It is hard to say whether I found this poem or it found me; I will let you decide!
I was having one of those days! Well actually, it turned into 6 months of “one of those days”; I was exhausted. Overnight, I had lost the ability to walk more than a few steps, was in excruciating pain, and could not find a comfortable position to sit, stand, or lay down.
We all get there at times when all we can do is scream out- Help!!! Well, I was there and cried out
God, Help Me!
Five minutes later, I read a poem in a book I had just picked up. It was as if God was answering
my cry for help; it was exactly what I needed.
The author of this poem is unknown as is the poem’s title. All that we do know is that it was written during WW2, by a Jewish prisoner. It was inscribed on a cellar wall in the Cologne concentration camp.
During moments of silence, in faith, we trust in God’s promise that He is with us, He still sees us, He still loves us, He is still near to us, and He has not abandoned us.
But pain can be so isolating! I was unable to do my normal activities, unable to join my friends, unable to move around, unable to sense that God was close and more than anything I needed to know He was close. At that moment when I cried out, all I could feel was pain, profound loneliness, and isolation; I knew I was on the precipice of my breaking point.
I wanted to share with you the very poem that answered my cry for help in case someday you find that you are reaching your breaking point!
I hope you enjoy reading this unnamed poem which I named for our purposes: An Enduring Faith
because that is what it defined for me.
…when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:3
[An Enduring Faith]
“I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
And I believe in love,
even when there’s no one there.
I believe in God,
even when he is silent.
I believe through any trial,
there is always a way.
But sometimes in this suffering
and hopeless despair
My heart cries for shelter,
to know someone’s there
But a voice rises within me, saying hold on
my child, I’ll give you strength,
I’ll give you hope. Just stay a little while.
I believe in the sun
even when it is not shining
And I believe in love
even when there’s no one there
I believe in God
even when he is silent
I believe through any trial
there is always a way.
May there someday be sunshine
May there someday be happiness
May there someday be love
May there someday be peace….”
– Unknown
So, I end this blog with my original question in mind:
Did I find the poem or did the poem find me?