July 12th

“They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark 1:22

if only
i might be knocked
off my feet by your stories
about you coming to find
the lost (even me).
if only
i might be gobsmacked
by your simple assurance
that you welcome us
just as we are (even me).
if only
i might be stunned
by your insistence that
our worth is not based
on what we achieve,
but by God’s grace (even for me).
if only
i could be astounded
by that good news
which seems so comfortable,
so convenient, so ordinary,
that we yawn every time
we hear it (especially me).

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman