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Just Be Held
At the right moment, a song reaches deep inside and seizes your soul. This moment happened to me last year shortly after the death of my second-born, Joshua. After a tear-filled grocery shopping experience, I sat in my car, the world weighing on my shoulders. As soon as I turned on the ignition, the song “Just Be Held” by Casting Crowns played on the radio. It was the first of many intense meetings with God that would follow the first year after my son’s homegoing. Every word in “Just Be Held” felt as if it were written specifically for me. Hold it all together Everybody needs you strong But life…
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Joshy
I wrote this poem in honor of my son, Joshy, which was read at his memorial service on April 16, 2022. Your smile continues to echo across the shadows— A haunting remnant of the pain that once marked your brow And a fountainhead of light in the darkest midnight. Seeking the Audience of One, you journeyed toward the long tomorrow, A worn and weary traveler now at rest. Parting ways in the depths of night, rejoining in eternal day. Sweet affliction, burdened beyond your tender years God, in grace, entrusted me to walk beside you, Through paths of bittersweet valleys, in thorns and wildflowers. He gathered our tears…
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Writing in Adversity: A Perspective
Adversity washes over me, morning and evening, day to day. It often comes on the heels of one another, bringing with it tidings of heartache and joy. Yes, joy. Nehemiah 8:10 states, “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” People ask me how I do it, how I endure in the face of affliction. My answer? Christ. I merely breathe the breath He has given me and go on. This side of eternity, I may never see beyond the frayed knotting of the Weaver. I can’t see the whole picture. But I can trust. I trust Christ more than anything. The pain, oh the pain in my heart is…
