preparation in the key of life

 

This morning I woke from a great night's sleep

after a long day of work

and a great date with my wife

I was rested

So I wrote

For church

For what would happen before, at 2:00pm

Somewhere around late morning and on to midday

I began to clean

I threw out the excess and cleared the desk

And the floor

I was a bit later to the mile race then I’d planned

But the office was clean and I felt nourished

by tidiness at an unexpected hour

I listened to Ephesians on the drive over in the light rain and thought God is good on a cloudy, foggy, cool afternoon: There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

I made it to the city of oaks, center-city, in plenty of time

Shared a jersey with a new runner

Stretched out legs

Picked up bibs

Prepared my heart

Laced up trainers then racers

Not my most disciplined first quarter of the race

Still two seconds too fast

Pushed with a protégé

On the back side of capitol square

Didn’t hurt enough on the closing 500 meters

But that’s what next time is for

Ran 8-10 seconds faster than ever before for the distance of one mile

I’m thirty seven.

Feet and legs

Some scriptures for the feet and and legs:

He will guard the feet of his faithful ones. 1 Samuel 2:9

They shall run and not be weary. Isaiah 40:31

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:16

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7

Put on shoes worthy to proclaim the Gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:15

Jaw

What saves from the Lion's mouth
Jaws that can break a neck with the ease of a yawn

the lamb's mouth is covered
his nose is snuffed out
slow choking
heart slows and then it stops
easy work under the tight clamp of the predator's jaw

For all the terror
the lion is first among the four in Revelation four
primary and primal
of the tribe of Judah
first even among the twelve

With a lamb in your mouth
seemingly gloating
the conquering hero
you are struck down
by a shepherd boy
carrying only a sling
the lamb escapes
for now

Benign
you and your friends are among Daniel
Why...what about your jaws?
Because Daniel trusted the Living God
Will that suffice?
Takes a great cup of faith

But you, Lion
Fierce
A Beast
A Predator
Hungry for Blood
Fresh warm Blood

What if you were winged
as Daniel dreamt it?
then morphing erect
standing like a human
rising from the sea

You are the one who opens the Scroll
You, the Root of David

Inspired by Rev 4:7, 1 Sam 17:34, Dan 7:4, Dan 6:20, Rev 5:5 and the vision of lions both good and bad.