Becoming Delighted

A weathered, dirt path winds through a forest of anticipation;

Great expectancy hangs densely in golden air. 

Leaves of hope flit in the fresh breezes

And lush, green mosses of joy anchor between the rock.

Bright, undefined light beams from the forest floor below.

Reconciliation dances freely among the whispering pines,

while shadows of suffering accentuate the vibrant, amethyst petals of faith. 

My soul leaps after what lies ahead: a brilliant, clear light.

Magnificent trees of steadfast love tower above.

My head is spinning with wonder and beauty

And, in that moment, the beams of light focus: treasure! 

Scattered along the path, hewn into the rock, engraved into the trees,

Lies refined treasure of wisdom and knowledge.

My heart aches to know more—further up! Further in!

I’m caught up in the splendor of a newly revealed mystery—

A mystery in which my being finds genuine excitement in the unknown.

The wood around hums of its perfection, birds above sing of its purity.

Deeper into the forest I tread, happily confronting fallen brush,

Keeping my mind fixed on the light ahead and the mystery unfolding.

Reaching, running I fly toward the great truths beyond. 

Freedom and nourishment are found in this unveiled mystery.

My foot gets caught on a deep root of disqualification, 

But my gaze is drawn upward to a sudden breakthrough: doves of grace.

Their white, peaceful beauty satisfy my inner being;

Soon, the root naturally loosens its hold. Victory! 

A gurgling spring of life flows beneath a foot-bridge;

My calloused, worn hands reach for the coolness: 

Life changes shape, color, form, meaning…

In a whirlwind, living is dying and dying is living. 

My eyes are blinded by the intensity of the light ahead

And my feet lift from the winding path of the past into triumphal procession. 

      This piece of poetry encompasses a large part of my heart, year, and walk with the Lord. It was difficult for me to share, and it took me months to get the courage, simply because there is an intricate story woven in and among those humble words. The Lord brought me to a place of darkness, in a valley, where the light seemed dim, last summer. I couldn't breath! I began to count myself as "lost," and I truly didn't know when I was going to be found again. I can't share the details--not yet; those wounds are still healing and may be for years to come, but I can testify of God's faithfulness. I can tell of how He brought me to beauty--to the bosom of His heart--and showered me with good things! I can tell of how I walked through complete hopelessness and anguish, yet experienced intimacy with God in my pursuit of light. I can tell of how I would cry out to my Father in desperation: hopeful, waiting, longing, with no response, yet receive faith to press on and not lose heart. 

     I arrived in New Zealand a broken vessel. I left my only stability at home in Minnesota, and ventured across the world without knowing a soul. My heart and mind raged for the first 2 weeks as they had for the past 3 months. I was weary and aching, yet expectant. It didn't take long to establish myself in the busy Bible college life! Quickly, the Lord began healing my mind and heart from all the horrors of the past few months. Wh ere I had experienced little of God's riches during my struggle, He poured treasure in abundance over my life! I was exploring riches (hence the name for my blog!). There are no words to describe the path that the Lord was taking me on: it was golden and mysterious, wonder-filled and joyful! There is no way I could've appreciated the treasure if it hadn't been moved from my reality for 3 months, and the Father had a perfect plan for His revelation!

    One of my classes was a women's class on my favorite book, Colossians. As equally overwhelmed as I had been in the suffering, I became in wonder at my Creator! I was overcome by the bounty of Jesus Christ! Each one of my classes left me in awe of scripture, life, love, and the Trinity. How Good and faithful God is! In His love, He blessed me with a precious friend who was experiencing the same season of life; we were able to walk the path together and share all our crazy revelations and treasures with each other. :) Eventually I wrote this poem for an assignment, but we soon turned parts of it into a song in attempt to give back a small token of our praise and thanksgiving to God. 
     Each image created in the poem depicts truths I can't put to words. I attempted to write what I had been learning in plain words, but I simply had to personify nature to bring any justice to the beauty I had encountered with Jesus! All glory to the Father who picks us out of darkness and places us on a winding path in a lush, mysterious forest of light. 
     It's a bit long-winded, but that's the story behind these lines of poetry. Be blessed and encouraged by the riches, wonder, and purposes of God! He has such a glorious path laid out for us; let's explore His riches!