LEFT BEHIND...



RACHEL'S TOMB
in old Bethlehem
Rachel... still weeping for her children
because they are not.

 LEFT BEHIND...

From Cradle to Cross

HE+ suffered loss in lowest garb allowed,

HE+ wrapped HIMSELF+

in Swaddling Clothes

and then, in human Shroud.

.

From rented manger

to borrowed Tomb

HE+ had not where

His+ Head to lay.

HE+ owned no Colt nor Room,

it seems,

though Temple tax ,

exacted,

paid. 

Fleeing sword 'ere HE+ could walk,

Egypt hid the Royal BABE+

from death by HIS+ own nation

at His+ birth

with Wise Men's laud and adoration.

Glory LEFT BEHIND, 

not grasped,

for us HE+ emptied Himself+

for FATHER'S Will

and by Obedience 

forged a path for us to trod BEHIND HIM+ still. 

By imitation of HIS+ loss

we accept the limitations

HE+ sets upon our brow

that we might come before Our FATHER,

embracing HIS+ Salvation

now.

 

Meditation Poem by Sr. Judith Hannah + ,

Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+

Year of Our LORD,

1.14.2016 

My Hand, Cemented...

My hand, cemented...

fingers fixed

upon those goals

of my desire.

.

Grasping hand

unyieldingly

ignored YOUR+ call

… and coming Fire.

.

Determinedly

YOU+ pried them loose

until my willful

strength was through.

.

Emptiness

of hand and heart…

my sole* remains

… except for YOU+.

.

Sick I grew,
distressed anew

… no purpose, goal, nor person.

Weak body could not
stand the stress

of no human purpose
to profess.

.

Bleakly, no-one needing me,
skills vanished like hot air.
. Strength fled, fever raged;
mind, a blank; I did not care.

No work upon my shoulder

… except my solitary prayer.
.

No goal in life

… except to do

my daily discipline

with YOU+.

.

Directionless, interest gone

unadorned, life raw and bare.

.
Bones ached, emotions numbed.

Joy? Not my portion, this I rue.

Only in one place Joy glowed

… in quietness with YOU+.

.

Thank YOU+, LORD,

for freeing me

From built-in values, clamorings...

For prying loose my concrete grip,

Death-bringing goals
that would strip

my time and thought from YOU+.

.

My aims and goals

YOU+ withheld

…"AKA" my future woes...
.
Earth-bound illusions

replaced by YOU+...
  Heaven’s treasure flows

through entwining Fingers,
all Divine+

into this hand of clay,
called “mine.”

*sole = only
"AKA"= Also Known As
or Otherwise known as...

.

.

.  .  .  .  .

.

.

.

By Sister Judith Hannah  + + +

~ from my heart to yours...

Come, Stand by ME+...

Stand by ME+

...when dignity is stripped;

they took My+ clothing, as well.

Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+

...when rejection faces you;

family, friends, and followers

forsook ME+

when I+ needed them most, too.

Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+

...when your good acts

are misunderstood;

they said My+ acts of mercy

were acts of be'elzebub.

Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+

...when lying spirits defame you;

they dogged My+ path incessantly

... and still do...

Come, stand by ME+

Stand by ME+

...when excluded, though you love;

they hid their faces from ME+, too,

as I+ died to cover their sins.

Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+

...when death strikes;

Death struck My+ Body

but soon found out it struck

its own death-blow, not Mine+ !

Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+

...through every earthly trial;

I+ will not hide Myself+ from thee.

Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+

It's then you'll find

the only way to minister

to My+ hurt

is

when you come

...and stand...

by ME+.

+  +  +

by Sister Judith Hannah,

who is learning to come

and stand

by HIM+.