We, By Ourselves Cannot Love

 “I am the vine, you are the branches. 

He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; 

for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

We watched a much needed rain fall these past few days!

This rain however did not dampen the spirits on the weekend
at our family reunion/Jim's mom's 89th birthday celebration

because love is bigger than weather and such...

(Cake credit to Daughter-in-law Lucille )

Dear Mother,

Through the years in tears and laughter you were there,

 gentle and tough

Teaching us the tender meaning of this four letter word; love

Hard and heavy were the sorrows that you weathered

by God’s grace

Showing us by your example how to shoulder what we face

Through the ups and downs of living you found strength 

for care through prayer

For the taking and the giving that a mother learns to bear

Mother dear, we want to thank you

for all that you are and do

And a birthday is the perfect time to say that we love you

© Janet Martin

Love fills in the gaps that otherwise would gape with want.

Love comes in all shapes and surprises,
often wrapped in disappointment and trouble!

Love is not a solo-sport!
 Love is our solace and support!

And we only find love from God through others.

 How often does getting what Self pined for, fall short of the happiness-mark?!

We alone do not have within us the means to make ourselves happy!
We alone do not have within us, love...

We by ourselves do not possess noble ability

To love; it lacks genuineness of true humility

No matter how good the intention, thought is self-inclined

And often needs God’s intervention to keep motive kind

We, by ourselves will never find true happiness, it lies

Within the hustle-bustle of love’s hellos and goodbyes

It overflows in hearts and eyes as we hold and let go

And grants a glimpse of paradise still scarred with shards of woe

We often overlook the lining in burdens we bear

Or misunderstand the refining that is wrought through care

Where we all need each other to accompany and aid

Us in this sister-brother-father-mother promenade

When life’s sailing is smooth, soon Self becomes careless and cold

And undermines the truth of Who lends all we have and hold

The ties that bind us close both to God and to fellowman

Are woven not with threads we chose but oft by change of plan

A branch cannot bear anything unattached to The Vine

A dead and fruitless withering, ah, this is God’s design

For we by ourselves cannot produce flourishing fields

Love and humility, the fruits only Attachment yields

© Janet Martin

Faithful Fountain

 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

Psalm 36:9

 This fountain simply waters plants...

I can stand under it all day but its spray can never penetrate my skin!

Hark! What flows beneath our heartache

Larger than life’s low’ring blows

Greater than the disappointments

That the hand of time bestows

Look! What gleams to pierce the darkness

Shattering its would-be gloom

Like a gentle, golden halo

Driving shadows from the room

Ah, what wields hope’s wave of wonder

Washing wounded spirits clean

Billow of unrivaled grandeur

Turning dormant gardens green

Hark! What rushes through our bearing

While we suffer trouble’s rod

Like a fountain filled with healing

Why, it is the love of God

© Janet Martin

Above All Else and A Few Other Poem-lets

His creation is free for all to enjoy...

no one has the rights to the sky,

no one can take credit for what seeds deploy 

No one is able to explain His 'why'
No one is master of sky, sea or sod

Because no one is greater than Creator God

© Janet Martin

***

No matter where we are or who

The One Thing we are called to do

No matter what reason or ruse

May fit the frame of good excuse

Not any of us are exempt

(no matter how pious Intent)

From the Greatest Command of all

No matter what our creed or call

To love the Lord above all else

And next, our neighbour as ourselves

© Janet Martin

Matt.22:34-40

 And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,

 they themselves gathered together.

One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question:

“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart 

and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

***

It is so easy to ignore
The carriage of the lie 
but there is always so much more
than that which meets the eye

Facades can fool with cunning craft
 The pitfall Guile achieves
*examine well before and aft
lest appearance deceives 


© Janet Martin

*my dad's advice when teaching us discernment;
"examine not just what is, but where it will lead"

***

the sacredness of numbered days spills out in such familiar ways...
like cooking. 
Creating salads or salad bar for supper. 
Can't quite decide which they would prefer;
Create your own or ready-to-serve.
I have a feeling it will be ready-to-serve style.
Just need to cook some pasta yet then creating begins😋
I worked out in the gardens first thing this morning instead of writing...
It's a warm one out there today so now I'm trying to think of a refreshing supper
(between writing )
Fresh garden greens was the starter to today's salad bowl of thoughts!

the sacredness of numbered days
spills out in such familiar ways
so we should always be on guard 
Seduction plays a wily card
and doesn't seem to mind a bit
If we become misled by it

***

the pleasure of a poem, oh
sometimes with ink, 
sometimes with snow
of gold-dust 
wafting o'er dusk's spa
To crown the commonplace
 with awe
Thank-you, God!

(I was covered with garden dust and plant-dust last night
then looked up to see gold dust wafting on bars of dusk)

***


 


 

How Can We Show Love...

These are dark days but because He lives we can face tomorrow!

"Because I live, you also will live."

John 14:19

 

Have you found it hard to feel encouraged in these dark days? 

 "it's so hard to know how to show love in a city where everyone is afraid"

said Melissa last night as she struggled with ideas on how to show love

in a world where again this week so much of the news 

is heavy and hard and we want to change the world with love but how?

~ "You must be the change you want to see in the world."~
Mahatma Ghandi 

Melissa shared an encounter with her intent to show love the other day...

she heard a lady in a wheel-chair calling 'will someone please help me cross the street?'

so she thought, 'well, that's pretty obvious! I can help her'

but as she pushed the very heavy wheel chair the woman wailed in pain over every bump,

Melissa got stuck in an LRT track and sheer panic forced the chair free!

When she reached the other side one woman was as distraught as the other

and she said 'all I intended to do was show love'.💝

It's hard not to let anger take root in the unfairness-es of life...

but God IS love. 

He IS good!

Psalm 145:8-9

 The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
    slow to anger and rich in love.

 The Lord is good to all;
    he has compassion on all he has made.

 

Let's trade our anger in for humble prayer

for a heart of forgiveness and love!

I turned to Psalm 37 yesterday for comfort and encouragement

It begins like this...

Do not fret because of evildoers,...

We are not equipped to stand up for what we believe

until we get down on our knees! 

How can we show love in a world where fear’s dark fathoms roll

With woe and pain, anxiety, chaos out of control

Mountains can seem so hard and high, but we are called to climb

And suffer the strain of its struggle one step at a time

How can we show love in a world where doubt and mistrust mars

The heart where hope should spring immortal, instead of hate’s scars

How can we hold a hand when Covid keeps touch beyond reach

Or comfort one another in death’s losses, dark and deep

How can we show love in a world of love misunderstood

Because broken humanity has not loved like we should

This place where racial prejudice makes people vile of heart

Makes we who want to show love, wonder how to do our part

How can we show love in a world where opinion takes charge

The Word of God rejected/neglected by the masses, by and large

How can we gain wisdom to know how to love without fail

On an ocean of ships tossed to and fro without a sail

How can we show love and not take offense when ‘they’ oppose

When we are crowned with thorns while scorn tramples love’s perfect rose

When evil seems to triumph and the world screams ‘where is God’

When answers are inept when instead of a kiss, a rod

How can we show love in a world that needs it desperately?

We start by looking through lenses of true humility

We start by seeking God to guide, for we are called to climb

One smile, kind word, one retort withheld, one prayer at a time

One heart that trusts the One who battled in Gethsemane

Surrendering His will to Love’s Supreme Authority

One life committed to the call no matter what the price

Where the greatest Command of all begins with sacrifice

© Janet Martin