September 17th

“O LORD, who may abide in your tent?
   Who may dwell on your holy hill?” Psalm 15:1

those who stumble yet get up,
those who never win a ribbon,
those whose grief is a flickering candle,
those whose tears water seeds of hope—
they are the ones who abide with you.
those who open doors
not the ones who guard inner sanctums.
those who use the thread of justice
to mend the torn fabric of others’ lives.
those whose hands tremble in fear
yet reach out to the excluded,
the unheard, the unseen.
those who are so exhausted from
trying to heal the brokenness of the world,
yet refuse to stay in bed each day.
those who, when the truth-tellers
and the grace-givers are threatened,
pitch their tents next to them,
refusing to leave them on their own.
they are the ones who know the way
to your compassionate heart.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman