Invitation To Live (Romans 12:3)

We gathered there at end of day to ponder on His word;
We’d spent that day, the five of us, in life that’s quite absurd,
And now as sun had set once more, at time of equinox,
We paused together – five of us – to read, reflect, and talk.

One couple and three other folk who’d walked some dusty trails,
Considered Romans twelve and three, mixed in with private tales,
An hour before we went to bed and ended day for night,
To get some rest before we rose with dawning of the light.

All told, there’d be two hundred years of life-in-Christ who met
(That’s more or less), considering the passage Paul had set
For us to use as book-machine to think with, and reflect,
Upon our lives both then and now and what’s not happened yet.

A brief review of where we’d been and what we’d heard so far,
Set up our talk about the verse to see what treasures are
Within its lines – of grace, and self-reflection as we pause,
And take a measure of ourselves – our actions and their cause.

We opened up the subject Paul (Apostle) wrote to friends,
The line I’ll be considering as days of working end;
For I’ve been asked to share some thoughts about this piece of text,
As Paul (the Pastor) is away from now ’till Sabbath next.

I sent an email to some folks across our nation wide,
And asked what challenges they saw in place where they reside;
I got some insights – life is tough for all in different ways,
Regardless – male or female, young or towards our end of days.

I gathered up two books I know are used both far and wide,
As folks reflect each day before they swim against the tide
Of life within the space they live – serenity their prayer,
And courage, mixed with wisdom, as sobriety they dare.

I asked about the hymns we’ll sing when we are gathered there;
I read about the text itself, so meaning I could share;
But now as all is set aside, and I asked, “What the heck
Can we get to survive a week from this small piece of text?” –

I realized there’s just one thing for me to focus on –
That’s “faith”, that little word that’s used, that thing we rest upon
As we walk into challenges which come from time to time,
Key aspect of the Scripture down from Abe to life of mine.

A “measure” we’ve indeed received – a teaspoon, cup, or quart,
With which to face the challenges at home, or school, or work;
That measure varies with the tasks God has in mind for us,
Then over life he fills it up – our teaspoon, quart, or cup.

For Christ is author of our faith, He starts the filling task;
Continues as we live our lives, and gives more when we ask;
Like daily bread which will not keep, it’s there to meet each need –
The faith we start with at the first matures like farmer’s seed.

Our faith gets stretched as we move on from faith to faith each day –
Capacity to go ahead where Spirit leads the way
Without the solid ground beneath our feet as we go forth –
To “walk on water”, so to speak, up here in frozen North.

Like children learning how to swim – to trust that water will
Sustain us at the surface, freeing limbs to move us – still
We all recall that little step of trying it, to see
If we will float when lying still – “Does faith apply to me?”

“Big-little step” it is for us each time we ramp it up;
Our faith is stretched, Christ adds some more, to teaspoon, quart, or cup;
From when we’re kids till we grow old there’s challenges galore,
And faith – capacity to trust – to which Christ adds some more.

For He’s the finisher of faith – He’ll top our measure up;
Old Abraham twigged to that fact in desert life so rough;
He passed the insight to his kin; they passed it on to us –
“By faith we can walk hand in hand with God through calm or fuss”.

“So with your measure take a look and see where you are at”,
Paul said (Apostle), “look around and take some time to laugh
At self within tsunami’s swirl – it works, life holds us up,
As we try out each second chance – there’s grace when things are tough.

“So self-assess from point of view of measure given to you –
How big it is, how full it’s grown, maintain that point of view;
For that’s what counts within each storm – capacity to trust
A loving God within the mess as forward we are thrust”.

Paul said (Apostle), “I was cut some slack in former days;
Upon a wrong road I’d embarked and rode along my ways,
Until that day I hit the ground – hit bottom so to speak –
Christ picked me up, and hooked me up with friends He sent to greet –

“Me as I stumbled – blind, and dazed, into their little town;
That’s grace to me,” he wrote to us, “Grace came through falling down.
So by that grace I write to you my friends in Rome – today
Don’t think you’re greater than you are, or lesser – hear Christ say –

“My grace sufficient is, my friend, to see you through your life;
By faith the righteous carry on through each tsunamic strife;
I am the author of your faith, I fill your measure up,
Regardless of its size – for measure matches life that’s tough”

So focus on resource you need to live today my friend,
And as you ask for daily bread, ask if some faith He’ll send,
To grace you through the challenges you face across this land,
That when today has ended, you by grace once more will stand.

Lord, thank you for the words of Paul (Apostle), and of Paul
(Our Pastor), who has led us here to listen – most of all,
We thank You for the folks who heard all this in years gone by,
And thought to pass it on to us, that life by faith we’d try.

For grace indeed has brought us here, and grace will take us home,
Regardless where the road will lead, and where on earth we roam;
Be with us, Lord, what e’er our race, or culture, tribe, or creed,
And grace us to triumphant life by faith supplied in-deed.

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