Poetry of the Heart
A Journey into Life
by
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More to Life
December 2, 2001
Didn’t you know there’s
more to life
Than fame and fortune and all of that stuff?
There’s more to life than meets the eye
Beyond what you presently can see.
Oh, don’t you know
there’s more to love
Than family, connections, and friends,
Knowing all the right people,
Owning all the right stocks?
Didn’t you know there’s more to love?
Reach beyond what you
presently know.
See beyond what’s in front of your eyes.
You will find the God who cares.
He’s reaching down to touch your life,
To make you more than you ever could be.
Didn’t you know there’s more to Life?
(In this life, I believe there are only two ways to go-- my way, or God’s way. When we pursue our own way, that is all we get. When we allow the Lord to choose the steps for our life, he takes us beyond all our expectations. Andrew, the young man I had been best friends with since childhood, was choosing to set aside the plan God had for him in order to pursue his own dreams. It was a great disappointment to me, because I always thought he was one who had a heart for the Lord and could be fully committed to Him. Previously, we had cared about each other and hoped to pursue a relationship after college. It was at this point that I knew that if he could not commit his life to the Lord, he would never be able to be committed in a permanent relationship to the degree I was looking for. And I was not willing to compromise my commitment to God to follow another way. Though our paths in life do not go the same direction, I’ve always considered him a friend.)
Suspended in
Time
Early March 2002
I’m caught somewhere in
time
Suspended halfway ‘tween here and there.
I’ve lost my place in line;
The incongruity is not easy to bare.
And life goes on and on,
Life goes on. Spinning, turning
Dizziness has been and gone.
I’m stuck between learned and learning
With no clear picture of
where
The lessons lead. The goals I sought
Lay shattered in the swirling blur
Of dust and wind. I really ought
To pick them up piece by
piece and glue
Them together again. I haven’t the
heart
To face them. I’d rather build anew
Than face the loss of dreams blown apart.
(When my plans and dreams for my life do not line up with God’s plans, I come to a place of decision-- and I decided to let my dreams go. I know God’s plans for me are more perfect than any I could make for myself. And no, it’s not an easy choice to make. There is a tearing and breaking that must take place, a dying to our own will. Without paying that price, you can not go forward on the journey into Life.)
A Child’s
Heart
February 1, 2002
I want a child’s heart
Full of laughter, so carefree
I want a child’s heart
To beat inside of me.
Oh, to reach through the
pain,
The anger, the stone-cold
Bitterness that roams about inside,
Like shadows in the rain.
Oh, to break out of this constricted frame.
I want a child’s heart
Soft and malleable as clay
I wouldn’t be afraid, or stay apart
From drawing close to God each day.
Carefree laughter fills
the air,
Feet dancing to the sound,
Unafraid of judging glares.
I want a heart unbound
From woes and cares and
fears,
To trust beyond what I see,
To know God is drawing me near,
Arms outstretched to welcome me.
I want a child’s heart
Full of laughter, so carefree.
I want a child’s heart
To beat inside of me.
(I can say now that God did answer that prayer. He gave me a child-like heart in exchange for my bitterness and judgmental attitude.)
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About the Book
This book is about a journey. The lessons learned along the way are not for me alone, but for you. A missionary once said, "The things that have befallen me have fallen out, rather, to the furtherance of the gospel." I love Paul’s perspective, because, in truth, it is only the things that we have faced and struggled with that we can encourage others with. This journey is about learning to reach out to others, and learning to love life.
The dream of publishing a book of poetry has been mine, but the story and message are for you. Without the story, what meaning could the poems have? To you, I dedicate "Poetry of the Heart: A Journey into Life".
About the Author
Stefanie Messick is the youngest of James and Roberta Messick’s four children. She was born in 1980, shortly after their return to the United States from Colombia, South America, where they served in the mission field for eight years. Stefanie was born and raised in a Christian community setting in Minnesota, Maryland, Georgia, California, and Alaska. Her unique view and approach to life can be clearly heard through her poetry, as she vividly expresses the emotions of life. She shares with you not a collection of sing-songing rhymes, but rather a communication with the reader as she walks with you along the journey of life.
Presently, she resides in a Christian community near Delta Junction, Alaska where she is a volunteer Christian worker. She attended Covenant Life College, at Whitestone, Alaska to receive her Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in Elementary Education. Since graduation, she enjoys such responsibilities as the school secretary, a child care worker, cheese maker (Cheddar, Romano, Mozzarella, Sour Cream, and yogurt), and a cook. During the summer, she also enjoys working in the green house, garden, and canning kitchen. She enjoys spending time with her many friends of all ages, participating in youth activities and sports, caring for young children, and writing. She is an active participant in life and enjoys it to its fullest.