Go in Peace

(Part 2 of 4 in the “Grief in a Season of Joy” series)

How long, O Lord, will we live in fear of Pain
Wary of being weighed down forever by it
I want to arrive in the city of Hope and dwell in Joy
But Pain will not be left behind while I journey
It clings to my legs, refusing to be forgotten,
And becomes a stumbling block

Perhaps if I picked it up and held it
It would be comforted, would calm and settle
Knowing that even in Hope it will not be forgotten
Hope can hold Pain and still lead us on to Joy
Until the day that Pain itself is transformed
By the renewing of all things
Just as the Fullness of God dwells in Flesh
Embracing all its potential and all its suffering
Transforming it, bringing Flesh into its intended Glory

Cultivate in me the kind of Hope
That can hold Pain, that can transform Flesh
Hope that understands with just a glimpse
Rejoicing with the confidence of Simeon and Anna,
My eyes have seen the salvation prepared
And in the light of this Glory I go in peace

Luke 2:25-38

© 2019 Jacqueline Tisthammer. All Rights Reserved.