You Say That You Love Her

Too often, men in our society take the privileges reserved for marriage without being willing to make a commitment. They dare to call their selfishness love, but it is the opposite of true love. A man with true love would deny his own desires for the good of the one he loves.

You Say That You Love Her

You say that you love her; how deep does it go?
Is passion the power that drives all the love that you know?
What depth is the river? How fast does it flow?

You say that you love her; but I must ask why—
Is beauty the answer—the dream that has danced in your eyes?
But what will you do when she needs you to die?

You say that you love her; is this in your plan:
When love has required it, to die to your dreams like a man?
For ’tis at this moment true love has began!

You say that you love her, but say what you will,
Your passion can burn, but your love won’t be grounded until
Paid with tears, the requirement of love is fulfilled.

To Grasp The Cross

Let’s not fool ourselves—following Christ isn’t easy. It means giving up the many selfish
desires of our sinful nature. It means pain and persecution. But in the end, the reward is
far greater than the cost.
This poem was written for anyone struggling with selfish desires (I think most of us would fit in that category!) It is an encouragement to take up your cross and endure the pain for the joy set before you, instead of giving in to the flesh.

To Grasp the Cross

To grasp the cross means death to flesh:
It’s running when you want to rest,
It’s turning when desires have called,
And truly seeking for what’s best.

To grasp the cross brings many tears:
To leave what you had once held dear,
To turn your cheek to ridicule,
And walk a path that is unclear.

To grasp the cross means joy and peace:
When flesh is dead your heart will soar,
When you have given all to God
The trials break your heart no more.

To grasp the cross brings life its value:
You’ll find a freedom from your chains,
When fire has burned what can be shaken
You’ll find eternity in what remains.

Marbles

Marbles

If you received a marble for each day
They might go far in filling up your room,
But if you had a marble for each blessing
The tower might reach halfway to the moon!

Too often we examine all the scars
That mark the marbles of the days gone by,
Forgetting that one step outside the door
There stands a staircase reaching to the sky!

(c) 2005 Benjamin Graber

So often we look at the trials and hardships in our life instead of the blessings. But if we just open our eyes we will see that the blessings God has given us are as numerous as the stars. If we are attentive enough we may even notice that the trials themselves are blessings in disguise!