The Invitation

Here again, I pace.
Limiting chance. Eliminating risk.
Wanting promises. Requiring certainties.
I’m not here to collect another story.
 
So I sit with you, God.
And I pray with you, Jesus.
And I listen to you, Spirit.
 
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
 
Permeate me with wonder. Enrich me with desire.
Boost me with confidence. Allow me to dream.
 
Here again, I sit.
Head hung. Mouth ajar.
Fingers tapping. Knees rattling.
I’m not here to acquire another souvenir.
 
So I sit with you, God.
And I pray with you, Jesus.
And I listen to you, Spirit.
 
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
 
Permeate me with wonder. Enrich me with desire. 
Boost me with confidence. Allow me to dream.
 
Here again, I lie.
Heart accelerating. Adrenaline pumping. 
Mind racing. Vision swirling.
I’m not here to receive another parting gift.
 
So I sit with you, God.
And I pray with you, Jesus.
And I listen to you, Spirit.
 
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
 
Permeate me with wonder. Enrich me with desire. 
Boost me with confidence. Allow me to dream.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1.

Spending time with God.

In this poem, the character is spending time with God as he prepares to enter a season that is all too familiar, one that involves risk, including the possibility of getting hurt.

But as the Bible tells us, the vulnerability that leads to flourishing requires risk, which is the possibility of loss – the chance that we will lose something we value when we act. Risk, like life, is always about probabilities, never about certainties. To risk is to open ourselves up to the chance that something will go wrong, that something will be taken from us, without knowing for sure whether that loss will come to pass or not.

True, godly faith is defined as trust, relying on God when looking to the future, and obeying even when we don't fully understand all the details.

Written in 2021

Copyright, The Poetry of Bryan Buser