Be Still and Know That I Am Dog — 10 Lessons about Following God I Learned from My Dogs

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

While the rest of the world hunkers down at least 6 feet from one another, my dogs have been enjoying our daily walks around the neighborhood. Spending so much time with them has caused me to reflect on the similarities between their relationship with me and my relationship with God. Since the next two days of Holy Week are somber and introspective, I thought I’d go with a little levity today, courtesy of my furry friends.

So in these analogous relationships, my dogs are to me as I am to God. To be clear, I have no delusions that I am God (not even to my dogs) or even like God. And actually, the chasm between my level of thinking and God’s is infinitely greater than the one that exists between my dogs and me. With that said, here are some things that I have learned from my dogs:

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They trust me

Much of the time, my dogs have no idea what I’m doing with or to them, but they follow me wherever I lead. I open the car door and they hop in. We could be going for a hike or going to the vet. They don’t know and they don’t care, they just hop in.

How I would love to have that unquestioning trust in God so that when He opened the car door, I’d just hop in without asking Him a thousand questions or more.

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They know my voice

No matter what other noise is going on, they recognize that it’s me calling them. And they usually come (in that way we’re similar–I don’t always come when God calls me!).

Throughout my journey, I have at least gotten better about knowing God’s voice, but honestly, a lot of the time it’s still hard for me to tell when it’s God’s voice or my own internal thoughts, especially when it’s something I really want to be true.

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They turn to me when they are afraid

Whether it’s loud noises, the vet, or a leaf blowing down the street, my dogs huddle in closer to me when something scares them. I like providing that safety for them.

I’ve gotten pretty good at turning to God when fear rises up in me. I find comfort in handing my problems over to Jesus. I just need to keep myself from grabbing them back out of His hands a few moments later…

Another important part of my journey has been learning to turn to God at other times, too, not just when I feel like I need Him. In reality, I need Him all the time, it just took me a long time to learn that. But anyway, it’s not really a relationship if the only time you turn to someone is when you need something from them. That includes God, and He wants nothing more than to have a real relationship with each of us.

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Sometimes they have no idea I am working for their good

If I go to the store to get them treats, a toy, or a new leash, all they know is I disappeared. They don’t know where I’ve gone or why, just that I’m not there giving them what they want. They are thrilled when I return, and even happier when it turns out I got something for them.

How easy it is for me to forget that God is always working for my good, even when I can see it.

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Sometimes they think I am hurting them, when in fact I am helping them

I try to explain to my furry friends that the shot the vet is giving them is to protect their health, but they never get it. They just look at me with their sad puppy-dog eyes, asking me how I could do this to them.

How many times have I asked God how He could do this to me, or let it happen to me, only to look back sometime later to realize how much better things are because of what happened? Although it’s never fun to endure difficult times, God can use those times to help us grow, to make us stronger, or to bring us closer to Him.

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They have no idea how I provide for them, they just know I do

Whenever I feed them, I picture them wondering, Wow, you must be a great hunter! How did you catch this so quickly? And this shelter we live in–how in the world did you dig it to be like this? I’ve tried (several times) in the backyard, but it never comes out like this!

There are some ways in which I know how God provides for me–He gave me the skills I use to make a living, plus a chance to get a good education and opportunities to get jobs. But of course there are many more aspects to the way God provides for me that I don’t understand. How was I born into the family that helped shape me into who I am and who paid for my upbringing and education? How did He orchestrate things so I would meet and marry the love of my life? Or get the jobs I’ve had? How did He knit me together in my mother’s womb?

His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts than my thoughts. You know how a dog tilts his head back and forth when he’s trying to figure something out? That’s me right now as I ponder these things.

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They are thankful for the smallest things

Give them a biscuit or a pat on the head and you get rewarded with a wagging tail. Take them for a walk and you have a friend for life.

A thankful posture for God’s goodness is the best way to enter into His presence. And our lives get a whole lot better the moment we take time throughout our days to thank God for the thousand little blessings He packs into each day.

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I have to clean up their messes, and they keep making them

Sometimes they can’t help it, but other times they can. Either way, they are basically incapable of cleaning up after themselves, so I have to do it. Sometimes I wish they wouldn’t make messes, but I still love them when they do, and I’ll keep on cleaning up after them.

How many times have I made a mess (whether I realized it or not), then prayer feverishly for God to clean it up?

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When they do something wrong, they know I still love them

You can tell they feel bad, like they’ve let you down, and they want to make it up to you. They nuzzle your hand until you pet them so they know you forgive them. It doesn’t look like it ever occurs to them that you don’t love them any more just because you scolded them.

How many times have we turned our backs on God when we are the ones who screwed up? We feel unworthy–“I’ve done too many bad things.” Why is it that we don’t realize that the grace God shows us is infinitely greater than that which we show our naughty dog?

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They love me unconditionally

I love the love my dogs show me. When I get home, they wag their whole body in excitement. I had one dog who would piddle all over the place, she was so excited when I got home. They love to be with me, so they follow me around. They love it when I pet them and tell them they’re a good dog.

Do I love God as much as my dogs love me? If I do (and I hope I do), do I show it as well as my dogs do? Well, maybe it wouldn’t be good to piddle all over the place, but it would be good to show my excitement in other ways…

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So that’s it. How about you? What have you learned from your pets that makes you think of your relationship with God?

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Lent and Love in the Land of 33 Million gods

Posted on April 8, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Around this time of year, during Lent eight years ago, I ventured to India.

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While there, I learned that Hinduism celebrates about 33 million gods, which fascinated me. 33 million? How do you pray to that many gods? I visited a variety of shrines out of curiosity, and began to feel an odd sort of pity for such a large group of people who seem so misguided.

After all, Jesus said (quoting Deuteronomy), “The Lord our God is one God.” Right?

Not so fast. After only a few moments of feeling sorry for these people, I was convicted by this response from Jesus:  “I died for them, too. You don’t get to judge them. You can only see these people–and everyone–through my eyes, and I love them enough to be crucified for them, same as you.”

Gulp. “Sorry, Jesus.” I felt forgiven immediately, but didn’t dare forget the command not to look down on anyone for what they believe or don’t believe. Or for any reason, really. In the loving eyes of my Saviour, I am no better or worse than anyone I encounter, in India or Indiana.

Here’s something else Jesus said:  “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Is this how we followers of Christ are known around the world? In the cities where we live? Because of the love we show to everyone around us? Thankfully, there are many glorious examples where this is the case. Going back to India, Mother Teresa lived God’s love into the lives of so many of the poorest people in Calcutta (and incidentally, she said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”) And during this COVID-19 pandemic, in my own community and in communities around the world, people in churches are providing groceries and words of comfort to people at risk or in need. There are plenty of good stories, thank God.

But sadly, we are also known for behavior that doesn’t model Jesus’ love to a broken world. We try to fix people who aren’t asking us to fix them. The only way to get to that point is to have judged them. Jesus warned us about this when he told us to worry about the big board in our own eye instead of trying to take the splinter out of our brother’s eye. We need to leave God’s job to Him alone.

I visited the memorial for Mahatma Gandhi, one of the great Prime Ministers of India. He famously said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike Christ.” Ouch. He also said, “If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.” It’s hard to argue with that.

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Although I don’t believe God caused this pandemic, I’m convinced He will find many opportunities to redeem it through us. He already has. As we move through this, I pray that God will help us to show His love to this fallen and broken world, and remind us as we head toward Good Friday that He chose to die as a sacrifice for each person we meet, whether they came from India, or China, or anywhere else. Here’s another of my favorite Mother Teresa quotes:  “It’s not about how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts.”

The current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, called for citizens to switch off electric lights for 9 minutes at 9 pm this past Sunday. He asked them to light candles while standing on their front doorsteps or balconies. In an address to the nation, he said, “Amid the darkness spread by the corona pandemic, we must continuously progress towards light and hope.”

This beautiful message reminded me of something Jesus said:  “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Let us follow this Light out of our current darkness to where the streets are paved with hope and each new day overflows with promise.

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Famous for Failure

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Who would take someone who is a colossal failure and build their organization around that person?

God.

Many of the great names in the Bible were failures. Jacob (a.k.a. Israel) was conniving and untrustworthy. Moses was a murderer. King David was an adulterer who turned into a murderer when he tried to cover it up. Paul presided over the execution of early Christians. And so on.

Then there’s Peter. An impetuous and uneducated fisherman, far from a religious scholar. This name that Jesus gave him, loosely translated from the Greek, is what we might say as Rocky. Whereas we might picture a boxer who got hit in the head too many times, Jesus said that he would build His church upon that rock.

And yet, Peter screwed up. Many times. Some of his most epic failures are memorialized for posterity in the Bible.

One such example is when he almost drowned trying to walk on water. What’s unfair about focusing on this failure, though, is that we overlook the fact that before he sank into the raging sea, he had actually taken a few steps on the water! Not to mention the fact that he had trusted Jesus enough to even try it. I think I would have stayed in the boat in the middle of that terrible storm.

But anyway, back to Peter’s failures. Probably the most famous example occurred during Holy Week, just when his best friend needed him most. I wonder whether more people know about his denial of Christ than everything Peter did after Jesus’ Ascension to give Christianity its foothold in the ancient world.

During Jesus’s final meal on (Maundy) Thursday, Jesus predicts that Peter will claim three times not to know Him that very night. Peter insists that he will never fall away, that he’ll stick by his Master even if he has to die doing it.

But we know how it plays out. Peter does, in fact, turn his back on the teacher whom he had bet everything was Israel’s Messiah. Why?

Fear.

To be fair, most (if not all) of us would have done the same thing. If anyone denies it, Jesus probably has a prediction for him or her as well. After seeing what Jesus had endured so far, and having a sense for what was coming, who would raise their hand and say, “Count me in!”?

After the third time that he denied knowing Jesus, the rooster crowed, which awoke Peter to the reality that Jesus had been right. He ran away, weeping bitterly. Has anyone else failed God? I mean, besides Peter and me?

So why is this story in the Bible? If I were going to start a religion, I wouldn’t pick a guy to be the rock upon which I was going to build my church, then put a story on Facebook about how he had failed me! So why did God do effectively the same thing?

I think it’s to show us that it’s OK to have been afraid, to have forgotten that God is in control even when it seems like the world is crumbling. That no matter how badly we screw up, regardless of what we’ve done, God still wants to be with us. He wants to restore us and use us to bring heaven here on earth. Most of all, He wants us to spend a joyous eternity with Him. Fast forward in Peter’s story and this is exactly what happens. After His resurrection and after He made his buddies breakfast on the beach, Jesus pulled Peter aside and restored him three times. The same number of times Peter had denied Him. And Peter goes on to become the bedrock for Christ’s church. In fact, in the end, he lives up to his original commitment to Jesus, that he would die for Him.

I don’t think that Jesus is calling us to die for Him–not now, anyway–but He is humbly and gently asking us to live for Him, the way Peter did.

What does that look like, exactly? I don’t know, that’s between you and God. But even now, in the midst of this global pandemic, it still has everything to do with how God wired you. If He gifted you to be a teacher, then teach–even when you can’t be in the same room as your students for now. God will add technology into the mix with your great teaching skills and find a way to reach your kids. If God made you a great volunteer or encourager, now is your time to share that with the world! Same goes for those to whom God gave the gift of intercessory prayer. Or healing (thank you to all you Healthcare Heroes!). The list is as long as the names written in His Book of Life.

Bottom line:  God made each of us with unique gifts, which He intended for us to share with the world. When He made us, he also knew we would screw things up more often than not, but that doesn’t disqualify us from bringing His love and goodness into the world. Imperfect people serving a perfect God. He gave us stories about people like Peter so we could see that, and in seeing, we would each do our part to make this world a more lovely place in Jesus’ name.

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Wrestling with God — Trying to Trust Him

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Last week I talked about trusting God during challenging times, which may be easier said than done. Or is it? Let’s unpack that a bit.

How do we get ourselves to the point where we will trust someone? Whether consciously or subconsciously, we assess whether that person is likely to live up to our hopes and expectations for their behavior. Is their character strong enough to live up to their commitments, regardless of what it may cost them personally? Are they physically (or emotionally or spiritually) capable of doing what they promise?

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Once we’ve answered these questions, though, you ultimately have to just do it. Trust them. Make that faith leap into the unknown. You might be rewarded, learning that you can count on that person. Or you might get burned. We all have deep, lasting relationships from the former category and probably more than our fair share of “Kick me” signs on our back from the latter.

So how do we trust God? We just do it. Trust Him. More on this later.

Just Do It

The first question is, how do we know we can trust God?

The Bible is full of examples of people trusting God and Him coming through for them. The prophet Elijah was so sure that God would deliver against the pagan gods that he doused his wood with water before asking God to set fire to it. The apostle Peter was so confident that Jesus would keep him safe that he stepped out of the boat during a storm and took a few steps on the water! Until he began to fear that the waves and wind were more powerful than the God who created them, but we’ll come back to this also. Anyway, there are plenty of other examples as well (email me if you need more). God gave us the Bible so we could taste and see that He is good. And know that He is trustworthy.

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But, you might say, that was then and this is now. God doesn’t do miracles anymore. (Oh really?) As this isn’t really the topic for the day, let me just say this:  I am confident that everyone has someone within no more than 2 or 3 degrees of separation who has experienced a miracle (and I don’t mean just our sports “miracles”, like the “Miracle on Ice”).

So since there are so many people who have trusted God that have happy endings to their stories, your assessment should be, minimally, that it doesn’t hurt to try trusting Him and see what happens.

Well, how am I supposed to do that? you might ask, maybe with more edge to your voice than you intended.

This comes back to my earlier point:  just do it. This is as easy as a simple prayer. Picture in your mind something that has you scared right now, something keeping you up nights, and hand it to God with the prayer, “Jesus, I trust you.” Picture yourself handing Him that thing, whatever it is. He will take it. He promised us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” And, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28 and 30).

But here’s the thing:  handing it over to Him is probably the easy part, if you’re anything like me. After I dump my problem in his lap, I always feel this great sense of peace. So you think I’d walk away and leave it with Him, right? Wrong. Like a grabby, petulant child, sometime after I’ve handed over this thing to Jesus, I’ll march right back up to Him and yank it back out of His hands. “Mine!” I don’t usually think of it this way, but I might as well. The effect is the same. This stinky problem is back in my hands, causing me to worry, keeping me awake at night. Why do I do this?

Fear.

Maybe I’m afraid God doesn’t care enough to solve my problem. Or maybe I’m concerned He won’t resolve it in the way I want it fixed. Or the timing in which I want it fixed (which is usually, “I want it now!”). The last two seem legitimate to us, but since I’m getting long-winded here, I’ll leave that as a topic for another day. For now, I’ll point out that Jesus knew this would be something we’d all struggle with, so He commanded us not to worry:  “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27).

And this is where we wrestle with God over trusting Him. We give Him a problem, then yank it back out of His hands. When we realize what we’ve done, “Oh wait, sorry, Jesus. Here you go, I didn’t mean to grab it away from you. I don’t know what came over me. You can have it back now.” But then how long until we take it away again. And so on.

But here’s the thing:  this is OK with God. He can take it. When He made us, He knew it would be a conscious choice for us to trust Him. He also knew this wouldn’t be easy for us. We shouldn’t feel bad about this wrestling match.

In fact, Jesus modeled this for us. This being Holy Week, on Thursday, not long after He had finished His last meal with His best friends, He wrestled with the Father in Gethsamane garden. He knew the plan, but He didn’t like it, so He prayed feverishly that the Father would find another way. Since the story recounts Jesus having to wake up Peter, James, and John multiple times, it’s possible that He would reach a resolution, handing over His anguish to the Father, only to find it troubling Him again.

But in the end, He left it in the Father’s hands:  “Abba, Father,” he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will but what you will.” (Mark 14:36).

If Jesus wrestled with the Father, then it must be OK for us, too. Especially if that’s what it takes for us to land in a place of confident trust, which is where He wants us to be.

What’s troubling you today? Trying handing it over to God. And then every time you take it back, remember to hand it over to Him again.

May God bless you on your journey through this Holy Week.

Blessings,

Dave

P.S. I’ve written a very short book about wrestling with God, which I’ve made available for free here, if you’re interested in giving it a read.

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Trust Like Manna Falling from Heaven

Posted on March 29, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

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Where is God in times like these—personal, national, or global challenges? I trusted Him yesterday, but where is He now that I’ve lost my job or health or <fill in the blank>??

He is here with us, as He always is, if only we have eyes to see.

A few weeks ago, the pastor at my church (Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church) started a series called “Faith in the Wilderness”, which he had planned a few months ago. Before the coronavirus changed life as we know it, at least for now, and maybe forever. I don’t believe in coincidences in God’s Kingdom. He planted the seed for the sermon series in Brady’s heart since He knew so many of us would need messages about not being afraid and trusting God no matter what is happening around us.

Is there anyone who thinks God is surprised by COVID-19?

So this sermon series pulls stories from Exodus, from times when the people of Israel thought God had abandoned them and left them to die. Pharaoh realized his free slave laborers were packing all their earthly belongings on their camels and donkeys, never to return, so he changed his mind about letting them leave and sent his soldiers to chase them. When the most powerful army in the world had the Israelites backed up against the Red Sea, was God surprised? No, He had a plan. One that nobody could have predicted, that no human mind could have conceived: simply (ha!) part the Red Sea so His chosen people could walk through on dry ground, then close it up again when Egypt’s warriors tried to pass through.

But then how quickly they (and we) forget. Not long after this, the children of Israel grumbled against God to Moses—how could God have saved them from the Egyptians, only to let His chosen people starve to death in the wilderness? But God was also not caught off guard by this turn of events. This time His unconventional plan was to provide manna—food that covered the ground every morning (except the sabbath) like dew from the sky. Who would have thought of that?

God.

He took time out of His busy schedule running the universe to care for His beloved people. To meet their physical needs in a tangible way. Every day, day after day.
But here’s the thing about the parted Red Sea: it took tremendous faith for the people of Israel to walk between the two huge walls of water. I can imagine the conversation between Moses and his brother, Aaron—“What do we do now?” “I think we’re supposed to walk through there.” “What, are you nuts? How long do you think it will stay like that? You go first!” But they did it.

They trusted God.

Same story with the manna. God provided it, but the Israelites had to gather it. Every day, and only enough for one day, except for the sixth day, which was the only day they were allowed or able to collect enough for two days, so they could take the sabbath off. On any other day, if they tried to gather more than they needed for just one day (and some people did), it would become rotten and filled with worms. (And I can picture a similar conversation between Moses and Aaron—“What is it?” (which is what “manna” means!). “I don’t know, but I think we’re supposed to eat it.” “Eat it?? We don’t even know what it is! You try it first!”) So they ate. In the wilderness, with no restaurants in sight. With only God as their Provider. “Only” God—what a ridiculous underestimation of the capabilities of He who created the universe!

But here’s where trust in God is like manna falling from heaven. When we first accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we may have thought of that as trusting God with where we will spend eternity. And certainly, that’s a glorious promise that we receive upon entering His family. But there’s a daily element to trusting God that we don’t discover until sometime later in our journey with Him. It’s not enough to have that one grand gesture of trust when we first became believers. If that’s all we do, then we miss out on the glorious treasures God packs into each and every day for us. But in order to live into the richness and warmth of the Eternal Life that God makes available to us NOW (and not just when we die), we have to gather up the trust He provides to us DAILY.

I may have trusted Him yesterday, when everything was going well, but that was easy. And that was yesterday. Do I trust Him today, when my back is against the Red Sea or when I have no food in the wilderness or when the world seems to be falling apart because of a pandemic? He gives us the ability to trust Him even in these situations, to feel the joy that the Apostle Paul felt even when he was in a miserable prison. But we have to gather it up. Will we do that? And, like manna, we can only gather up enough for one day.

Tomorrow, we have to go back out and gather enough for tomorrow. But thankfully, we have a God who is kind and generous enough, and who cares enough about our daily needs, to provide enough to get us through another day. For that, among other countless blessings, I am eternally grateful.

How about you? Will you gather up the trust God has given you for today?

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Away from Egypt

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

You led me
Away from Egypt,
Out of slavery,
Away from bondage, heading
For the Promised Land.

I followed, free
At last.

But.
Hills became mountains,
Dips became valleys, too
Many excuses to
Go back.

But.
You come back for me
Every time, ever patient, to
Lead me away again.

Sometimes I wish You’d
Drag me away, lock me in
New chains so I can’t go back.

But.
That is not Your Way.

You lead, show me the Way,
I follow.
Mostly.
You look over Your
Shoulder sometimes to
See if I’m still with
You, come back for me
When I’m not.

I trust You, but I
Want to trust You
More.
Help my unbelief.

Lead me
Away from Egypt,
For good this time, a
Return to Eden.
David K. Carpenter
August 19, 2016

Copyright © 2016 by David K. Carpenter

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Miracles of the Day I & II

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

09 - Sunset over Turquoise Lake (Faith)(proportional)

(photo Copyright © 2016 by David K. Carpenter)

I sat down to write a poem tonight, which I wanted to call “Miracles of the Day.”  Giving it that title in my folder of poetry on my computer, though, I realized I had already written a poem by that name–15 years ago for my then baby girl (who just recently turned 16).  So I thought I’d do a double-header here and post the original poem from 15 years ago, then the one I wrote tonight.  I hope you enjoy.  And which one do you like better?

Miracles of the Day

Of all the things
I am:  husband, employee,
Neighbor, friend, son,
I’m most proud to be
Your dad.

I watch you at play and
Wonder how I could’ve
Taken part in your creation.
You came from me, and now
You return to me,
Filling in a piece of me
That never was there before.

There’s so much I need
To do for you.
I’ll teach you to write and
Read and sing.
I’ll show you what it means
To love music and art and
The Colorado Avalanche.
I’ll teach you to thank God
For all that He has done
For you, and us.
I’ll always love your Mommy
So that you’ll know the warmth
Of a close family.

But there’s also a lot
That you can do for me,
If I let you.
You can brighten even
The worst of days by
Running to me, hugging my leg.
You remind me that sometimes
Playing with the doll house
Really is the most important thing
In the world. You won’t want me
As your playmate for very long.
I see innocence and wonder in
Your big brown eyes.

And of all the sounds
I hear, a summer breeze
Teasing branches of pine,
Ocean waves roaring up to
The edge of the land,
Birds singing praises of
Sun and spring,
The music that makes my
Heart race most is
When you call out to me,
“Daddy, Daddy!”

David K. Carpenter
August, 2001
For Kelly

Copyright © 2001 by David K. Carpenter

 

Miracle of the Day II

Awaking to my favorite
Breakfast, awaking at all; a
Good morning kiss and coffee,
Dogs overjoyed that I
Finally woke up:
Miracles of the day.

A friendly handshake,
Kind words exchanged,
School supplies to excited kids
Who need them—there is
No color when being the
Hands and feet of the
God who loves us all.
Miracles of the day.

Lunch, laughter,
Love unending; a
Text from my son, who
Seldom reaches out—
Miracles of the day.

Sunlight as diamonds too
Many to count dancing
On rippled lake, a
Cooling breeze dancing
With aspen and pine; a
Delicate lavender flower
Wonderfully made atop a
Lanky dancing weed; is that
Sound the wind in the trees or the
River washing over rocks?
Miracles of the day.

Crickets singing to the
Rising moon, the clouds
A canvas for the
Sun’s fiery farewell; the
Pungent, clean scent of
Earth made new as rain
Rolls in from the west.
Miracles of the day.
A child-like faith, full of
Wide-eyed wonder, in
God who will never love me
Any less than He does
Right now.
Miracle of the day.

Miracles of the Dei.

David K. Carpenter
August 13, 2016

Copyright © 2016 by David K. Carpenter

 

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Looked You in the Eyes

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

I followed You
Around, listened to every
Word You said. You
Said You Came for me,
To save me from myself
Before I knew who You
Were, and I believed You.

But before long, I
Forgot, I looked You
In the eyes and
Turned my back on You.

I came to tell you I’m
Sorry, but I looked You
In the eyes and knew:
Grace, forgiveness,
Love.
David K. Carpenter

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Poem about the Trinity

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Pas de Trois
(Invitation)

I wander down
The street, accepted by
Few, but mostly
Not.

There is noise in one big
House, noise and
Light, laughter.
Music that makes me think of
Something I lost a long time ago.
Outside, I can’t help
Looking in.

The door swings
Open, I glance away
Embarrassed for being
Caught peeking.

“Come join us,” calls
A Voice to anyone
But me.
But there is nobody else around.
“Yes you!”

I shuffle toward the
Open door, the Light,
Stumbling toward what
I do not know.

Three figures dance a
Random dance, or
So it first seems.
I stand at the edge, drawn
By warmth of Light, by
Laughter and Love.

A pattern emerges, complex and
Choreographed, yet elegant with
Eternal beauty.
No one leads, each defers to
The Other Two, fluid grace.
I’ve no idea how it works but
It does, the music stirring something deep
Inside, yearnings, long-forgotten dreams.

I laugh, a childish sound, and they
See me,
Know me,
Love me anyway.

“We’ve been waiting for you to dance your part,”
They tell me.

“I don’t know this dance,” I say, and yet I
Find myself joining in.
Clumsy, I fall and ruin
The dance but they
Catch me like it’s part of
The routine, and
Still we dance.

There are no rules to this dance, only
Love and Light and laughter and
Music that is no longer haunting. It is a
Divine dance, a celebration.
You come in too, there’s
Always room for one more.

David K. Carpenter
June 17, 2016

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Poem from April 11, 2016

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

IMGP5448

Repeat Return

I run away from
You because of something
I did that I wish I hadn’t. I
Can’t face You, You will
Punish me, I deserve it but
Wish I didn’t. I
Finally realize I can’t
Hide from You, not
Now, not ever, so I
Drag myself, a lost boy who
Sometimes wants to stay
Lost, through muck and
Shame back to Your
Presence, and instead of
Punishment, Peace. Not
Peace like no fighting,
Peace like wholeness, like
Nothing was ever broken.
How can that be? I was
Broken, I
Still am.

Why would I ever leave this?

But I do, a lost boy who
Thinks he knows best, who
Thinks maybe it’s better to be
Lost sometimes. But I can
Never be. I wander again, make
Something more important than You, do
Something stupid, say
Something hurtful to
Someone You thought important
Enough to die for. Could
Be a long list.
Why have I left Your
Peace for a piece of
My American dream?

How many times can I
Screw up and crawl back to
You? Maybe this time You
Won’t be there, won’t take
Me back. I’ve used up my
Seventy times seven.
But I try again, turn
Back to You.
What else can I do?
Are You there?

Maybe not this time.

But when hope has
Slipped through the hole in
My pocket, You are there
On the horizon, running
Toward me, arms wide,
Welcoming me back, though
I am so far from deserving it.

I am shame and
You are Extravagant Grace and
I am found again.

 

David K. Carpenter
April 11, 2016

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