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- This Corruptible,,,
- You Left for us a Path
- And Some to Honour...
- But I will Hope Continually...
- Puzzling Pride
- Putting on Christ
- No Generic Thanks
- (More than the Absence of War)
- Grace and Holiness in the Ring
- How Long?
- Journey & Destination
- Hope's Banner
- One War, Many Battles
- The Odometer Turns Over
- What if You're Wrong?
- The First "Hide and Seek"
- Someday Jubilee
- A Breath or a Blink!
- Your Time is Up!
- Song of the Scoffers
(I Corinthians 15:54)
In cycles, seasons
merge as one;
They die continually
and yet forever live.
But my life is a line,
a thread;
There is an end,
a break definitive.
There is a river dark,
A chasm wide;
But look beyond and
glimpse eternal day--
for Home awaits me
on the other side!
lori fiechter, 10-12-98
You Left for us a Path
We were not deposited
in a trackless wasteland,
left on the shifting desert sands
to find our way.
We were not left in the dark
and trail-less forest without a compass
to stumble along through
brush and bramble.
You left for us a path.
It is not always an easy path;
It is not always the way
we would choose to go.
It is, at times, a path
bewildering, confusing.
But always it can be a
path of inward peace.
It is not an endless circle
(though at times we seem
to be treading the same territory)
There is an end.
And You stand there, Lord, at the end of the path,
Patiently waiting to welcome us home!
Lori fiechter, 10-16-98
And Some to
Honour...
(II Timothy 2:20&21)
We see only the outside.
We see:
iron skillets and plastic dishpans
glass jars and tin cans
wooden bowls and straw baskets
We see:
silver platters and porcelain vases
brass candlesticks and copper kettles
hand-painted china and crystal goblets
God sees--vessels:
some fragile, some strong
some plain, some decorative
each with different strengths and weaknesses.
Created for one purpose:
to serve and glorify Him.
But we see only the outside
and we are not content....
lori fiechter, 9-29-98
But I
will Hope Continually...
(Psalms 71:14)
If there were no hope,
There would be no disappointment
But I'd rather have them both
Than to have no hope at all.
The pessimistic cynic is never
disappointed
for his hope is set at zero
(set so low, it cannot fall.)
But I'd rather keep on hoping;
see in faith the distant goal;
For hope will scrub away my lethargy,
Hope puts helium in my soul.
Lori fiechter, 10-2-98
Puzzling
Pride
Why is humility so difficult for us?
We--who cannot by concentrating make ourselves
even one inch taller?
We--who cannot create
a sunset or a marigold or a butterfly?
We--who think ourselves close to the top rung
on the ladder of spirituality,
not realizing that the weight of our pride
is about to break that rung
and send us crashing.
We--who are too foolish to recognize
that what we see as the top rung
is but the bottom of an even longer ladder.
(Perhaps it is time to stop worrying about ladders
and start simply walking with Jesus!)
Humility is difficult because we make the
pond ever smaller so that we appear to be
impressive-sized fish.
Ah, but if we would just look to the ocean--
and the One who made it--
our pride would evaporate;
and our humility would be genuine.
Lori fiechter, 12-2-98
Putting on
Christ
(Galatians 3:27)
How do you "put on Christ"?
--do you wear Him all day long
like your favorite shirt:
that shirt which is so comfortable
it is like a second skin to you?
Or--do you put on Christ
like a Sunday suit, complete with
stiff scratchy collar
and colorful neck-noose?
(or for women, those torture devices
called high-heels and panty-hose?)
You know how you feel about Sunday clothes--
You can't wait to get out of them!
Do you "put on Christ" for
Bible reading and prayer and then
hang Him back in the closet until tomorrow?
He doesn't want to be your "Sunday best";
He wants to be your "everyday" clothes!
(go ahead, check that closet right now!)
lori fiechter, 12-1-98
No
Generic Thanks
I looked it up in Webster's:
"thank" is a transitive verb--
it must have an object.
Giving thanks is an action,
not just a feeling.
Thankfulness is an attitude,
not a liturgy.
Thanksgiving is an admittance
that we've been on the receiving
end of something good.
Thank the proto-Giver.
If you go back a step or two,
"every good gift...is from above...
from the Father of lights."
lori fiechter, 11-24-98
(More than the Absence of War)
I heard a song on Christian radio the other day that irritated me. I don't
know either the title or the artist and I don't mean to slam whoever wrote it. The song
was talking about Jesus coming again; saying it will be worth the wait for him to delay if
it means that more souls can be saved. That sounds good but I have two problems with the
thinking in the song:
1. If there is a place in the New Testament where the writers are pleading for Jesus to
delay His return (for whatever reason), I can't find it. (Let me know if I missed it!) The
NT writers seem to me to be anxious for Jesus to come back--"Even so, Lord Jesus,
come". "Maranatha" was an early Christian greeting/prayer which means,
"Our Lord, Come!"
2.Heaven was presented in this song as nothing more than a place to get away from sorrow,
pain, trouble, etc. Wait a minute--heaven is more than the absence of negatives! Heaven is
whereJesus is! Heaven is home! Does the soldier long for home merely as a place where he
won't be dodging bullets? Surely there is more to "home" than that.
You don't have to agree with me, by the way! Here is the poem that I wrote on the subject:
More Than the Absence of War
Heaven is more
than the absence of negatives:
poverty, sickness and pain.
As peace is much more
than the absence of war
Heaven is positive gain.
Heaven is not
playing harps on a cloud,
where the faceless ethereal roam.
Heaven is walking
with Jesus in white
And finally feeling at home!
At His appearing,
we'll see our Lord as He is;
At His coming,
we will be like Him;
Heaven is:
cashing in coupons of hope,
And fellowship unencumbered by sin.
lori fiechter, 11-18-98
Grace and Holiness in the Ring
The prize fighters were led
blindfolded into the ring;
neither one knew who
his opponent would be.
The crowd was rowdy and
wildly partisan;
Each side was cheering
for its champion and
jeering at the other.
Then--"Quiet, please!"
A hush fell as the boxers
removed their blindfolds.
The crowd roared as the
fighters stood and approached each other.
But--What's this?
A smile of recognition--
a warm embrace---
Why, these two are friends!
Friends!
They refused to fight each other
and left the ring,
chatting and chuckling and
slapping each other on the back.
The crowd sits in stunned silence,
mouths hanging wide open.
They never guessed.....
lori fiechter
9-18-98
How Long?
(Psalms 130:5,6)
Watching for the morning,
Waiting for the dawn;
in weariness and heaviness,
we cry, "Oh Lord, how long?"
How long, O Sun of Righteousness?
How long, O Morning Star?
Sometimes Your coming seems so near,
Sometimes, it seems so far.
Expectations wax and wane
like phases of the moon;
How long, O Lord?
We pray You're coming soon!
lori fiechter, 10-20-98
Journey
& Destination
Some of us travel as though
the journey is all there is;
We never lift our eyes to
scan the distant horizon,
We never think about our
final destination--
We are just too busy.
We are so near-sighted that
we miss the hope ahead .
Others of us see only the
destination.
We never notice the beauty
along the way.
We miss the lessons
right under our feet.
We grimly plod on as if
life is something distasteful
that we must endure.
We are just barely holding on.
We are so far-sighted that
we miss the present joy.
Extremes are always easier
than balance;
Balance takes more
thought and reflection.
But we are called to balance;
We are called to be
working pilgrims.
Lori Fiechter
9-17-98
In spring, Hope's banner is crisp and new;
the colors bright and vibrant.
In summer, the unrelenting sun has faded the
colors, and Hope hangs more limply.
In autumn, the lashing winds and rain
have frayed the banner's edges.
In winter, the tired banner is stiff and cold and
shrouded in a layer of snow.
Hope seems dead.
We dig a grave and bury it.
But wait--for something stirs beneath the soil!
Hope was not dead but merely dormant.
And winter's end brings the Eternal spring...
lori fiechter, 9-18-98
One War, Many
Battles
The final outcome's guaranteed;
We know the war is won.
But each day brings fresh skirmishes;
The battle's just begun.
Help us in our daily struggles, Lord;
Lift our heads above the din:
The sound of swords and jingling coins;
Wash our feet of dusty sin.
Keep us fighting, pressing forward
With our eyes on victory's crown.
We know the war is won, Lord--
Don't let the battles get us down!
Lori fiechter
8-13-98
Triple zeros make us nervous;
Triple nines may do the same.
We've apocalyptic premonitions
of catastrophic change.
Expectations of the future
lead to hope or dark despair.
Are we all delusional
Or is there "something in the air"?
Bible Codes and Y2K,
"Space brothers" will show the way.
Bombs and riots,
smoke and fire,
The peace process due to expire.
El Nino blamed for floods and drought
La Nina may turn those inside out.
16 months--we hold our breath.
A Brave new world? Chaos and death?
Or maybe--nothing.
(it's not time yet?)
lori fiechter
8-11-98
You've lived your whole life
Avoiding the question
But the pothole grows larger,
It is gaping and wide.
Someday, you'll fall in--
But for now, you will skirt it;
You have taken that question
And pushed it aside.
You have faith in yourself,
In mankind or in Science;
You've swept God to a
bleak, dusty shelf of your mind.
You don't see the need
for a personal Savior;
And even if you did--
Well, you haven't the time.
God is all right for others--
As a crutch for the weak.
But you've managed without Him,
You have gotten along.
Yes, you've lived your whole life
denying eternity--
Denying God's judgment--
But what if you're wrong?
Lori fiechter
5-26-98
The First "Hide and Seek"
Genesis 3:8-13
"Where are you, Adam?
Eve, what have you done?"
--the pair followed their instincts:
to hide and to run
Amongst the trees in the garden,
In their aprons of leaves,
It was the first "cover-up",
the first "hide and seek"!
Hear them making excuses and
Passing the blame;
Trembling with fear,
Cowering in shame.
...But we are no better--
No better than they!
For that same Voice is seeking
And calling today:
His voice pleads, "Where are you?
I know what you've done.
Don't play 'hide and seek'--
How long will you run?"
You can't hide from God--
The Creator who made you;
Don't flee from the only
One Who can save you!
This game you've been playing
Is getting quite old;
Let the Good Shepherd find you;
Come into His fold.
Lori fiechter
6-29-98
Someday Jubilee
Created for Eternity--
Made for another Place;
Home tugs at me from far beyond
This realm of time and space.
But I look down at my feet:
They are still stuck to the ground.
My soul knows no such gravity;
My heart is heaven-bound.
And yet...there is a journey
A road that bears my name;
I look ahead and walk along
And keep hoping just the same:
Someday--Heaven!
Someday--Jubilee!
Someday I will see the One
Who gave me liberty!
Someday, I'll be Home--
Where He has prepared a room.
But for now, I'll walk this narrow way
And hope "Someday" comes soon...
(song) lori fiechter
6-29-98
A Breath or a Blink!
How far from heaven?
Just a breath or a blink!
See--the portal is opening ahead.
Look up! It is close now;
He is tuning the trumpet
For that blast that will
Wake up the dead!
lori fiechter
6-6-98
Your Time is Up!
Daniel 5
Numbered, numbered,
weighed, divided:
The handwriting's on the wall.
You thought life
was just a big party
But you're no longer "having a ball".
You've sobered up--
a bit too late
For this time, you've crossed the line.
See the door marked "Grace"?
It has slammed shut;
You are out of luck this time.
Keep your gold and your honors, Belshazzar;
You've already sealed your fate.
You had your chance--
you should have known!
But now, it is too late.
Why did you choose to wait?
lori fiechter
6-6-98
(any modern Belshazzars out there? There is still time to
be saved.)
Song of the Scoffers
II Peter 3
"He's not coming today;
He's not coming tomorrow.
He's been gone for so long--
Who knows when He'll come back?
I say--forget all of this
watching and waiting;
It's time for us all to
Sit back and relax!
Enjoy ourselves for a change;
Eat, drink, and be merry;
He's tarried this long,
He'll continue to tarry!"
...but the scoffers stop singing;
Yes, right in mid-scoff!
For while they were mocking,
The "Bride" just took off!
lori fiechter
5-26-98
