A Poets Tea Room @ The Lord's Rain

Father Are You There?
Removing the Mask
Was It You Who Prayed?
What I Have Learned
You and God

Father Are You There?
by Dinnie McDole Hayes

A little child lay in the dark;
The room was strange, he saw nowhere,
He was afraid; but then he called,
"Father, are you there?"

He felt a hand, so strong and warm,
Close clasping his: then calm and clear
He heard his father's tender voice,
"Yes, Lad, I am here."
Like the small child, we sometimes feel
That we are in the dark of care;
In terror of some harm, we call,
"O Father, are You there?"

We reach our hand to Him, and find
A blessed answer to our fear;
His hand holds ours; we hear His voice,
"Fear not, for I am here."

So though we tremble in the dark,
In need of strength and help and cheer,
We have a tender Father's word,
"Fear not, for I am here."

Removing the Mask
by Terry Krepps

With weakness beneath my smiles, tears can be found
Enclosed alone in a mask, fears remain sealed
Outward desires in love for others retract
Reaching for the moon, but end up seeing only stars

Moon beams sending forth a potential protection
Are intercepted by the force of inflicting pain
Looking deep within sensing something beneath
But illusioning the blade as it's drawn from its sheath

Wounds of disclosure weep forth impetuously in haste
Pride and security in ones self flows in earnest
What once was conceived has now been dispersed
Reaching to retrieve them they were lost in submission

Faltering to my knees I partake in lamentations
The outpouring of forgiveness flows in division
One wanting to exonerate the other to retreat
Fleshly combat takes a stronghold of my emotions

Tenderness is grilled while sensitivity is misplaced
Acceptance within the realms of blame intertwine
Wanting to die seeped through as a consideration
But the strengthening and the maturity of the Spirit now overcame

A new beginning has been initiated, with the past to be forgotten
Pressing on towards the high calling we direct our pathway
Lifting it up to our Savior with an allowance of passion to be amplified
With a beacon of light to lead the way

As for myself I bow down to decrease
As my Lord and Savior draws it unto His increase
For within the desire to conform with surrender
It is accepted at His feet

Was It You Who Prayed?
author unknown

Did you think of me this morning
As you breathed a word of prayer?
Did you ask for strength to help me
All my heavy burden bear?

Did you speak of faith and courage
For the trials I must meet?
Did you ask that God might keep me
As You bowed at Jesus' Feet?

Someone prayed and faith grew stronger
As I bent beneath my load.
Someone prayed--the way grew brighter
And I walked all unafraid,

In my heart a song of gladness--
Tell me: Was it YOU who prayed?

What I Have Learned
author unknown

I've learned-
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I've learned-
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I've learned-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I've learned-
that you can keep going
long after you can't.

I've learned-
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I've learned-
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I've learned-
that regardless of how hot and steamy
a relationship is at first,
the passion fades and there had better
be something else to take its place.

I've learned-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I've learned-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I've learned-
that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.

I've learned-
that sometimes the people you expect
to kick you when you're down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned-
that sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me
the right to be cruel.

I've learned-
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I've learned-
that just because someone doesn't love
you the way you want them to doesn't
mean they don't love you with all they have.

I've learned-
that maturity has more to do with
what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.

I've learned-
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every
once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I've learned-
that it isn't always enough to be
forgiven by others. Sometimes you
have to learn to forgive yourself.

I've learned-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I've learned-
that our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned-
that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.

I've learned-
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I've learned-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.

I've learned-
that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.

I've learned-
that your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don't even know you.

I've learned-
that even when you think you have no more
to give, when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.

I've learned-
that credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.

I've learned-
that the people you care about most in life
are taken from you too soon.

You and God
Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable,
irrational, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse
you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some
unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere
people may deceive you;
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating
others could destroy overnight;
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
some may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

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