Sunday, May 8, 2011

For God Only

My soul 
waits in 
silence for 
God only.

There lay my daughter’s art project;
a cookie sheet with an assortment of makeshift tools;
a screw, a pocket knife, a pencil,
a pair of nail clippers, a large tack, paints,
and a coffee mug containing
a few art brushes soaking in murky water.

Etched onto the face of a slab
of dried plaster of Paris,
accompanied by a few simple flowers
and gentle swirls,
these words speak a simple truth.

But… it is broken.

A few inches off the bottom,
including the petals of one flower,
have been portioned off
and remain separate.

Attempts have been made
to fit the jagged edges together
with various adhesives,
but to no avail.

As I try to grasp the depth
of the meaning of these words,
my heart is sad that
such a lovely piece of art
with so moving a phrase
is wasted.

Suddenly,
more profound to me
than its beauty and creative simplicity
is the fact that it is broken.

It is only when I am broken
that my soul may truly enter
into the purest silence;
that of waiting
for God only.

“My soul waits in silence for God only.”

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul..."
~ Psalm 23:1-3

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