sore affected

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My Abba I love you, show you my hurts,

my arm that’s aching, my shoulder that stabs

whenever I use it, or put on my shirts,

lean on my elbow, or clean up or dab

something in front of me. But I recall

this body’s a gift from you to me now.

You mentioned another more permanent thrall,

a body that will serve better somehow!

I love that you made this whole world - and dust.

It matters to you, and me more-so as 

your child so small, learning  largely to trust.

And so, we’ll grow - as our big brother has!

Unlike a brother who tried to secrete

things for himself, and would not let eyes meet

with others in openness sharing his loss

with all the world as Christ shared in our cross.

Here is my pain, and un-comfort as well.

Here are the fears - that I won’t play much more,

let alone work. I’ll be “crangry” and yell.

Push people away. God, oh help - it’s sore!

So thank you for each chance to look and see 

your goodness dancing with great energy,

and sometimes to speak out, even to sing

of good that’s present, though evil’s a thing!

I’m learning to trust you, and to speak truth 

out of the HESED love (that sources youth,

as well as wisdom, and beauty forsooth),

that what I say will match, and has some cooth.

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to raise^ a child*

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The spark of genius that is this Christ's

who takes up death by cross so willingly,

who warns folk that no sign would quite suffice

unless it’s Jonah’s quite “Will-’e? Nill-’e!” 

edge, with a disappearing - out of sight;

& burried underneath the surface bling

of world, where happenings of hist’ry might

be known by all (with secret suffering).

Where love brings birth, but at a cost - that’s paid

by someone paying forward in the past,

because of that creative love which made 

the world from the beginning - to the last.

It pays the price which love alone can pay.

For no-one who’s impelled by less will want

to do something that gives, when there’s a way

to get control, to have acclaim. Their font

has guise of ’munication, but in fact

it seeks t’impress, to note-a-riot-y

as end it really wants, behind each act.

A mother/ father’s kind society

is seed-bed for a human being born.

The method that’s from love means suffering.

The blood of birth, a badge that may be worn

with pride, when it’s not getting, but would bring

an offering of love, to bless, not bind,

unless with chords of only love itself.

A Song of Serving One° can only find

the lonely, who have lost their hope & health.

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Footnotes:

^ note Christ’s repeated prophecies warning his disciples that the Son of Adam must be “Handed over, made to suffer, killed, (buried,) raised!!” Note also his repeated reference to being “lifted up”, which drew both concepts together of “raised”, and “crucifixion” (a physical being made higher, but as a mockery of the person themself).

*  Note that “unless you change and become like a little child, you cannot enter the reign of heaven”; “The reign of heaven belongs to such as these (little children?)” etc

° see Isaiah’s several  “Servant Songs” e.g. Isaiah 42:1–9; 49:1–13; 50:4–11; 52:13–53:12 which are possibly mirrored by the later  “Songs Of The Annointed Saviour” e.g. Isaiah 59:15-60:22; 61:1-9; 61:10-62:12; 63:1-6  recounting the one who comes from YHWH God, to the people of God as one who serves & suffers with & for them, to lead them into real right relating with their God, with eachother, & with those around (and with the  newly-made-right whole world)?

to grow up more like YOU!

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Please teach me your ways Lord! Please grow me up

to learn to love, as Christ displays down here.

He trusts his shepherd to fill up his cup;

as Dave before him sang+ -  trusting he’s near.

So don’t “forget the nearness of your Lord”*;

He’s close, and I’m made up to link with him!

Thus I can never get what they call “bored”.

To conduit love from source has nothing dim

about it, many-coloured “goods” abound

within that coat which goes on over all^.

Creative in existence love has found

a way to make the world, not just a wall

or fence to keep our other neighbours out,

demarking bound'ries, minimise confus-

-ion, clarify somehow. But folk still pout,

and feel excluded, ‘coz they didn’t choose

to invite whom they’d like, and have them come

to their place, so to share life in a meal, 

a cuppa, or a walk, or talk, or some

way that life can be shared, a deeper deal.

I s’pose that must be friendship at its core,

we keep our word to each and carefully

consider what we say, to not say more,

or less than what is helpful$. Speak slowly#.

And “slow to anger#” too is just like you,

Yahweh the GOD who IS, who gives us breath.

And quick to listen#, tune to helpful$ too.

To show more of you here, before my death.

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Foot Notes: 

+  (Psalm 23)

* “Delight yourselves in God, yes, find your joy in him at all times. Have a reputation for gentleness, and never forget the nearness of your Lord.”(Philippians 4:5 look at footnote of NLT)

^ “ As, therefore, God’s picked representatives of the new humanity, purified and beloved of God himself, be merciful in action, kindly in heart, humble in mind. Accept life, and be most patient and tolerant with one another, always ready to forgive if you have a difference with anyone. Forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven you. And, above everything else, be truly loving, for love is the golden chain of all the virtues.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, remembering that as members of the same body you are called to live in harmony, and never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you.

16-17 Let Christ’s teaching live in your hearts, making you rich in the true wisdom. Teach and help one another along the right road with your psalms and hymns and Christian songs, singing God’s praises with joyful hearts. And whatever you may have to do, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, thanking God the Father through him.” (Col3:12-17 translated by J.B. Phillips, link show Greek & also other translations which can be changed)

$  All things you choose to do may be legal but not all are helpful. (See 1Cor 6:12; 10:23)

#  Exod 34:5-8; James 1:19-27

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“Communicating with kids!”

---

Book Club for parents and for humans who

do have an interest in what’s in this book 

by Steph’nie Davies-Arai, so we’d do

it. But we're finished now, our faces look

not only sad, but happy to have won.

We finished what we started months ago.

We worked hard, and we’re lucky to ‘ve had fun

along the way with open sharing so…

God, thanks for such a mazing job as this.

We sometimes feel quite lost, and seem to be

a-going round in circles, lost in biz-

nus of the jobs you gave us (and that we

would love to do well too - the way you made

us, to be quite a lot somehow like you).

Yet we know that you are amazing shade,

protection and revealing what to do

as it is needed, necessarily,

and we can be amazed, & still learn trust

and grow in wisdom, understandingly

as you allow (who knows that we are dust).

Our first job might just be to speak in love,

while acting out of creativity

to form some space and time, down from above,

where living/ moving ones like you and me

might then attain a life increasingly, 

as we share what your hopes and dreams might be

by living into our identity-

a nature nurtured in your family.

---

Full of Life

---

It’s been a busy day dear Lord.

We drank some coffee in that park,

we heard some stories told by Mark,

we walked through places that were dark.

It’s been a busy day dear Lord!

It’s been a busy day dear Lord,

we (some) went home and had a sleep,

and clubbed a book* to life, to keep

what’s true and loving, growing deep.

It’s been a busy day dear Lord.

---

Notes

*  Thinking of the opposite of clubbing baby seals to death for their furs, we finished today a book club discussing (one a week - over wine and cheese)  the eleven chapters of Stephanie Davies-Arai 's book “Communicating with kids”. A life-giving exercise, that all of us (probably) would like to repeat with other friends. We had wood-fired pizza together today after a late, last Book-club meeting. A busy day, dear Lord. What else would I spend this life doing? Good things - with you!

---

Tripsy daisy ..

---

Mate, thanks for sending those pictures that whet

my appetite to hear the stories which

go with them so their memories then get

unlocked and meaning compounds, while the kitsch

remains to always hang about with us!

To move into the changes, holding hands

seems like the stuff ADVENTURES which build trust

are made of, till one fine’ly understands

each loved one in a hopeful, open way.

Adventure* pokes its head out as we do

what’s needed (even in the stuff we say)

to build up good for ev’ry thing/one who

we have to do with - where we BE that day.

It looks a great adventure you're all on!

Hope friendships in the fam will grow, not fray.

Connecting to creative love brings song!

So I will sing this ditty now to you.

Please prosper with - the language that you learn;

relating with the others in your group;

and spreading more creative love in turn

to those “outside”, you do not understand.

And speaking of the day that’s past, at night

or in the morning (not just what is planned),

to savour and to process, thank, delight,

each heart, and too creative love itself!

And what a start - to more to come each day

for each small life we live (sickness or health)

as ships (made for this passage) berth. Hooray! …

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Notes

*  “Inconvenience is only adventure wrongly considered.” Or was it “Adventure is simply inconvenience rightly considered”; not sure… I think that one or both quotes, or ones very like them, are from G.K.Chesterton.

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