Forgiveness

Dear Ones,

This is a hard subject, but it's so important. Forgiving others of little slights isn't too bad, but forgiving others for lifelong damage done to either someone we love or to ourselves is terribly difficult. Maybe these thoughts will help you to see a different perspective and to see the importance of letting go.

Can you forgive a dreadful hurt?
Can you forgive again?
Can you, deep in your heart see love, where hate has been?

Can you have peace deep in your soul,
peace that makes the anger go?
Can you remember something good in the one who hurt you so?

Oh, you may say that it's not hate, but only hurt you feel,
but when you cannot let it go, it's hatred that is real.

Our God commands that we forgive with a forgiveness that's like His.
We may say, “It's not the same.”
God will tell us that it is.

Or we may say, "God, you don't understand the pain this one has caused."

Oh,

think again to whom you speak, and then you'll have to pause,
and remember what he did for you while hanging on the tree;
the pain, the torture and the shame that He bore for all to see.

And yet He cried out "God forgive them", as they caused His agony.
Forgiveness was the reason that He died on Calvary.

Can you forgive the one who hurt you?
Can you begin to love anew?
When we see God's love for us

we begin forgiveness too.

Yes, you can forgive a dreadful hurt and you can live without the pain
of memories that have pierced your heart
and let the hatred reign.

© Diane Gruchow 2010

My God is in Control

Dear ones. I wrote this little poem years ago at a time when my darling husband had been fighting for life in intensive care. We had just moved to this town and didn't know anyone. Our children were in another part of the country and at the start of Ron's struggle I wasn't able to contact them. It was just God and me. But He was there with me in the night and I knew it!

Through the tears of despair, and of sorrow,

and care

that were clouding my eyes and my heart,
through the haze of my pain,

or when worry would reign,

a glimmer of hope seems to start.

Because as I look around I see

mountains majesty calling down to me,

and rolling clouds on high waving as they fly.

I hear the thunder clapping hands

at my Lord's command.

And there's lightning flashing bright

bringing heavenly light.

And then I watch the little ants that build

and find my broken heart is filled.

Because all these wonders show

what my old heart should know.

My God is in Control.

© Diane Gruchow 2010

He's in This Place

In John 14:27 Jesus is saying

"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid." You may want to say the following with me.

I'm in this place. My God has put me here.
I'm in His grace, no matter when or where.
He'll walk with me through sorrow and through care.

I'm in this place.
I'm in this time.
I'm not alone.

I'll be content. I'll meet each day with song.
He's always there to wipe a tear or right a wrong,
and when I'm weak, He's by my side to make me strong.

I'm in this place.
I'm in this time.
I'm not alone.

God's in this home. His arms surround me here.
God's in this night. He makes the dawn appear.
God's in my life, in all that I hold dear.

He's in this place.
He's in this time.
I'm not alone.

© Diane Gruchow 2010

© Diane Gruchow 2010

God Showed His Love to me Today

God showed His love to me today
in fluffy clouds and new mown hay,
in mountain's towering peaks that rise
from gentle plains, to ice blue skies.

In flowers

shouting loud and clear -
their colors bright

with dew drops tear,


and tall green trees that wave, and sway
in summer breeze - they boldly say,
"God's showing love to you today."

Glowing coals from evenings fire
Red flames leaping ever higher,
Sparkling snow on winter night
The full moon casting icy light,
Cold clear streams that leap and roar
and soothe a throat that's dry and sore --
in all these thing my heart can say
"God's showing love to me today."

In gentle hands that help and bear
and tears that come from hearts that care,
in family's love and loyalty
God shows his mighty Love to me.

In words that come from deep within
the loving heart of a dear friend,
a pat, a hug, a tender touch
that says, "I love you, oh so much,"
dear ones, in all you do and say
God shows HIS love to me today.

Diane Gruchow

© Diane Gruchow 2010

He is Risen

Gentle footsteps, slowly walking,
stopping not upon the way.

Ere the dawning of the sun
gentle footsteps softly come
to the place where Jesus lay.

Gentle footsteps, walking onward
see the women go their way
toward the garden where the dead
lay wrapped in cloths now stained blood red.
T’was the place where Jesus lay.

Gentle footsteps, gentle ladies
walking to their master's side.
Hard, the task that lay before them
bearing spices to embalm Him
so they walked and sadly cried.

As they trod along they wondered
who would roll away the stone.
With the dawning of the sun
gentle footsteps softly come
to the Christ of flesh and bone.

At a distance footsteps halted -
what is it our eyes betray?
Is the scene that has arisen
just a shadow or a vision?
Has the stone been rolled away?

Gentle footsteps running onward
to the tomb that Joseph gave.
As they stopped and looked within
sitting where their Lord had been
was an angel in the cave.

His appearance was like lightening
and his clothes a snowy hue.
Then he told them "Have no fear."
"He is risen! He's not here.
and in time you'll see it's true."

Gentle footsteps, going nowhere
listen to the angel's plea.
"Quickly go and tell the others.
He has risen, tell his brothers.
He's going on to Galilee."

Gentle footsteps of the women
walk away as in a dream.

Is it true -- what the angel's say
or have they taken him away.
And who will believe what we have seen

But they told! And so should we!
He is Risen!

Separation

"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani."
From a bloody Roman cross

came this tearful lonesome cry.

"My God, My God

why have you forsaken me?"

were the woeful words from that cursed tree.

As that cry rang out on Calvary's knoll
the Father heard and it broke His heart
because of His love for that pain wracked soul.

He could have stopped it
He could have eased the suffering.

He could have held that soul in His arms
protecting Him from this terrible harm.

What if Jesus had felt His Father there
easing the burden - the sin he had to bear?
No, 'cause that wouldn't have paid the price that was due,
the price of salvation for me and for you.

The only price
that could save the lost

was the separation of God on the cross
from God in his heaven, the Father and Son,
to be torn from each other - a tearing of one.

That day on the earth
the darkness that reigned
came not from the soldiers
came not from the pain.

It came from God's heart
tearing in two
hurting much more than any should do.

God loved us so much, that He broke His own heart,
tearing the Son on the cross and the Father apart.

Separation,
The price that was due
as God hung on the cross
paying the ransom for you.

© Diane Gruchow 2010

Pageant practice starts today.
Children’s hands wave in the air,
“Pick me! Pick me! Pick me,” they say.
The teacher is choosing the cast for the show.
I’m waving my hand there in the front row.

Pick me to be Mary!
Her part is the best!
I can sit on the donkey. I won’t even fall.
I’d remember my lines and hold on to the doll.

But the part goes to Mindy, I’m short and she’s tall.

Well If I can’t be Mary, then maybe I’ll be
an angel who stands on the riser and sings -
a beautiful angel with halo and wings.

Pick me! I’m an angel!
Pick me to be her!
I’d sing hallelujah, and say “Lo” and “Behold”
with my lacy white wings and my halo of gold.

But the part goes to Linda, I don’t fit the mold.

Ok, if I can’t be an angel, I know what I’ll be -
a wiseman dressed up in a crown like a king,
wearing long purple robes and a bright golden ring.

Pick me! I’m a wiseman.
Pick me, I can be
a beautiful wiseman. I’d sure fill that spot.
I can walk with my head high – Oh, no. I forgot.

The part goes to John. He’s a boy and I’m not.

Joseph and the innkeeper, the parts are so few.
The teacher has chosen – the boys get those too.
Now I’m so sad that the parts are all gone.
Oh, except for the shepherds – they need more than one.

I could be a shepherd, but you know that I’ve heard,

they just stand around and they don’t say a word.

Well, they do see the Christ child and then they bow down,

but they look kind of grubby in their old robes of brown.

It doesn’t sound great a shepherd to be -- But last year I ended up being a tree.

So now. . ..
I stop to think of shepherds in the hills of Bethlehem,
and how they felt afraid when the angels came to them.

I think about the part they played when Jesus came to earth.
You know shepherds were the first to hear the news of Jesus birth,
the first to worship at his crib,
the first to bow and pray,
the first to celebrate the fact that he was born that day.

Well, even though they don’t wear halos,

and they don’t have golden wings
and even though it seems they don’t have special songs to sing,
and even though they look a little tattered, it’s alright.
‘cause the shepherds had a very special part
to play that night.

So I raise my hand again and cry, “Teacher, please pick me!
A grubby shepherd girl
is what I truly want to be!”

The teacher smiled and said she’d always hoped that I would see
that a humble shepherd girl is someone I should want to be -
that child who ran to see the babe and bowed there in the stall
with eyes for Him and not herself, and a heart of love – that’s all.

May we see the Christ Child rather than ourselves this Christmas, and like the little girl in the poem may we realize that we don’t need to be the star of the show for God to give us a special job to do.

Merry Christmas,

Diane

© Diane Gruchow 2009