June 7th

“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;” Job 42:5

at first, it was the preacher’s rumors,
the hymn words i read
sitting next to my mom,
those hand-me-down stories
around summer camp evenings.
i learned to trace your name
in the dust of the faith of others,
filled the pockets of my soul
with answers stolen from friends.
but now:
after loneliness was my only friend,
after my doubts outnumbered stars,
after grief sat in the shadowed corner—
now my eyes are wide open.
not in easy certainty but
in that soft presence,
not in answers from whirlwinds
but in your whispering my name.
finally i can release
what i think i know,
my heart open to that
mystery woven from grace.
and while hearing about you
yesterday
was all i needed (and
maybe wanted)
today,
in the silence after the storm,
i see you.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman