Before Christmas, in my daily devotions, I read the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, I’ll call them Zee and Liz, the married couple featured in Luke, in the prelude to the announcement of Jesus’s birth. We find out a lot about them in just a few sentences. They were seniors–“very old” is how they’re described. Zechariah was a priest by vocation. In fact, both he and his wife were descendants of Aaron, Levites who, according to the Word, “were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.” They were also childless. Continue reading “The Lesson of Zee and Liz”
Category: Hardships
What have you got to Lose?
Have you ever stopped to think about the fact we human beings are a big bunch of losers? From the day we’re born to the day we die, we’re always losing something. Oh, we fight it, some of us more than others. We have an innate desire for wholeness. Life itself is winning, I suppose, but loss is present, nonetheless. Continue reading “What have you got to Lose?”
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Feelings
Feelings
Who knew they could be so much trouble Continue reading “Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Feelings”
Hangin’ in the Comfort Zone
I’ve always been nervous around needles. In college, I joined a group of my fellow students to donate blood. The nurse pricked my finger and I stumbled like a drunk into the other room where another nurse intercepted me, steering me to safety. “We won’t be taking blood from you today,” she said wryly. In University, while enrolled in the Dental Hygiene program and after being immunized, I was told I stood up and abruptly fainted, smacking my head on some nearby equipment on my way down. I woke up lying in a bed, unsure as to where I was, and, most unfortunately, pantsless. I was informed that, once on the floor, my bladder let go. Poor, prone, pony-tailed Polly lying in a puddle of pee in front of her peers! To this day, I use the restroom before any sort of procedure involving a needle. I couldn’t even watch my daughter get her ears pierced in the mall at Claire’s without sitting down next to the table and putting my head between my knees. Continue reading “Hangin’ in the Comfort Zone”
Impervious: Pondering the Pandemic
Let fear dictate your path and there won’t be a path to dictate.
In 2019, we visited our neighboring province at the end of October. “Why on earth would you do that?” some may ask, as Saskatchewan is not known for being a vacation destination due to its austere scenery. We happened to be on our way back from Manitoba, where we attended a seminar for my husband’s work as a pastor. We decided to take a day and explore Regina. Even though it wasn’t very wintery where I live in Alberta, I decided to throw in my winter wear as a precaution. Canadians know that winter often shows up unannounced, without regard for your preparedness, especially when you’re still sporting shorts and flip flops. On that note, last winter I did something I haven’t done in 20 years. I bought a new winter coat and not just any winter coat, but the mother of all winter coats. It’s a burgundy puffer jacket with a faux-fur trimmed hood that effectively turns me into the lion king. My daughter has informed me that it makes my head look like a shriveled pea, not a very attractive thought, but, let me tell you, I put that baby on and go outside and, despite the cold, I still feel nearly, and delightfully, feverish. Continue reading “Impervious: Pondering the Pandemic”
A Prayer for the World
Our Father
You who are light and love, purity and power
Creator and sustainer of this whirling ball of rock and soil, sloshing blue, and leafy green
Whimsical mastermind of all humankind and creatures wild and wonderful
I normally do come to you with petty problems, small concerns
I dare to pray this day for the whole world
There’s a microscopic killer on the loose
But you know this
A tiny terror that has us by the throat
To take our breath away
And we’re getting crazier than usual down here
We’re taking
When giving is what’s called for
We’re worried bout an ever-growing list
Our health
The health of family and friends
Our mortgages
Food on the table and bills stamped paid
Clean hands and butts
Yes, we’re a little nuts in this regard
It’s hard
To know what to believe
With all the cautionary and, at times, conflicting chatter we’re bombarded with
The only news in town for quite some time
And some of us do fear will lose our minds
Sequestered in our homes for endless days
Reluctantly withdrawing from the human touch we crave
To quell the spread of said uncaring, merciless bug
Oh, God, take out this miniscule thug!
You who’ve always been the champion of the vulnerable and weak
Come to our aid for some have no defense
You who healed the masses when you walked upon this earth
Do so again
Stretch out your hand and let your healing power flow
Allow the suffering among us to draw near and touch your cloak
You who give the breath of life
Exhale
We need a fresh infusion
Yes, and more
Our scientists and doctors need your wisdom to advance against this wily invasion
Our healthcare workers need your strength and shielding in the fray
We all need your assistance, your divine provision
For every day, businesses are shut and jobs are lost
Our costs are soaring
Our children need tending
Our nerves need calming
As chaos threatens to engulf us
Please give us the peace you promise
Renew our trust in you and your great love for us
And fill us with compassion for our neighbours
Help us do what must be done to see that all of us get by
In this most troubling time
In Jesus’ name I pray this,
Amen and amen
Posts come out when I feel like it. 😀 Scroll down to the bottom of the page to receive notifications of my posts via email. Thank you for giving me some of your precious time!
Standing in the Storm
When most people think of Canada, they think of cold, ice, and snow. We specialize in winter up here. The province of British Columbia has milder temperatures the further south you go, but Canada is largely a chilly place for a substantial part of the year. I’m from Alberta and winter can last close to six months with dumps of snow recorded even in the summertime.
Continue reading “Standing in the Storm”
Burn Away the Dross
Sometimes I wish I could pack up my feelings
Especially the ugly, hurtful ones
That scour my soul and leave me winded, raw, and wounded
I’d thrust them into the deepest trunk
And grunt and sweat to force their bulk
Into a forgotten place
I’d bury them under every meaningless piece of trash
I can’t bring myself to get rid of
Sometimes I wish I could pinpoint those moments
The person, the voice, the scent that lingers
The triggers that slap my face and send me reeling
Pummeling me with those awful feelings
Those ugly, hurtful, persistent feelings
That scour my soul and leave me winded, raw, and wounded
I’d stay run away, move away, stay away if I had to
Sometimes I wish I could close up my being
And throw up a wall around my heart
To block the triggers, those stupid signals
That bring up the pain of those ugly, hurtful, persistent feelings
That scour my soul and leave me winded, raw, and wounded
But I simply cannot do it
Cannot lay down in the bitter cold
Cannot close up and get hard and old inside
So I writhe
In the flames
Alive and open
Complete the experience. Listen to for King & Country’s It’s not Over Yet.
Posts come out every Monday morning, a poem every third Monday. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to receive notifications of my posts via email. Follow me on Instagram username: pollyeloquent. Thanks for reading. 🙂
Pieces
I’m starting to piece my past together
And at this point
I’m wondering
If my past should have been left in pieces
When I open up the wounds of my past
I suffer again
Having gained an understanding of why I suffered
It’s painful
But worth the pain
I think
Understanding leads to forgiveness and healing
Healing is about wholeness
It’s about picking up the pieces
And putting them back together
One shard at a time
Fashioning something new
That glitters
When the light hits the jagged edges
Complete the experience. Listen to Gungor’s You Make Beautiful Things.
Posts come out every Monday morning, a poem every third Monday. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to receive notifications of my posts via email. Follow me on Instagram username: pollyeloquent. Thanks for reading. 🙂
Keep on Dancing
I see you there
Your glossy, pale hair swaying to the music
You pose and leap and glide
With every movement comes the sweetest smile
Such visible enjoyment
You are graceful for your four young years
So new and innocent and free
Oh, little ballerina
Let me offer you a small piece of advice
Keep on dancing
As the years beat on in time
Be flexible, be fluid
When the spotlight shines
Take joy
Stretch out
Reach up from where you are
Become the shooting star that you were meant to be
But never soar so far that you will not be ready
For when the floodlights shut their eyes
And sure as death they will
And suffering strikes an errant chord
You must not fall
Do not give up, do not lay low
By all means, wrestle with your grief and take your rest
Then go
For life is in the movement
A waltz with pain produces beauty
Only if you
Keep
On
Dancing
Complete the experience. Listen to Mandisa’s Overcomer.
Posts come out every Monday morning, a poem every third Monday. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to receive notifications of my posts via email. Follow me on Instagram username: pollyeloquent. Thanks for reading. 🙂