Eve of the Ascension

“so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,” Ephesians 1:18

Jesus,
preparing to rise to wonder,
you will not leave us sightless
but you gift us with heart-eyes
opening wide to that hope
you have planted in the soil
of our souls through all these days.
not glory’s hope or that
of gold-paved sidewalks,
but hope which tastes like sweet butter
spread on just-out-of-the-oven bread;
hope which is that 5-second-rule
grace spilled on a kitchen floor,
hope in the silence between soul-friends.
light that candle of hope
and place it in our hearts
turning them into lighthouses
which steer neighbors and strangers
from the dangerous waters of fear
and into that safe harbor
where we can shelter in your love.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman