why do they say,
‘love thy neighbour’
then spit in their faces?

why is the exception to that rule
when they are different?

don’t they know that
god created us different
for a purpose
a reason?

they let dogmas blind their hearts
like blindfolds they keep on themselves
swimming in the babble of the hard hearted

poke your head above the water
see the light
love your neighbour as yourself

let that commandment not be mere words
on paper
live it; embrace it; do it

I walk along an endless beach,
waves lapping at my ankles,
soft sand beneath my feet.
The world is a quiet peace.

I glance back and notice,
to my surprise,
two sets of footprints
trailing in the sand behind me.

I know He is here,
rejoicing in my joy,
walking beside me
because I have welcomed Him.

But one day, the wind rises.
The sky darkens, torn by thunder.
The waves crash, drowning my cries.
I stumble, unable to go on.

My life is unrecognizable—
rubble and filth,
pain and sorrow,
a world shattered by the storm.

And when I look back?
Only one set of footprints in the sand.

Why?

Am I truly alone?

I sit in silence,
lost in the weight of abandonment.
I search for understanding,
but all I find is emptiness.

I look up to the sky and cry out—
“Why have You forgotten me?”

Only then is the truth revealed.

Not my footprints, not my strength.
Every step in the sand was His.
Through the storm, He carried me,
through the waves, He walked.
Not a single moment alone.

I was never forsaken.
I forsook Him.
But he still carries me to the end

Friends go to church on Sundays and girl sleeps in.
Friends wear tiny little crosses on their necks and she wears nothing.
Friends believe in a divine, arbitrary, God and she believes in nothing.

“She is more of a scientific girl,” she says.
“God created the universe,” they say.
“The Big Bang created the universe.”
“Well, why did the Big Bang happen?” They ask.
“Scientists do not know but it is not because of a God,” she says.

Yes, she turns to science and friends turn to their tiny pretty cross necklaces.
She likes science because science is reliable. science is consistent, does not forget, does not lie, does not exile you for making one mistake.

Maybe that is why she does not believe.
Not because she thinks herself above them.

But because she is afraid.

“Do not fall for tricks of the devil,” they say but she has fallen for the snake's lies many of times and relished in it every. single. instance.

She is Eve and has taken from the poison tree again and again.
That is why she is afraid.
Because if Heaven is real then she would go to Hell.

“God is all forgiving,” they say.

Lies, Adam and Eve ended up lying in a pile of broken promises and death at the end, didn’t they?

If God was so forgiving, would he forgive her for having more sins than she does hairs on her head?
If God was so forgiving would he forgive her for losing faith?
If God was so loving then why would he curse her with this fate?

If God believed in love, why doesn’t he love her? Why does he not love me?

Here alone in my thoughts
The place where I find comfort
I toil around
Blissfully

Keenly remembering thoughts that make my mind race
Enjoying my own company with the voice that echoes in my brain
That is until suddenly, reality shows its face

Leisure turns into chase
I find my self ducking and dodging
Revisiting that which was a peaceful place
Dashing to happy thoughts, desperate to get away
Once a playground, now used forcefully as a dire escape

But the truth is you can’t outrun the truth
Nor can you hide
And so in that realization I fell on my knees
I prayed to the one who listens
Whose burden is light
Then I stood up, looked it right in the face, and in total terror it ran from me

Why did it cower?
Such a long chase just to run
Just then a tap on my shoulder..
There He stood towering behind me
“Well done my good and faithful son”

And to think I was alone in these thoughts

Lord, I don't know where to begin. Life has thrown me a crazy curveball right now and I'm feeling a little anxious about it. I know that this is supposed to be a time of joy, celebration and thanksgiving, but I haven't been feeling it quite so much. I know there are lots of things to be joyful and thankful for: friends, family, my faith, food, water, clothing, shelter, a good job, being alive, being able to see a sunrise or sunset and the list goes on. Thank you for these Lord, and please help me always be mindful of the many blessings you have given me in my life!

Lord, you are the Prince of Peace. Right now, I could use some peace of mind, body and spirit in this crazy world.
You are the King of the Universe and all creation; help me rest in the knowledge that everything is under your command. You are in control.
You are the Divine Physician, healer of body and mind. Please Lord, heal what ails me physically and cast out any fear or doubt with your perfect love.

In the meantime, help me find my strength and comfort in You. Help me carry this cross of mine and, by it, help me to become more holy, more empathetic to those who are also in need of Your Comfort. Walk with me Lord on this road I am on and, if necessary, carry me.

Sometimes it's hard to see you, and sometimes it seems you are far away. Give me the grace to see with eyes of faith and seek you and find you all around me in big and small ways. But you say: "I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. You will call on me and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me, and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart". (Jeremiah 29: 11-13)

Help me see you in someone who smiles at me as they pass by, the joy that comes in a walk outside on a nice fall day, the incredible beauty of a sunrise or sunset, on a good day with little pain, or having the strength and endurance for a long day and still feeling good afterwards.

Lord, I trust you. Help me trust you in this too and lean on the support and encouragement of my friends, family, spouse, church, and most importantly, You my Lord God. Please help me make a speedy and full recovery, so I can get back to the great work that you have so blessed and gifted me to be able to do. Help me continue to find joy in the job and strength for the journey. Bless my work Lord, that it may be a blessing for others and a blessing for you that others might change lives and hearts for the better and bring people closer to you!

AMEN

My heart is wounded, cursing my smile,
My past destroys me,
Struggling to face it all,
And Jesus empowers me.

My life is in vain for You,
Always disappointing Your heart,
But look at the greatness of Your love,
Kissing deep into my soul.

Believe, believe, you will surely be healed,
Smile, love, the sweetness of your heart,
Believe, believe, Jesus lives in your heart,
Remove and cast away the bitterness of your past.

And never, never leave yourself.