“Turtle” / taught us.

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When slowed upon the road we may  blear less.

Today I saw a motorhome fear-less..

It sailed right past, but as it did I saw

the kind of thing that makes you smile and more ..

Upon its back a word was printed clear 

(a word that made me think, and give a cheer),

in letters black the writing could be read -

the word outlined was “Turtle” - all it said.

I missed a picture of it, with its speed,

but now I understand the crying need

for never stopping learning as we go,

no matter how big/ small, or smart, or slow,

For even when we've seen a thing quite true 

and rightly claim it in our lives anew,

there's still a lot of learning left to do.

This must apply to me as well as you. 

And if I see it farther on sometime 

I'm apt to want to take a photo then.

And that'll make me think of more that I'm 

still learning, that i'll have to learn again,

in deeper and more thorough ways, I bet.

I’ll say “Well, bring it on, i'm not there yet!”

For now, I have to laugh and lift my head, 

“I'm growing to maturity instead!”

And further on from that the “Turtle” spoke 

to me of what a “Tortoise” once awoke

within a little boy who heard that tale

of Hare and Tortoise - stories can avail…

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Human acts (- are part of pacts) & words

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The acts within the world that humans do -

from which the world is changed (so’s not the same)

might seem to be quite small, and just a few

but all together they reflect the name,

and honour of creative hesed-love*, 

(which seems to go to animals and plants,

and even more its children shine above

the lot as they serve all, and sing & dance).

Some words can be a special kind of “work”

when they are said with care for truth and folks,

the products of a mind that will not shirk

such effort, which is done^ instead of jokes

at their expense, crash/thrashing round the place;

these listen, look, recall, and think it through, 

then back & forth with questions, in this space

they’re conscious of the presence^ there of you,

creative hesed-love*, that made the world.

These know that words are learned and can be used

as special “cultural pow-er” that’s been hurled

out into this she-bang, at times abused,

or just miss-taken, without thought or care.

It turns out that they can be pow’rful things,

a pow-er that brings good, allows a share

-ing of a task, or other ways to bring

some order: see - its border, - smaller steps,

or else - some bigger ones (that help with speed).

The word can help the act to be adept,

somehow to fit more closely to the need.

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*  hesed-love: hesed (or kesed) is the Hebrew word (חֶסֶד) that means the covenantal specific commitment of spouses, parents to children, true friends to each other. Maybe a connection that isn’t money or contract based, it is a determination of altruism from inside each one that can be  reciprocated and then grows, even if one stops for a while, or is sick or weak. It is “fairdinkum”, or “true-blue”, or “ridgeydidge”, 

^ “Listen to this, people of Israel, you that are descended from Judah: You swear by the name of the LORD and claim to worship the God of Israel — but you don't mean a word you say. 2And yet you are proud to say that you are citizens of the holy city and that you depend on Israel's God, whose name is the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 48:1-2 GNBUK)

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following the thread…

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One leg after another (one foot after another) -

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This world is now my home 

and transformation place.

Where ever I may roam

I'm in some holy space,

for one is here with me

who made this whole she-bang.

Invisible thread be

by what this womb-world hangs.

Some laugh and say by what

can womb as big as Earth 

be carried or be got? 

And what’s connection worth?

I say with gravity

the core of love that is 

the biggest mystery..

You see it in Jesus!

Invisible thread that

is in those metaphors*;

we don’t know quite how fat.

But what’s a heaven for?

Some questions miss the point

and strength of architect-

-tural help at every joint -

to bend, and yet connect.

Umbilical cord will

“at first” do quite the trick

of love giving it’s fill

to foetus that’s not sick.

But as the babe grows more

de visible cord’s cut;

loves purposes go for

much longer than we’ve got

in womb or song to tell -

a life of growing lots

and into that good well-

doing, with help we’ve surely got

somehow, or other we

can still persist in good -

the fact that help’s received

is firmly understood!

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*  e.g. MacDonald’s fairy stories “The Princess and the Goblin” & maybe “The Princess & Curdie”;  “Following the thread” (read, or listen to, the very old children’s fantasy book called The Princess & the Goblin, by the Scottish author George MacDonald, to get a lovely “picture painted” of this metaphor).

^ from  the Hebrew Bible: Genesis 4:_ - (God’s advice to Cain); Gen 6 (Enoch; Noah); Job; and the Christian Scriptures: Rom 2:5-11; my walk in Australia (beginning the 3rd Millenium since …..) & the whole purpose and aim of life in Christ, is to follow him who, in Peter’s words [to a Roman Centurion sent by God to stretch Peter’s (& the whole church’s) myopic view of God’s people ] “went about doing good, and healing all who were under the power of the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 9), and so to “not grow weary in well-doing” (Gal 6:9); & to not cease meeting together to “spur one another on, to love & good deeds”(Heb 9 or 10, v 24-25)

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Father, forgive them - for they don't know what they are doing. ...

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Personal choice to forgive, followed by a cuppa together, then… we’ll find out.

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Oh God please help that man, like Jesus to

keep on his first decision to forgive.

We’re very glad he showed us what to do.

And how to treat our enemies, to live

the kinder life, that’s bigger, just, & true,

which uses all the rules to grow more love.

The hesed covenants where people do

keep their own word, and woo, instead of shove.

And if old Ciaphas did not turn ‘round

the month after forgiveness came to him,

it’s poss-ib-le that Christ was not astound-

-ed but would trust God’s love to not grow dim.

And there is much we do not know about

the future possibilities we make

by our forgiving others, they may flout

some good options, but others they may take.

The main one we’re responsible for is

ourselves, in what we do, and speak, and pray.

And that’s where we can make some real choices

the days gone by, but then again, today!

Please God, give grace that goes beyond our view

from this small vantage point on Earth these days. 

We love the ways you bring to us renewed

and lovely gifts of friendship (& delays).

We want to learn to see, then voice it true,

the goodness that you plant & bring to birth,

be grateful for each good that good folk do

and praise all goodness that we see on Earth.

Please teach us more, where we are missing some.

Your wisdom, creativity - ours for

the asking, and we do so “Christ please come!”

Oh Maranatha! We will not be glum.

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Thinking of _ _ _ _ _

 

God bless you Bobby, don't give up the fight

to rest in your true father, friend, and god;

Our lives are richer, coloured, filled with light

when as a wee small child we know we're odd.. 

Well "odd" by all the standards of this world,

the bell shaped curve did not describe a one

of God's own children, each of them is hurled 

as individual loved daughter or son. 

And oddly, I am loved, and so are you.

I now recall that voice that seemed so odd:

“You’re my beloved child, all that you do

makes me so very pleased that I’m your God.”

And covenant of unity with him,

I think, means that we’ve joined the family.

Just like the five new fam’ly members in

our fam’ly, coz they married “in” - like me.

Decision to be loyal out of love, 

and unity that’s pers’nal with someone;

seem core things that have come down from above.

They mean hard work, but also mean much fun!

And why God is so dumb (’don’t hear his word) -

to take on children who are just like me

I have no clue. Why yes I do. A bird

just flew down, rested, whispered secretly:

He loves us like we loved our own small kids.

And hopes we’ll turn and be loyal again

and when we “chose our trouble”, hit the skids,

if we won’t hide it, he can heal our shame.

icon^ of G*d!

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He didn’t mind the touch so very much

or power going out from him at all,

or kiss of welcome, wash of feet and such,

for these were reasons he had made his call.

To be in a relationship of friends,

no contract (that’s too weak to be much use).

He came to bring together, make amends,

but not to force at all. Don’t be confused.

The only things worth saying must be true,

but also benefiting those who hear.

But most important is what acts you do

or cease to do, so he could be right near.

And even enter into pers’nal stuff,

the stuff you mightn’t share with folk around.

And then the whole wide world is not enough

to give back, for the life that now abounds.

In this relating in a pers’nal way

quite intimate, & with compassion’s edge

that doesn’t balk at hard things it must say,

or do, or even to become, instead.

Just when it seemed quite soft and easy, for

I heard the word come right out of his mouth.

He said that I must hate all else & more.

He asks for loyalty, both North & South

& East & West, as well, he’d take the lot.

He said if I was shamed by him down here,

then that relationship was what I got.

My giving of allegiance made him cheer!

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Good Evening

 

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(the start of Jewish day 

the scriptures say:

 “There’s evening, there was morning

- Day One’s yawning”, (& Two, Three..)

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The eve’ning, after sunset seems by far “most common time”

that couples come together and maintain the fam’ly line,

and hang out as a fam-il-y that helps each other out.

From sunset on, there’s still some time to see, and walk about

as couples, or as families, where weakest ones can be

full taken care of, slowed down for, or even just carried.

This starts the mind set on what’s good, by helping to act out

ideas that it knows it could, yet needs to “bring about”

by nothing less than doing them, this is God’s secret plan

for making images of him, he let's woman & man

get full involved, themselves that is, in imaging the God

in ways of grace, and holy space, and choosing to give nod

to someone else’s big i-dea, to help it come to pass,

with pers’nal stamp upon it’s face, from tummy, what a blast!

And strangely, as you give away, your life that others may

experience it’s riches, then you find that you can’t stay

impoverished, you’re richer then than you’d have ever thought.

Your riches have been stored up good, you cannot then be caught,

and lose them to a down-turn in the market, or a thief.

This is a great ol’ comfort, and it sure brings on relief.

And gives a rest to all the rest of night-time. You are blessed

with time to be inside the love of other ones, and jest

when you were thinking you’d be worn out, serving them last night

you find out you are glad to sing in mornings that are bright.

Though tired from the kinder things that can express true love

it helps you smile in kinder ways, less serpent, and more dove.

Yet wisdom (more than serpent) can be growing night time too;

in night watches folk tend to think, & gain insight from you!

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G o(o)d d a y!

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So I will yet roll over, look at you,

and when I see the yawning hole beside

me, I will know the games you play. You do

what I did as a father, with my bride:

I talked to kids so they might know my voice,

I know they heard their mum’s from inside her.

They where our flesh and blood, yes ours by choice 

& great the celebrations that there were.

They were still in our world (in special way,

all covered up within their mum’s own flesh)

until they came right out they could not say 

that much about who gave them life, enmeshed

as they were there, for she was their own nest

her body would provide their food & drink,

and nothing that she did was “just a test”

for she, & me we're doing what we think

was very best for babe, and that's not changed

(though none of them are babies anymore),

we text & phone, and sometimes have arranged 

for visits with each other. It's no chore.

We're learning to look out and think of them 

and all our grandkids - what they love/ intend

and sometimes they join in our lives more then

it’s fun for each to now be a good friend.

And unlike our inheritance down here,

the God who made us up, does not then die. 

We get to share, like our brain hemispheres,

to work together, as do Left & Right.

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