Three Mes

 

 

Winter Me

 

Sweet September

Summer eases into fall with cool bookends supporting the still-warm days

I linger in the sun

And savor post-dinner walks

Dusk comes a fraction earlier each evening

Sparking threads of anxiety about dark winter days to come.

Winter Me nudges gently,

“I know you’re sweaty,

I know you’ve done all the summer things,

But, please, go outside,

Spray the kids with the hose,

Put your bare feet in the warm grass,

Eat the last juice-dripping peaches.

These days are beautiful,

Precious,

And fading.

The next season holds its own beauty,

And strength to endure the cold and dark.

But for Me, the one making the most of staying inside more,

Would you get out and soak up just a little more sun?”

 

 

Mom of Teenagers Me

 

My friends post photo memories

Bittersweet at their little ones now grown

I see a reflection of my own little ones in those photos

And remember to savor this time

The future Me, the Mom of Teenagers, wraps me in an invisible hug.

“I know you’re tired,

I know it seems impossible that they’ll grow up,

But, they do and they did.

While you’re still there with those little ones,

Could you kiss their sweet, sticky faces one more time?

Could you stop and listen fully to their big, outrageous ideas?

Could you say yes to something silly that’ll make their day?

These days are beautiful,

Precious,

And fading.

The next season holds its own beauty,

And new strength for new challenges.

But for Me, the one with tall, young men eating me out of house and home,

Would you give yourself fully to your babies?”

 

 

Eternal Me

 

This time on earth seems long,

Forty-two is a significant chunk of life.

I wonder if I have the capacity to do more

Than my daily to do list.

Eternal Me sings a song that envelops my senses,

“I know you’re scared,

I know you don’t want to fail,

But, there is a God - faithful beyond your comprehension

Who will get you through anything that comes.

Say YES.

Open your home, be a living shelter for another child,

Give your money, your things, your time.

The suffering and sacrifice will be so brief in comparison to what’s next.

These days are beautiful,

Precious,

And fading.

The next season will never end,

And you will be so glad for every decision you ever made to honor Christ.

So for Me, the one who sees the glory of God’s face,

Would you give all you have for His sake?”

 

 

 

photo credit

photo credit 

photo credit