Wasted years...?

Were those years
wasted
as we think and thought?

Others vehemently against,
opposed to what God
had called one to do,
because of mistakes made

Were those years
really wasted?
Maybe not.

The Lord sees
all everywhere
We see oh so dimly
thinking we know how
things are to be
and respond as such
because we are oh so smart

But we are not smart
Our foolish thinking
does not deliver wisdom

God tells us to trust Him
and we try,
but because our focus
has moved from Him
to ourselves
and to those who
think they know all,
we fail.

Our desire
should be in the Lord
Our lives lived
should be led by the Spirit

When our focus
is not on God
our Father
but elsewhere,
we become trapped
within locked doors
with steel bars.

The fruit
of the Holy Spirit -
love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control -
ours
when we have
professed Jesus
as our Lord and Savior

The fruit
of the Holy Spirit
within us
is truly ours
but not developed
or at best, under-developed

Instead of kindness and gentleness,
we become indifferent,
thoughtless,
mean.
Patience gives way to fear,
frustration,
anxiety.
Goodness is not good,
but evil, dishonest, cruel.
Instead of controlling ourselves,
we are filled with pity
and selfishness.
We trust no one
We look to ourselves
for help, for answers.
There is no joy,
no peace,
no love.

Jesus shows us
how to live
our lives abundantly.

What do we have?
Do we live abundantly?
Do we follow His path?

Or is the only thing we have
an oversupply of foolish,
stupid behavior?

(c) Cathy Orrick Luders
April 13-14, 2018