Monday, August 31, 2020

day 244


“When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced.” Acts 11:23a

in the young girl
painting her room
so that it is hers,
in the couple pressing
hands against opposing
sides of a windowpane
because of the pandemic,
in the gentleness
of a cat curled up
in the lap of loneliness,
we catch a glimpse of
grace
and sing in joy

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, August 30, 2020

day 243


“’You will forget your misery;
    you will remember it as waters that have passed away.’” Job 11:16

we jump in the shower
to wash off our despair,
never noticing the
ring it leaves in the
tub, but you
knell on your knees
to scrub it away
with the grit of your hope

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, August 29, 2020

day 242

“’I loathe my life;
    I will give free utterance
           to my complaint;
     I will speak in the
           bitterness of my soul.’”  Job 10:1

we stomp on all
the sour grapes in
our soul, trying to
turn them into bitter
vinegar, but you
come along, and
with a simple touch
transform them into
the champagne of grace

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman      

Friday, August 28, 2020

day 241


“’Indeed I know that this
           is so;
     but how can a mortal be
           just before God?’” Job 9:2

climbing on the
backs of co-workers,
knocking friends
out of the way,
turning our backs
on those who
have been crushed
by fear and hate,
we know without
a doubt we need
a remedial course
in justice, taught by
God

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, August 27, 2020

day 240


“But my people did not listen to my voice;
    Israel would not submit to me.”  Psalm 81:11

like those pavlovian creatures,
we begin to salivate
whenever we hear the voices
of anger and ridicule,
but always seem to miss
the whispers of hope
from the hungry children,
the stories of grace told
by the old folks sitting
on their front porches

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

day 239


“‘Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
    I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
    I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.’” Job 7:11

in these uncertain, confusing,
agonizing, scary times
it is okay
to scream your head off
and holler to the heavens,
to keen your pain with the neighbors
and whisper under the covers,
to turn every prayer into lament
and sing only dirges in the shower.

‘it is okay,’ God says,
‘you are not saying anything
i haven’t felt myself.’

it is okay

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

day 238


“‘Those who withhold
           kindness from a friend
  forsake the fear of the
           Almighty.’” Job 6:14

we could feed
the hungry, but
lock our pantries,
we could comfort
lonely children
but our compassion
is in the lock box at the bank,
we could release
the forgotten from
the grasp of injustice,
but our hearts
are in the back
of the freezer

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, August 24, 2020

day 237


“he sets on high those who
          are lowly;
    and those who mourn are
          lifted to safety.” Job 5:11

while we are
grumbling about
the same-old weather,
you are getting
your boat ready
to rescue folk

while we are
lowering the thermostat
to cool us off, you
are putting on the
heavy gear for another
round with wildfires

while we race as
fast as we can, as
far away as we can
from problems, you
are running to scoop
folks up into your arms
and carry them to
grace

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, August 23, 2020

day 236


“But now it has come to you,
         and you are impatient;
   it touches you and you are
         dismayed.”  Job 4:5

IT
will show up
someday, through
someone, in some manner
and then,
will we let
IT turn
our grief
into grudges,
our hurt
into hubris,
our trust
into fears,
our loneliness
into bitterness
or will we let
you transform
US
into people of
love
faith
hope
grace
?

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, August 22, 2020

day 235


“when I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3

fleeing from
   wildfires,
sheltering in
place,
hunkering down
for a double whammy
from storms,
remind us, O God,
that you are with
us
in every place
of refuge,
in every silent
moment,
in every worry,
holding tight to
our hearts and souls

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, August 21, 2020

day 234


“They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.” Job 2:13

though we think we should,
we are not always
called to rush in
and fix someone’s life,
to explain their suffering,
or defend God in such moments,
but
just sit by their side
silent and still
ready to be filled
with whatever their
emptiness offers us

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman


Thursday, August 20, 2020

day 233


“Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ (This is a wilderness road.)”  Acts 8:26

we are constantly looking for
those smoothly paved,
no-potholed roads
because we think that is
the way faith should be, but
we will find you down
the cracked streets
with the edge lines faded
and the sign bent or
completely knocked down,
for that is where the broken,
the lonely, the lost, the forgotten
travel, live, and are to be found.

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman


Wednesday, August 19, 2020

day 232


“There are many who say, ‘O that we might see some good!
    Let the light of your face shine on us, O Lord!’”  Psalm 4:6

in the nurse behind
the mask and face
shield,
in the teacher
popping up on the
device,
in the delivery person
dropping off hope
contactless,
in the grinning
furry best
friend,
how can we fail
to see your
face?

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

day 231


“’I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.’” John 5:30

surprisingly,
when we let go
of our ego
of our pride
of our ways of doing
anything and everything,
and decide to simply
do the hopes of you,
Tender Heart,
we discover how much
justice can be offered
hope can be shared
love can be welcomed
grace can be poured out

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

day 230


“But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him,”  Acts 7:57

if we moved as quickly
to end injustice,
to feed the hungry,
to listen to the forgotten
as we are to rush
to duct tape their mouths
when they cry out for hope,
maybe
just maybe . . .

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, August 16, 2020

day 229


“Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!” 2 Corinthians 13:5

convinced the final of
Faithfulness 101 will be
multiple choice and we
only need to get 60% correct
to get a passing grade,
you hand out an essay test
to see how much we have
been paying attention, and
know how to put your teachings
to practical use

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, August 15, 2020

day 228


“Though I walk in the midst of trouble,” Psalm 138:7a

like the frog trying
to cross the road
in the midst of rushing
vehicles, i
cling to your hand
as we walk through
the traffic jam of
stalled hopes,
overheated rhetoric,
broken-down dreams,
and fears bearing down
upon us

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Friday, August 14, 2020

day 227


“O Lord, open my lips,
   and my mouth will declare
         your praise.” Psalm 51:15

remind us that
speaking up for the
forgotten,
crying out for
justice,
teaching little kids
to read,
whispering lullabies
to older folks
is better than
any praise song
to you

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

day 226


“You show me the path of
         life.” Psalm 16:1a

 we could follow the
trail of grace crumbs
until we arrive at
your front door, where
we are welcomed in
love and hope
or we can continue
to twirl hoops with hate
and pin the tail
on our prejudices

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

day 224


“‘He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled.’” John 3:29

as we set up
the chairs, as
usher the guests,
as we hand out
the little bags of bird seed,
as we reassure him
(once again, for the 100th time)
that we haven’t misplaced
the wedding ring, may we
continue to rejoice
in the privilege of being
the groom’s friend

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, August 10, 2020

day 223


“The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”  Psalm 145:8

like a peregrine falcon,
our anger can swoop down
on another in an instant,
but
yours is like a turtle,
slowly plodding along,
occasionally moving its head,
until by the time
it reaches us,
all that is left
is your love

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Sunday, August 09, 2020

day 222


“He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’”  Mark 4:40 

we tend to treat
fearlessness and faith
like that chicken and egg
question, as to which comes
first,
but for you they
are not
mutually exclusive

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Saturday, August 08, 2020

day 221

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.”  Acts 4:32

strange how,
with all the -isms
folks claim are attached to
or spring from this verse,
faithism
is never one of
them

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman   

Friday, August 07, 2020

day 220


“Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim.  He said to them, ‘Now draw some out and take it to the chief steward.’  So they took it.” John 2:7-8

being half-glass
people, that is what
we offer to folks, using
the smallest cup we can find,
but you fill up barrels
with grace, until it spills
over the brim,
and invite everyone
to drink as much as they
need

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Thursday, August 06, 2020

day 219


“I kept my faith, even when I
         said,
   ‘I am greatly afflicted’;” Psalm 116:10

in these moments of fear,
in these days of uncertainty,
in such times we wander,
may we keep
hold of our faith
more securely than
all our fears,
all our uncertainty,
all our disappointments

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

day 218


“When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’  He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.” John 1:38-39

at breakfast,
we came and saw
you pouring cereal
for all the neighborhood kids.
at noon,
we came and discovered
you sitting with the day laborers
no one had hired.
at tea, we looked
and you were sharing
a cup with the widows
folks usually ignored.
at midnight,
we saw you bedding down
with the rough sleepers,
as we were heading home

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Tuesday, August 04, 2020

day 217


“But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’” Acts 3:6 

yet,
though we do
have plenty of
silver and gold, we
tell folk to pull themselves
up by their bootstraps,
and walk away, with
our pockets full of
apathy

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman

Monday, August 03, 2020

day 216

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5

even

in the deepest

shadows,

in the tunnel

no longer used

but by bats,

in the alleys

moldy with fears,

the tiniest dot of

hope

appears and burns

brighter and brighter

until it illuminates

the way

 

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman    

Sunday, August 02, 2020

day 215


“The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

sometimes,
rather than storing the
seeds in the basement
for better days (and they
begin they begin to sprout
and then decay in the damp
shadows),
we should plant hope,
grace, love, peace
in everyone we meet
until they all bloom
into marvelous bouquets
of God’s choosing

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman


Saturday, August 01, 2020

day 214


“O God, you are my God, I seek you,
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

we act as if you
are so stingy with
grace and love that
it is like trying to get
water from a rusted
hand pump on dry farmland,
when
you are like the
faucet whose handle
has broken off and
the deep springs
from your hearts
cannot be shut off

really!

© 2020 Thom M. Shuman