Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: River (08/31/06)
-
TITLE: The Cleansing Water | Previous Challenge Entry
By
09/05/06 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
I awaken to the bright expanse of day,
which is filled with the joyful colors of creation.
I try to rejoice, and give my Savior thanks
But I tumble into sad contemplation.
Would this loveliness of the slate-blue sky
In which robins and larks cry out on high,
Pull back the curtains of my despair,
And cut through the darkness, which festered there?
No, I cannot seem to find
A most suitable argument to leave behind
The sorrow, self-doubt, dejection, and blame
that my lover caused when he soiled my name.
Just beyond the forest, I see
There flows a river, gushing with power
Its waters are cool, and azure-blue
And beside its banks I have spent many an hour.
The lush, dark evergreens that line its banks
Are sentinels that keep watch as salmons give thanks.
It is a retreat, in the past, where I found peace,
But lately my visits have begun to cease.
Long ago, I trusted in the Lord
But now I follow my own accord.
The river that winds through the thickets and valleys
was once a place I cleansed my sins.
These waters of communion that restore my soul
Are the conduit through which my Savior wins.
The invigorating touch of Heaven’s gate
Did help to make my fears abate,
But now the dirt that soils my day
Is the very impurity that keeps me away.
Depression, shame, guilt, and pain
Do mark upon my soul an ugly stain.
And so, this great scope that stands before me,
Cries out in a voice I can barely hear.
“Abandon the filth of your painful past,
And follow me now; there is nothing to fear.”
I went out that day, filled with new expectation,
And saw the raw beauty of Divine inspiration.
My soul was weak, my heart breaking
But once I reached the river, I began shaking.
I did touch the water, splashed it on my face
And all my sins, my Savior did erase.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
