poems 98b

God on the Back Burner

God doesn't belong on the
back burner of your heart.
You may have forgotten Him;
But you're engraved on His palms!
Isn't it time to get back in touch with Him?
He's still in the Book--
just give Him a call.....

Lori fiechter
5-26-98

Appointed

"for the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." --Habakkuk 2:3

Appointed vision for
An appointed time:
Heed the message and the warning.
He has appointed
beauty, joy and praise
for ashes and for mourning.
Appointed afflictions,
but not God's wrath;
Appointed tasks to do.
Yet a little while to work
while you wait:
the vision will come true.

Hebrews 10:37, Proverbs 7:20, Isaiah 61:3, I Thess. 3:3 & 5:9

lori fiechter
5-8-98

Speaking the Truth...in Love

"...speaking the truth in love..."Ephesians 4:15

If we, as followers of Christ,
would adhere to this injunction,
Standing firmly for the truth,
Fearing God, not fearing man;

Our candles glowing to give light
(isn't that a candle's function?)
Not singeing souls with searing words--
Flinging pails of molten wax.

"Be ready always to give an answer"
But not with harsh, judgmental tone:
Not with scathing sharp sarcasm;

But honed by love, and love alone.

Yes, truth will cut; Truth will divide;
Truth can be a mighty sword.
But speak the truth in love and meekness
And souls may seek to know your Lord!

lori fiechter
5-7-98

Going through the Motions

"...thou hast left thy first love"--Rev. 2:4

Prayers mechanically intoned
while your mind is flitting elsewhere;
Idly scanning scattered verses,
Skimming without thought or goal.

Without focus, without feeling,
You keep going through the motions
But that mask of yours
conceals a heart gone cold.

You have been so very busy
That you somehow never noticed
Something vital had been missing--
had expired.

There is yet a spark remaining
Of that first love that is waning
--will you wait until a crisis
fans those embers into fire?

Lori fiechter
5-7-98

Risen With Christ

"...ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new...."
--Colossians 3:9,10

Cast off those grave clothes:
The old man with his deeds.
Remember Lot's wife--
Don't look back! You must flee!

The old man is buried;
The old man is dead.
He must not be exhumed;
Walk away! Forge ahead!

Put on Christ!
Put on meekness and kindness and love.
Give no place to the devil;
Seek those things from above.

Are you risen with Christ?
Say "goodbye" to that tomb.
Put off the old man now
And put on the new!

Romans 13:14,
Colossians 3:1-17 & 2:12, 20,
Ephesians 4:24-27,

lori fiechter
4-28-98

Paradoxes

"...I am come into this world,
that they which see not might see;
and that they which see might be made blind." --John 9:39

The blind receive sight
The sighted are blind.
The wise are made foolish
By the fools they despise.

The deaf man can hear
But the hearing cannot.
The "have-nots" have all
Those who seem to, have nought!

The self-strong are weak;
But the self-weak are strong.
The exalted are humbled
(the way that seems right, is wrong!)

The timid will fight
while the mighty will flee.
The freemen are slaves;
and the slaves are set free.

You must lose all to win
and die daily to live;
to be great, be a servant;
to gain, you must give.

...paradoxes to us
with no reason nor rhyme
And we won't understand
'til we've put on His mind.

(Philippians 2:5, I Corinthians 2:16)

lori fiechter
4-28-98

Trouble the Waters, Lord!

John 5:1-10

Trouble the waters, Lord--
Make them bubble and foam;
Calling the wayward ones,
Drawing them home.

Stir the face of the waters;
Stir the depths of men's souls;
Giving boldness to jump--
To jump in and be whole.

There is healing and wholeness
There is comfort and peace;
Just come as you are--
He can cure your disease.

Whatever your sin,
However long it's enslaved you,
Do not wait--take the plunge!
Christ is able to save you.

Lori fiechter
4-28-98

Lord, my Life!

"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory." --Colossians 3:4

Lord, my life!
Lord, my hope!
Thou my Shepherd
and my shield;
Lead me, save me,
comfort me
by Thy redeeming grace!

Lord, my Rock!
Lord, my strength!
Thou the Anchor
for my soul;
Keep me and
preserve me
'Til I see Thee face to Face.

(Keep me and preserve me
'Til I see Thee face to Face!)

lori fiechter
4-25-98

To Feel Again

The anesthetic wears off and
there is pain;
stabbing pain.
Why can't I just be
numb forever?
Why must I feel again?

But the pain shows that
I am still alive;
and slowly, I will begin
to live again.
Nothing will be the same;
Everything has changed;
Everything except You, Lord.

You never change!
You are the same:
before the pain,
during the pain,
and after the pain.

(can there be an "after", Lord?......)

"...they shall be changed: but thou art the same,
and thy years shall not fail" Hebrews 1:12

lori fiechter
4-7-98

Contused Feelings

You have feelings?
Well, I do, too.
When you bump them,
I get bruised.
Deep inside, they
bleed and ooze;
Yes, I have feelings, too.

I have feelings,
But so do you.
When I stomp on them,
they turn black and blue,
they're sore and tender;
hurt, contused.
Yes, you have feelings, too.

I can't heal you;
You can't heal me;
But the Wounded Healer
who bled for both
can set our
wounded spirits free.

lori fiechter
3-23-98

(I knew they were calling for rain but I was too lazy to go outside and take those last few items off
of the clothesline. Now two bath towels are hanging out in the rain...)

How much Rain can a Bath Towel Hold?

Soaking up worries
and troubles like rain:
Like a bath towel
left on the line
overnight.

Weighed down
and heavy,
lashed about
by the wind;
Ready to fall
to the ground
in a heap.

But just when
I think I can't hold on
any longer,
I'm plucked off the line,
wrung dry of my tears
and fluffed
in the warm dryer.
Ready to live again;
...and to get over my fear
of clotheslines.

3-28-98
lori fiechter

Choke it down!

A biscuit of Pride:
Hard, tasteless, and dry.
I can't choke it down,
I can't swallow--
I've tried!

A tall glass of water;
I sputter and cry,
"It's stuck in my throat--
Get it out or I'll die!"

but God knows the Heimlich
And it's all over soon.
Next time, I'll use jelly
and I'll remember to chew!

lori fiechter
3-28-98

God Beyond Words

Superlatives scribbled;
then crumpled and tossed.
Roget's is no help!
I'm still at a loss.

No words can be found
In this earthly tongue;
No words to describe
Who He is, what He's done!

Words wrinkle and rattle
And letters derail.
They don't measure up;
They fall short;
They seem...pale.

But David used words
To sing praises to Him;
And God used words for His story
...guess I'll try once again!

lori fiechter
3-5-98

Panic--or Peace?

"I can...through Christ" Philippians 4:13

Icy fingers of fear
grip my heart and squeeze.
I hear a malevolent whisper,
"You can't do it."
But--God is able!

The burden of responsibility
drags me down in the
Slough of Despond.
"It is too much," I cry!
But--God is able:

He is able to lift me up;
to keep me from falling;
to save me to the uttermost.
He is able to pry off those
icy fingers of fear and
breathe His warm Spirit
upon my frozen heart.

He is able--
But He waits for my decision.
For it is my choice:
surrender to God
or give in to my fears?
I am weak--but He is able.

lori fiechter
3-6-98

If the Time is Short

"But this I say, brethren, the time is short:..." I Corinthians 7:29

If the time is short,
Press more urgently, Father;
Stoke our lukewarm hearts
'Til they glow and burn.
Draw souls who are lost and
Those who have wandered;
Prepare us to watch for
Your sudden return.

If the time is short,
Make us focused, Father
With eyes that see clearly
To pierce this black night.
To examine ourselves and
Make sure we are ready
To meet You with joy
When our faith becomes sight.

If the time is short,
Draw us close to You, Father;
Make us rooted and grounded
And settled in love.
Let us not be ashamed
Of Your Word or Your gospel,
Keep us working while we wait
For that shout from above.

Lori Fiechter
3-4-98

Hopeful Sorrow

I Thessalonians. 4:13, Hebrews 10:37

Today or tomorrow?
--probably not.
But I'll see you again,
perhaps soon.
You'll wake up
at the trumpet's alarm;
I'll be snatched up suddenly--
And I'll see you again!
This separation is wrenching
but not permanent,
not hopeless,
and not forever.
I'll see you again--
in just a little while--
and then,
no more sad good-byes--
ever.

lori fiechter
3-23-98

I'm OK, you need some work!

Luke 18:10-14

I'm quite the Christian, wouldn't you say?
I know how to use
"Thee's" and Thou's" when I pray;
I'm generous to a fault--
and I dress the right way;
It's pretty clear--I'm OK.

I know how to use fancy
ten dollar words:
hermeneutics, eschatology
And ones you've not even heard!
(I can spell them right, too--
of that, rest assured.)

Here's my list of good works
I'm sure you'll be impressed.
With my busy schedule,
I have no time to rest.
But for God's work,
I give nothing less than my best.
(It's obvious, I've passed the test!)

I feel sorry for you--
No, really I do.
It's rather apparent
that you haven't a clue.
Your words are not polished,
and your clothes are a mess.
Let me teach you how
to talk and to dress.
(and how to stop that
bad habit of beating your breast!)
I know you are flattered that
I'd bother with you
But that's just the kind of guy
that I am.
(yes, it's true.)
***
justified?
(watch that leaven today; it corrupts by puffing up)

lori fiechter
3-23-98

mommy @ heaven . com

Can I e-mail
my mommy in heaven?
Can she look
and see me down here?

If I write her a letter
and say how I miss her
Will You make sure
that it gets there?

I'll send her a letter
to tell her I love her
and that I wish
she could come back to stay.

Oh, Jesus,
take care of my mommy for me
Until I come
to heaven someday.

lori fiechter
3-21-98

(in memory of Melinda Gerber who was suddenly taken home to heaven today...
please--say a prayer for her husband and children)

A Word from Our Sponsor

(Isaiah 55)

Stop!
Don't change that channel!
Wait--and listen!
Are you thirsty for something
That really refreshes?
Hungry for something
That really satisfies?
--You've come to the right place.

Put away that wallet;
You won't need your credit card;
There is no cost, no price.
It is a gift; a free one.

What? You don't trust me?
Yet you keep blowing your
Money on things that don't satisfy!
Think! What do you have to lose?

Living Bread, Living Water--
You will never again thirst or hunger.
Come, come and buy without money.
Take advantage of this special offer today

....While there is still time.

Lori fiechter
3-14-98

"...To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Hebrews 4:7

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." Isaiah 6:8
*

Who will go for us?

A prophet from Galilee--his name is Jonah--
Listens as God tells of His plan:
"I want you to go to a city called Ninevah
Preaching repentance; their doom is at hand."

"Lord, don't send me to Ninevah!
Those people are pagans, ruthless and cruel.
Why must I warn them? Lord, just destroy them!
They'll probably kill me--Lord, I'm no fool.

Hosea is saying these people will conquer us.
Lord, let them perish so we can survive."

..."Whom shall I send? and who will go for us?"

But Jonah was looking for some place to hide.

*
A prophet from Galilee--His name is Jesus--
Listens as the Father tells of His plan:
"I'm sending You down to a world filled with darkness;
You must take off Your glory and be born as a man."

More than a prophet from Nazareth,
Sent to a world full of evil and vice.
Not to condemn the world; sent to redeem it.
The cross was the altar for His sacrifice.

And with His face set, He heads for Jerusalem,
"Who will go for Us?" He says "Here am I."
"These people are sheep, accounted for slaughter.
Father, to save them, I'm willing to die."

....A prophet from Galilee, His name is Jesus.

lori fiechter
2-3-98

poems 98b

I'm OK, you need some work! Luke 18:10-14

I'm OK, you need some work!

Luke 18:10-14