Psalm 138:7-8

When they've got us in their crosshairs, and they think we are a jerk,
It is hard to walk with Jesus (or, "As righteous do our work");
But He knows our little problems, and He bids us stick with Him,
For He made the seas and oceans – with our hand in His we win.

Maybe not the way we figured; maybe not the way of mom;
Maybe not in valleys pleasant where the path of life is fun;
But in ways we can go forward, with integrity intact,
(In the morning, in the mirror, see a good man looking back).

Trouble is we are not perfect, we make goofs along the way;
We don't rise to meet each challenge as we face each dawning day;
But He understands our weakness, has a sense of humour good,
Bids us laugh at all our follies, lets us know we're understood.

How He does that is quite different ’cause each person's not the same,
But our maker and creator said, "You're fashioned in My name;
I'm the one whose plan is playing as you walk the paths of life,
And I did it giving freedom through the pleasant times and strife."

"Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide",
(Was a song we learned as children, bid us stick with goodness' side)
"Twixt the good side and the easy", "Stay away from slippery gray",
"Keep your focus on the distant", "Let Him lead you day by day."

When we learned those thoughts as children, life was simple and secure;
Life as children was protected, parents' love for us was sure;
But the world outside was vicious, parents kept us from assault,
As they tried to keep their focus, even when they were at fault.

Then one day at end of summer, after we had moved in here,
Raging bull and mauling bear arrived and made my future clear;
God said, "Stu I've got some verses here to learn before you start,
For the road ahead is rocky, they'll assure you of My part.

"You are not the first to go here, or the last by any means,
But it's spooky for the strongest, for the world can be quite mean";
I had never seen those verses, but they jumped right off the page,
I had never learned by rote before I learned those words that day:

"Though I walk in midst of trouble, You preserve my life intact,
'Gainst my foes You stretch Your arm out and my enemies hold back,
While You pluck me from the tempest with Your other hand with care;
With Your right hand You deliver, lifting me from my despair.

"You have purposes quite focused since I came into this world,
And Your steadfast love's enduring, in the pleasant and the swirl;
You'll fulfill in me Your purpose, love is steadfast in this land,
You'll not leave, nor here abandon, this creation of Your hands."

Though I saw no danger ’fore me as I rose for work that day,
He assured me there was trouble – like tsunami not a wave;
So I learned those verses quickly, wrote on callandar that hour,
Then I walked into the sunshine, to effects of greed and power.

Like tsunamis in the ocean, they don't show until the shore;
There’s a rising of the level of the water – then there's more;
It just rises, sweeps on forward, nothing stands before it's power,
’Till it's spent and sweeps all backward – all destroyed within an hour.

We don't get tsunamis inland; or volcanoes blowing high;
And the rock beneath our buildings is quite stable where it lies;
Hurricanes and large tornadoes aren't a part of summer life;
In this section of the country there's not war or bitter strife.

But that doesn't mean it's easy when some troubles come our way –
To ourselves as we stand single, it's tsunami on that day;
In the hour of mass destruction of our family, home, and life,
Our career, and all that's precious lies in tatters ’fore the strife.

Then those precious words came to me, written by a former king;
There was still one place of safety, where in ruckus I could sing;
And I had my wife and family; He said, "Peace, for all is well,
Stick with Me and keep your mouth shut, welcome to this place of hell."

So I made it through the crisis, made some choices hard for me;
But He bid me to be patient, said the victory I'd see;
"Though the path direct is faster to your eyes, right through the swamp,
It is faster ’round the edges, for sure-footing's what you want."

Through the years I've waited, chaffing, wanting speed as time went by;
As my days kept onward pressing, still He bid me quiet lie;
Now I'm sixty-five and counting but my wife and kids today
Knew no trouble in their growing – had a good and pleasant way.

Though the cost was high, the value of my choices made back then,
Rises higher as time passes, war's not done – soon back again;
It's an armistice I've lived in, someday war again will start;
And I dread it more ’fore starting, not so much when in my part.

But I've learned a lot ’bout Jesus in these days of quiet hell –
That his father stood right by Him, as He took His hand as well;
When we walk away from giants stalking through a pleasant land,
They're the first ones there to greet us as we come to take our stand.

So it's with some trepidation that I rise for work these days;
I just know He will be with me quite apart from how life plays;
And I gird my loins for battle – armoured like epistle says,
For the weapons of our warfare are of love and heaven’s ways.

There are not a lot of people who will walk with me that day –
"That's not how to be successful, not a road that brings me pay";
But this town has got a spirit, one of fear, and ancient hate;
All the walls are manned by giants, and there's locks upon the gate.

But that's nothing to the Spirit , and the Saviour and his dad,
They've been down this road before us, He has won – so I am glad
I don't have to deal with giants, just stay quiet through the day,
And He'll guide, protect, like David, as he walk Goliath's way.

I don't have to be all-knowing (that's been gone a while for me);
I don't have to be all-seeing (I'm quite blind as you can see);
I don't have to battle giants, or the stealthy in the dark;
Just say, "Meet my friend, ‘sirocco’, then just let the battle start.

For he says, "Just put your finger on the soft spot on his thigh";
Or, "Go swimming in some river in whose waters pride will die";
Or, "Abide the garden praying"; "Sing some song in prison cell";
"In the space that you’ve created, I will work till all is well."

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal", as Paul said;
"There is grace where intervention lets us walk the road ahead;
And there's grace when God is silent, lets us meet an awful end;
And there's faith for us to follow either road as He will send."

We can learn to follow Jesus, stay with Him in final fight,
As we're toughened up for battle doing all those small things right;
We don't have to show perfection, we can blow it lots of times –
If we rise up once we've fallen, move on forward one more time.

It may be the fort's abandoned, they've all gone in dead of night;
It may be we face a battle; we may die amidst the fight;
It may not be in the morrow – maybe next year, or the next;
But we soldier on together; in His hand we're truly blessed.

We're the lowly, and the foolish, quite naïve, and not so smart;
We're the humble (we got clobbered, that is how we play that part);
We're the common folk, no power, wealth, prestige in status quo;
We're God's motley crew of people who these days to battle go.

For a little child will lead us as we live our lives each day,
Like the little kids we once were, lots of time for ruckus play;
They say, "Lighten up dear adults, it's so fun to be alive,
Come on out you could be dancing – walk on toe-points if you strive."

For the battle's one of laughter, and of dance amid the strife;
It is one where we are joyful, dancing in the worst of life;
It is song around the campfire, drinking cocoa, spinning yarns –
Letting light of warming firelight push back darkness with its harm.

There's a value in compassion which surpasses gifts in me:
It’s capacity for laughter in the things perceiver's see;
It’s audacity to venture to the mountain-tops of life;
It's the way they foster teamwork, eyes that sparkle in the night.

It's oblivious to danger, quite naïve as they go forth;
It is laughter at their errors, living life for all it's worth;
It is viewing life as precious, while good-naturedly they walk;
It’s insistence there’ll gaming while philosophy they talk.

As I'm low in such compassion, I import it by the ton;
I look on at those who make it, pouring out to us such fun;
And it brightens up my journey, gives me hope, says, "It's okay –
Come and join us round the campfire, joy and laughter's here to stay."

When the time for singing's over, campfire dies, and sleep is nigh,
We walk trails with flashlights glowing, find warm blankets with a sigh;
Good the memory of transition from the day into the night,
Laughter in the face of darkness – God's equipment for the fight.

You said once, "It changes quickly, turns around for all quite fast,
When resources for our living are perceived as here at last"
Well, that's true, but don't let worry, cares of life, and all that stuff,
Blind you to your strong compassion, which is often quite enough."

If perceivers take the hilltops, but alone – a life that's grim;
And compassion-types are blinded to the pickles they are in;
Then the blend which is your nature, says to me, "Hey, that's some mix –
Laughter high upon the mountains, while your wife takes scenic pix.

They assume you are quite able ’till you prove to them they're wrong;
That gives lots of room for laughter, family time, of dance and song;
Kicking back; enjoying sunshine in this wonderland of snow;
Laughing at the trouble round you; walking down the path you know.

When your son fell in the snow-bank saying, "Not a plan of mine"
People reached to help him rise up – soon they saw that he was fine;
Maybe that's a lesson for you, given ’fore its need arose:
Dust the snow off from your snowsuit, and with laughter say, "Here goes!"

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