Exloring Life Eternal

In the sunset of his sojourn
he came, bearing gifts,
wearied with unworthiness
and all the myriad "ifs."

"If I had known what I know now
would all have been the same?
If I had loved as love demands
could I have brought such pain?

"If I could return to former times
and cross the bygone years
could I kiss away the sordid sins
and wipe the wasted tears?"

"What's done is done," she says,
the stars left from her eyes.
And I still care! Yet, though I try,
my heart is filled with "Whys?"

"Why did you hurt me once again
after we were old?
I tried so many, many times
and thought the tale was told.

"Why was it simply not enough
to crush my youthful heart,
to rip my children from the nest
and tear us all apart?

"Why did it need to be that lust
could drive you to such sin?
Why make me fight that awful thing?
How could I hope to win?"

He sags into a tattered chair,
the gifts slip to the floor.
"I'm so ashamed," he weeps.
"But it¹s not true any more."

The addiction is done, the craving controlled,
God knows I've tried.
I'd like to spend our remaining years
close by your side.

"Is it too late? Can it never be?
Has the story been too long?
Have the struggles of the recent years
been altogether wrong?"

And I get a picture of Another Love,
rejected yet utterly spent -
a Man out of God still giving His all
for a world not innocent.

I have taken His love and squandered His gifts
and spit on His beautiful scars.
Now I come near in the evening of life
and ask Him to lower the bars.

She says,
"Let's try again! What's there to lose?"
And a twinkle returns to her eyes.
"None else would do it," he says,
and he bows his old head and cries.

Yet Another has done and continues to do
all this and much, much more.
He forgives it all and puts it away
and opens wide the door.

"But," He says, "it's not the same. You are different now
and I want your life to show
that you are changed, that you are Mine!
I want them all to know!"

So man and God have tried to love
and necessity, in each case,
insists on and provides a
tremendous extension of grace!

- Bill Hawkins
February 12, 2006

Waves of sorrow, oceans of grief,
Acres of agony beyond my belief!
Deep in despair to the core of my soul -
Nothing can help me! I'll never be whole.

Staring and sinking ever deeper into pain -
Gut-wrenched and stinking with nothing to gain.
How does this help in the healing from sin?
The determinant in discipline is that SOMEONE shall win.

A whisper of gladness, a glimmer of hope,
A visit with an old friend may help me to cope.
Rivers of refreshing rushing down from the crest,
Mountains of mercy for passing the test.

When everything's gone and there's nobody left
and I'm all alone to live with myself,
the excellent experts with their PhD's,
their master's and doctor's and other degrees,
are sometimes no comfort in the shame of the day;
it hardly matters what they have to say.
Yet one underqualified with love in his heart
can reach me and touch me and draw me apart
and tell me who loves me and remembers my name,
caresses my sorrow and passes over my shame.
Then I am disarmed and cannot be the same.
I don't feel less guilty nor better about sin
but I feel forgiven - that I matter again.

So that brings a question that's important to me:
Which kind of expert do I want to be?

- Bill Hawkins, January 28, 2006

BECAUSE YOU CAME

Into the gutters, the pits, and sewers of our sin He came -
hating our sin, but loving us He came!
He Who was clothed in light and glory came down -
Down into the gutter, the pit, the sewer of my sin He came -
And I will never be the same because He came!

When He came Angels chose to weep at Heaven¹s loss.
But no! He will have JOY announce His coming because
Mankind gains from Heaven's loss!
All the joy, all the glitter, all the glory, all the gloss -
And then we nailed Him to the cross!

You look at me and you see sin - enormous sin and slime and shame!
You see betrayal and death and dirt and I'm to blame!
You may not recognize me as His dear child
since I have crucified Him again and again, to my great shame!
But I am not what I might have been without Him!
I will NEVER be the same because He came!

Where's the glory? Where's the glitter? Where's the gloss?
Buried beneath the blood at the foot of the cross.
Still there is suffering; still there is pain;
Still it often seems there is nothing to gain.
There is an end. He brings us to the depths until we come to Himself.
He stooped that low that we must find Him by digging deeper.
And I cannot stop until I immerse myself in Him, whatever it takes!
I may not - I cannot - I will not be the same because He came!

The angels said, "Glory to God!" and I say "Glory" too.
There is no life without the life in You!
Where can I go? It's totally true
that no one has the Words but You!
You can't let me go and I can't stay untrue to You!
Let's make Christmas together in my heart and in my home
and we will never ever be alone!
Forgive me! No matter what it looks like I cannot walk away
and find another god or go another way - it cannot be!
I cannot EVER be the same - because You came!

- by Bill Hawkins, Christmas, 2005

The Vine

I see a vine that spans across the earth.
The land of promise where it set its roots –
a rocky place, despite the blessed birth
of Life and Peace – now has so little fruit.

Untended branches fall upon the ground,
but trimmed, the vine grows fast and full of life.
So either fruit is scarce or grapes abound.
The key is application of the knife.

I long to see the local branches grow
and flourish. Knives are sharp and fires burn,
but better truth be told than truth unknown.
So let our lives be changed and hearts return.

Lord, graft in branches from earth's farthest end,
and let them dwell in you to share your grace
until we see that branches do extend
to every heart and home in every place.

<><
A supposed composer posted the poem.
Promis broken, posed a problem:
& His song fell flat.
Imagine that!
Lying lyres cannot be trusted
for their medals are all rusted.

... Ah, but the Lord, he always can be!
& that is what the poem is about anyways!!

Peace in Christ,
Mert H.
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(A link with a reference to another site was removed do to their demonstrated falsehood.