July 30th

"By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas." Psalm 65:5

while lightning wakes the cat
and thunder rattles our fears,
it is in the shawl of mercy
wrapped around our weariness
that hope tiptoes in.
not loud, not threatening,
but dew on parched dreams
or a sigh which finally
escapes our souls.
God of distant shores
and alleys too crowded
to hold our dreams,
wrap your grace around
all the havoc which weighs us down,
so that in that empty lobby of life,
in the valley of grief we wander,
your love is in each thin space—
unshaken, unchanging, unafraid—
inviting us to hope,
not so much in what might be
but in the One who came
and always comes,
one whisper of peace
one gentle touch
one quiet grace
at a time.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman