Reasonings

The first time that I was ever published was in the year 2000. It was in a book titled America at the Millenium: The Best Poems and Poets of the 20th Century. It was titled “Reasonings”. Here it is:

Without God…Comes doubt; With doubt….Comes uncertainty; With uncertainty….Comes fear; With fear….Comes anger; With anger….Comes war; With war….Comes destruction.

But, With God….Comes faith; With faith….Comes acceptance; With acceptance….Comes love; With love….Comes peace; With peace…Comes worship; With worship…Comes eternal life.

So many of us still grapple with those same thoughts and feelings today. It hasn’t changed! When we look at our lives through the lens of us being with God and also being without God, we can see where it can lead. Yes, it can be difficult to believe in something that you can’t see or can’t prove with scientific data. Faith is believing even without seeing. Faith is knowing without having data points in a scientific study. Faith is trusting that there is something out there that is bigger than the whole universe combined. Faith is seeing the wonder of that something and realizing that we have a God who loves us and wants to be with us. When you only look at Him scientifically then you will miss out on the wonder that is this world.

We have choices in this world. We can either live a life that is perpetually in conflict or we can live a life of joy. This poem reminds me of one of the two mottos that I try to live my life by. One motto is to “Let Go and Let God” which reminds us that if we want God to work in our life then we have to give Him the reigns. The other motto is based on Proverbs 31: 25 which states: “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come.” I want to be that person that finds joy in life. I want to be that person who sees God in EVERYTHING around me. I want to know that when I die, I will know where I’m going and that I was able to help others along the way. I think that that is a pretty good reason to get up and go each day! (Related post: Knowing and Believing)

So, what did I learn from this? Joy can be contagious. I know that I can’t change everyone, but my hope is that I can, at least, give them a small glimpse of God through who I’m choosing to be on a daily basis. Am I always successful? Nope! Sometimes I need my own daily dose of joy and encouragement as well. It’s part of being human. God didn’t make us so that we always have all the answers to the questions that there are in life. He made us to be a companion to Him and also to each other.

What can you gain from this? Instead, ask yourself this question. Would you rather have war or would you rather have peace? Yes, sometimes you still need to fight for your rights because there are always those who wish to steal your power of how you choose to worship. There are those who want to tell you how and what to believe and how and what to think. Those are the times that you must stand up and fight. However, the war that I’m also talking about is the one that comes from doubt and uncertainty and fear and anger. I know which one I choose. Wouldn’t you rather choose a life with God as well?