Hello Self, Goodbye

I try to take the path that leads to You

But I keep running into myself

The road forks one way, and then another

I take each ever-narrowing way

But inevitably, when I round the corner

There I am standing in the way

“What are you doing here?

I thought you were gone

You are blocking my path

To the eternal dawn”

“I’ve always been here,”

I hear myself say

“You just didn’t know it 

Until today”

Over and over 

Through each twist and turn 

I run into myself 

In each lesson learned

I cry to the Lord 

As He helps me to see,

“How much of myself 

Could there possibly be?”

He said, “Self is the one

Who ate from the Tree

You must crucify all

Leaving only Me”

“How can I do this?

Oh Lord, what do I do?

All I see is myself 

But I want to see You!”

“Child, you run into yourself 

Because I’m cleansing your heart 

You have been called and chosen

You have been set apart 

Keep walking these paths 

As I cleanse every one 

And one day you’ll find 

You’ll see only My Son”

 

(2 Cor 3:18) And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

(Matt 16:24,25) Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it.”

(Heb 10:36-39) You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back [turns away], I will take no pleasure in him.” But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

[Poem in the photo by Steven James]