Souvenir

This is a poem I wrote after going to the Gulf Coast at Galveston with a group of ladies from our church. 

Psalm 42:2 "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:  when shall I come and appear before God?"

I know you're here.
I feel your comfort and love
Surround me from within,
To lift me, once again,
To stand,
To walk,
To run
To a place I was created for.
To be in your presence
This side of eternity
And know,
Heart, mind and soul,
You are my God.

Now I know why builders build into the sky.
Higher and higher they must go
To lift their souls from earth to heaven;
Or why the mountain climber climbs above the clouds
Searching for a glimpse of You.
The sailor longs for his ship,
To feel Your power beneath his feet.
The diver dives
Into the wonders of Your deep
To see what few can see.
The farmer:  Your land, Your seed, Your sun, Your rain.
Your wonders overwhelm us.

Today this place,
My day-to-day place,
Will not suffice.
The longing You created within,
To see You face to face,
Makes seekers of us all.
So we build, we climb, we sail, we dive, we sow,
Longing to be in Your presence.

This longing brings me here
Where coastal sand meets shore.
The power of this place overwhelms my senses.
Your creation unfolds before me.
The vastness of sea and sky
Stretch beyond my vision,
Beyond my human eye.
Yet, my spirit recognizes
This portion of Your creation
Is not even the smallest part of who You are.

As the waves
Erode the sand beneath my feet,
I step back on cool, firm sand
And close my eyes.
You're here.
Your closeness warms me.
You smile, I smile too.
You gently blow my hair off my face.
As the waves wash the shore
I hear You breathing.
Slow, deep breathes.
You,
Then me.
You,
Then me.
Breathing in, breathing out.
A caressing, sleepy sound.
Breathin in, breathing out.

You hold me in Your arms
And I am safe.
All I carried to this place is gone.
Gone the worry,
Gone the fear,
Gone the have-to,
Gone the can't.
Only Your peace
And love remain.

Eyes wide open, I look around and see
A sea shell at my feet,
A sea gull overhead,
A small white cloud,
And shades of blue
Blending from dark to light and dark again.
I'm ready to face my world,
Return to the everyday,
Taking as my souvenir
The sea shell to remember
This special time with You.

Gone are the sea gulls,
Gone the pounding surf,
Gone the vast blue sky.
But from the little sea shell,
When held up to my ear,
I hear the sea again whisper
Your love is always near.