“The Earth is the LORD’S, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.”  Psalm 24:1-2

Poetry

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Do you ever think about exactly how involved God actually is in your daily life, including the natural world around you? He is close enough to hug your shoulders with the warmth of the sun or to sing you a lullaby through the birds outside your window. The Bible says that since God can be understood through nature, we are not excused from not accepting or believing in Him.

“The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world…” (Psalm 19:1-4a).

All artists are doing the same thing: creating and expressing something mere words cannot attest. My personal form of creativity has always been poetry. A poet is someone who uses words to express things that cannot be expressed in words. A poet is challenged to “show, don’t tell” each time s/he writes. If a poem has any depth to it, it will have a universal quality. That means that anyone who reads it will be able to apply the meaning and symbolism of the poem to his or her own life.

I am amazed when I think about how close the God of the universe is to my own life, and that the physical world truly belongs to Him. He uses it to speak to and comfort me. I don’t understand all He is saying, but someday, I know I will. He is ultimately in the process of making all things right. And in the meantime, He is closer than I ever realize.

Here is my poem:

The Breeze

The breeze blowing through the screen feels like a breakthrough.

“Look at the wind,” I say to my children,

as if wind can be seen.

But outside, leaves are shaking, wind chimes clinking

not of their own strength,

and I can feel the breath of God

cool on my shoulders and whispering loud

beneath comprehension (just.)

(What did you just say?)

pushing its way into this house and shaking shaking

shaking a few things as if

to put them back to rights again.

Dear Father, thank You for the ability to understand You on deeper levels through the gift of art. Thank You that You speak to us and through us in ways words alone cannot. I pray that our creativity would always reflect Your divine nature. In Jesus’ name, Amen.