All growth
leads to contact
to touching
and being touched
where our life force flows.
I don't have time
for the waiting rooms of small talk,
to play at being alive,
to resolve religious problems.
My growing is
having a yearning that hurts,
being breakable by words alone,
and taking the risk
of living on the edge.
But that is how we meet.
Our brokenness touches
and in our craving for the light
we lift off,
dancing angels with weighty feet.
—Ulrich Schaffer
9 comments:
this is beautiful. thanks for sharing it. thanks also for the thoughtful comment over at my blog. it was overwhelming. i see God in you too my brother.
this is so potent and beautiful. things that are true like love and growth are messy and heartbreaking.
that last line is such a powerful image: perhaps there is a kind of glory to our brokenness, and something more to knowing that we yearn for heaven though anchored to earth (for the time being).
;o)
here's to the day when our feet won't be so weighty!
Oh! I thought this was yours and I was thinking wow, he writes poetry too. Okay, so I'll just think, wow, he likes poetry too. : )
It's beautiful.
WOW, I needed to read this today. Thanks for posting such encouragement and truth.
Terri, I was thinking of you when I posted this. Glad it resonates with you, and glad you stopped in.
Kirsten, I love your comments here, especially about love and growth being messy, and that our glory in our brokenness IS the yearning for heaven. Wonderful insight, my gluten-free friend. Hey, three blogs is the limit, right? :]
Laura, I actually do write poetry, but Ulrich has been a favorite of mine for about 20 years, and so many of his lines are etched on my heart that I had to start sharing him with you all. Glad you like his work.
Jennifer, glad this moved you. Thanks for stopping by again to leave your thoughts, it means a lot.
23,
I ask the same thing about "pain and growth." I've come to the following conclusion (for now)... When all is well, I (we) can tend to let the ties between my connection with God fall a little looser out of pride, self-sufficiency, etc. When things don't go so well, pain reminds me of my "need" for God in a way that Joyous times could not. Pain allows us to demonstrate our faith to others...as well as to ourselves. Pain moves us to places where we wouldn’t go otherwise to share God’s goodness and hope for others to see in us (Thank you, Holy Spirit, for filling in our gaps). Pain gives God room to work through our pride, comfort, etc. Pain reminds us of the temporal nature of life, so that our eyes remain eternal.
The betrayal and abandonment we experience from “people” reminds us of the faithfulness of God...He is the ONLY one we should depend upon. He is the only one we need. When our faith and hope and trust in people goes beyond what God intended (and that can be a fine line) we do get deeply hurt...but God is there. (I’ve been in this situation many times.) Man WILL disappoint, but God never does. He is soooo faithful and WILL work all things for the good for those who are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28)...You ARE called, so rest in that promise. Keep your eyes on the Prize!
One day, when this current pain passes you will see and taste the beautiful fruit that God will create from these ashes of life. It's there along the way, but sometimes its harder to see through our tears.
Many blessings to you,
Jennifer
Jen, thanks for sharing your heart about this, for pointing me to the ONE.
I can sense you have traveled this hard path. Your encouragement is heartfelt, sister. Thank you.
blessed to find your words...
Claire...it's all Ulrich from his book Growing into the Blue.
Thanks for stopping by.
:)
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