As My Spirit Grows – A Poem
I’ve been reading Max Lucado’s new book Grace. A passage from Chapter 7, Coming Clean with God, has really stuck with me even though I’ve moved on to Chapter 9. In the back of my mind has been a “found” poem based on this passage. Then today I went to dVerse Poets Pub to see what the poetry prompt was for the day. The challenge was to write about growing up. I decided to connect the two because what better evidence of growing up is there than finally coming clean with God? The italicized portions are direct quotes from Grace, page 85.
As My Spirit Grows
Childhood, young adulthood
A time when wild oats are sown
Rules are broken, trouble is found
Either to get into or be the victim of
Guilt lies hidden beneath the surface,
festering, irritating.
Sometimes so deeply embedded
you don’t know the cause.
You become moody, cranky.
You’re prone to overreact.
You’re angry, irritable.
You can be touchy, you know.
Understandable, since you have a shank
of shame lodged in your soul
For all those wild oats that have sprouted
Even where the sun does not shine
There comes a time to come clean
To grow up and leave wild oats behind
Seek the Healer of the soul
Who forgives and removes shame
Don’t make this inward journey
without God. There is no inner peace unless you
Let Him apply grace to the wounds
To the irritability and anger of your soul
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As we grow we are taught to be ashamed of our errors (You should be ashamed of yourself!), then we decide to rebel and become almost totally shameless, then – one way or another – we have to face the consequences of who we’ve become and what we’ve done.
yes, when we are raised the way you describe, our life is only guilt
My life is not only guilt, it is forgiveness and love. Peace, Linda
Very deep message here. Strong poem 🙂
Thank you. It is a message many miss and instead go through life weighed down by guilt and shame. I’m thankful that God has taught me of His mercy and grace. Peace, Linda
What a wonderful poem that God brought to you, as you reflect on Chpt. 7. The book sounds good . .I really like what Max Lucado writes! God bless you, Linda, and thank you for helping us with growing up pains!
Deb, I’ve always loved Max Lucado’s writing. I think it is because he is so real. He writes about his struggles as an imperfect human being and God’s answer of grace and love. Peace, Linda
deeply spiritual….i guess this talks to me about how childhood,and the experimentation we all go through when we start to get up- well, rightly or wrongly, you have to go through it…. I’m the same as Mary, i regret nothing, but would I do some of it again…NO!…these questions you raise capture perfectly the dialogue that ‘growing up’presents. Good work!
Thanks. I agree that we have to all go through things to eventually grow up. I do have a few things in my life that I regret, but I know my experiences and my response to them has made me who I am, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. Peace, Linda
Ha, I doubt there is an adult alive who did not sow some wild oats as a young person…..I did…actually I don’t regret them (smiles); but would I repeat them today? Nope! But sometimes the wild oat memories are good….in their own way. (Just my opinion)
it is true how guilt will weigh on us and make us edgy and react in ways we would not otherwise…haha…i have a few coming clean stories with my parents as well…smiles.