers,
"Give mercy",
and perhaps also,
"Forgive",
don't hesitate,
plunge in.

Copyright June 2013 Joy Chastagner

Heavy Stone

My heavenly father,
Papa,
Lord Jesus,
forgive me.
I have wounded you
with my impoverished view
of self dependency,
of self sufficiency,
of my chin in the air,
fists clenched,
determination to survive
with my
'just in case'
you don't come through plan.

There it is.  I've said it.
Sad small, small words,
small, silly plan.

In your love for me,
you withheld nothing,
not even your life.

Here I am,
my heart
so captivated
by you,
so hopeful,
so full and satisfied,
and so sadly,
flawed,
divided,
frightened
as the eleventh hour passes,
and the quiet grows
and I still wait
for my miracle,
my answers to expressed need.

My mind is tumultous with questions,
'Will he, will you, Lord  come through for me?'
My heart doubts your goodness,
it doubts despite the evidence of it,
it doubts perhaps because I have 'why?' questions
with no answer.

This unbelief,
my unbelief
is a heavy stone.

Forgive me Lord.
You, whom I so dearly love,
forgive me
this ugly wound,
this unbelief,
my unbelief,
my ridiculous survival plans.

I choose you,
renew me again,
be my strength.
I rest in you,
trust in you,
and wait.

Copyright Joy Chastagner Februrary 2013

Bread

The great fullness
of a yellow moon
hangs low
againt the opaque,
blackness of night.

Quiet clouds
stretched thin,
lazy as they pass
through the light.

The warmth
of your presence
wraps
as a warm cloak
about me.
Winter's bite
stings my cheeks.
My breath lingers
visible in the cold
before me.

My Lord,
Your words
fill my thoughts,
they permeate,
transform,
they give life.
They are bread to me.
They sustain me.

You sustain me.

Copyright Joy Chastagner January 2013

Day's End

We stood in front
of an open window.
"I have a gift", he said.
I smiled.

All was damp from evening rain.
I felt the quiet as it reached for me,
soothing,
holding.

I stood
without moving,
breathing slowly,
deeply.
I could smell winter,
feel her approach,
the air so cool,
fresh.

My eyes closed,
all thoughts silent.
This quiet at day's end
His gift,
His renewing,
my rest.

My Jesus,
my Lord,
here,
so near,
this quiet,
blessed.

Copyright Joy Chastagner October 2012

Unspoken

Sun lit particles glimmer,
drifting,
floating on
cool stream waters.

Leaf song reaches me.
Its tender melody
the voice of my soul's Lover.
The cool breeze His refreshing,
the warm sun
His strength upholding.

I am still.
In this present moment
there is only He and me
and this unspoken language,
in which He so profoundly
inexplicably
articulates
and satisfies.

Copyright Joy Chastagner June 2012

Beacon

Do you see, here, my feeble flame?
My efforts wane without your
igniting, sustaining presence.

You are always present,
yet there are moments
when I look away
as though you are not.

What colossal,
nonsensical,
stupidity.

Now,
here I am,
again.

I have returned to this place
I must visit on my knees,
this place where I remember
I cannot without you,
I simply cannot.

What foolishness is this?
I seek to live in my own strength,
my own wisdom,
rather than drawing from
your lavishly given,
endless resources.

I work so hard to achieve,
so furiously to reach goals
my fingers never quite touch,
until dissonance confronts me,
and brings me to my knees,
here, near to you,
again.

Listen to what is deeper,
beyond these long sighs,
hear my soul wanting.

I can only offer what I am.
You know me well.
I am still yours.
Your path is my path,
your ways my ways.
These days past,
all this striving without you,
all this labored hurry,
I put it aside,
I am here with hands open.

You, my first love,
my best love.

Forgive this self-involved heart,
so ferociously independent,
determined to stand invincible
against any odds,
without need,
defying need,
ridiculous, prideful sufficiency.

This heart is not
always a lover's heart,
and its need is great.

Forgive me, Lord,
you are my Lord,
fill me,
consume me,
ignite me,
make me a raging fire,
a beacon to your intimate,
loving, awe inspiring presence,
a beacon to your freely given,
freedom giving
salvation.

Oh how you reach me!
You are good-

Come, now,
again,
set me aflame.

Copyright Joy Chastagner July 2010

Enough For Me

Sit here, now, awhile with me,
hold my hand.
Turn your gaze there,
to the white waters,
the rising waters.
Feel, taste the airborne spray.
Watch the wildness of the whipping green,
feel the slapping sting.
See the great clouds moving in,
they come for me.
These dark wet thunderings
will try to take from me,
who I am, what I will be,
but not today,
not while you are here,
holding my hand,
you are enough
to hold it all at bay.
You are always enough for me,
in every way,
for every need,
my very breath,
you are enough for me.

Copyright Joy Chastagner July 2010

In The Rainfall

Passion dreams,
despite the rainfall,
in the rainfall,
melodic rainfall,
mountains are formidable,
she sees the rising majesty
and sweeps color to the horizon,
her sweet breaths
giving inspired life,
her heart sacrificing,
hands calloused,
never still,
busiest in the quiet,
the greatest riches
present in single moments,
dream,
yes,
dream.

Copyright June 2010 Joy Chastagner

The End Comes

Good bye to what is dear,
tight chest,
uncomfortable stress,
shallow breathing,
long sighs,
looking away,
staring blankly,
in memory living again,
holding tightly
to what is already gone,
the end comes.

Even if eternity is waiting
and right choices have been made,
and time is short
with so much more ahead,
the end here,
on this earth,
still comes,
there is nothing to be done.

Now it's remembrance,
and a vacant place,
odd turnings to speak,
to reach for,
to share,
but no one is there.

Yes, it is only for awhile,
and hope is brilliant, alive,
and reunion is sure, anticipated,
and, yes, there is no fear.

For now acceptance
is what must be,
a continuing,
grabbing hold of today,
and living with passion.
Live!

And in that living,
passionate, alive living,
it's still okay,
it's a wonderful thing,
a good thing,
I think,
a kind of honoring,
to sit back,
now and then,
with long sighs,
and stares to nowhere,
and to remember.

Copyright Joy Chastagner June 2009

Earth Creature

A shudder rolled through the land and the oceans rippled.
Startled birds flew, animals tensed
and the air became charged with excitement.
Winds coming from the east
rustled even the strongest of trees.

Clouds rolled back
and even the sun seemed to pale
against the power of that one word

"MAN"

It started as a spark
and instantly became flesh.
Holy DNA infused
into the fabric of an earth creature.
Created not only to serve,
but to have relationship with the Everlasting.

A creation perfect in design,
yet ultimately,
so willing to deny its destiny.
Outworldly creatures,
angels and demons,
marveling at its power of choice,
and yet, despite its inherent DNA,
a weakness of universal magnitude appears.

Sin, an individual rebellion agains the Maker,
a lie passed on by an outcast prince,
and so began the war,
the prize,
the heart of MAN.

Copyright Fred Chastagner June 2009

Known

Come closer, listen.
There was a place,
a place that was, that is,
a place where time is not, was not,
had not yet come.

Your name was and is known there.
You are known there.
Your face, the shape of your eyes,
the curve of your head,
the rhythmic step of your feet,
the length of your arms,
the movements of your hands,
your successes, your disasters,
your celebrations,
the darkness that weakens your knees,
your struggles for significance,
your life span and all its choices,
all is fully known,
nothing is hidden.

There is something else there.
Yes, something else, something powerful.
There is a great and tender yearning for you.
A yearning that cherishes,
that inspires, that strengthens,
that restores, that heals,
that fulfills, that provides.
Many thoughts have lingered over you,
thoughts, desires, plans,
to bring you a hope and a future.

Out of these thoughts,
out of this inexhaustible love,
a decision was made,
a decision that would affect all time.

The Timeless One, the One who is Love,
the One who is Wholly Other,
the Giver of Life,
the unimaginable beauty of Holy Majesty,
unleashed His creation power
and the very fabric of time was created,
it’s doors thrust open.

From nothing, into the darkness
the heavens and earth
were given their place,
deep churning waters,
tumultuous and formless,
rolling across earth’s surface.

The Life Giver, the Creator paused.
He hovered tenderly over the earth.
He knew what was to come,
how history would unfold,
He knew us then, He knows us now,
He was, He is calling us to Him.

Our names were whispered
in the darkness, in that void
where time had just begun.
From those first moments
we were fully known, fully loved.

He looked over the waters for some time,
then, in an explosion of supernatural power,
the Creator set in motion the forces of nature,
His thundering command
ripping through the darkness,

“Let there be light!”

Copyright Joy Chastagner June 2009

Golel: The Tomb Stone

Warmth began its creeping rise above the horizon.
The quiet, still air rested heavy.
The great stone,
stood immovable,
a memory of violent death
only a few days past.

The wails and sobbing,
the tense stricken faces,
the withdrawn holding,
the anger filled confusion,
the aching of unanswered questions,
were all gone to various homes for rest,
leaving behind this quiet, tension filled air.

The banishment of dark night
was almost complete.
About the great stone,
shadow haze moved with the breeze,
giving odd appearance of dance,
as though sentience from somewhere dark
celebrated the setting of this great stone in place.

Bird song awoke
oblivious to
the stone,
the shadow dance,
the strong, leather clad guards,
standing, watching, wary,
glancing back and forth.

In the quiet,
two women approached.
As they neared the stone
the ground lurched,
moving in waves.
Wings pulsed into the skies.
The powerful heaving of earth
growled a deepening rumble,
a groaning.

Electrifying the air,
a man in brilliant white
descended out of the heavens
and stood before the great stone.

Bodies shaking,
eyes wide,
the guards
fell to the ground
as though dead.

Without effort,
the brilliant figure
rolled the great stone away
and sat upon it.

He saw the women,
clinging to each other,
and spoke to them.
“Don’t be afraid.
I know who you are looking for,
Jesus was crucified,
but He is no longer here,
He has risen."

The women moved
tenatively
towards the tomb,
looking in.

Burial clothes were in perfect place
as though the body had whisped away,
disappearing from within.

The sweet,
other world smell
of burial spices
still filled the air,
nothing was disturbed,
the great stone was rolled away,
and the body was gone.

They turned and ran,
running for home
with compelling need
to tell what they had seen.

Only moments down the path
a man wallking towards them
brought them to a stop.
He smiled.

They knew Him,
they knew His face,
He was immensely dear to them.
They could not deny it was Him.
The One who was no longer dead,
no longer a prisoner of Golel,
the One no longer bound
by life's irreversible conclusion.
Conclusion?

The One who defied death
was with them again,
the Son of God, Jesus,
was among men again.

Jesus appeared to over five hundred people
over the next forty days.
He spoke of the cross
and the reconcilliation of man to God.
He spoke of what was to come,
of His departure to prepare a place
for all who believe in Him,
of His, God's, immeasurable love for man,
of His patient waiting, delaying His return,
that man would have opportunity to choose life with Him.
He spoke of His return for those who believe in Him,
and the coming of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit,
who would reside with believers until His return.

Then, it was time,
after earnest address to the disciples,
and tender encouragements,
before them,
He rose into the heavens
and was lost from sight behind the clouds.

Listen now,
please listen,
the day is coming,
and we will all see...

“…the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
Matthew 24

"For God so loved the world, He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.......” John 3:16-17

This poem was based on the NIV New Testament Gospels of Matthew Chapter 24 & 28, Luke 24 and John 20.
Copyright Joy Chastagner April 2009