Praise Through Poetry

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!

As the sun rises

Thankful a new day is here

Birds burst into song.

Setting down my pen, I sat back and rubbed my eyes. Rereading my haiku (a poem consisting of only three lines, the first with five syllables, the next with seven, and the third with five), I contemplated my morning’s attempt at praising God via poetry. While I won’t be winning any awards, the exercise of following the precise rhythm required by this format, and of letting my creative juices flow for a few moments before a busy day intruded upon silence, was just what I needed.

Heavenly Father, thank you for warmer days, this beautiful sunrise, and the birdsong filling my sunroom this morning. Please accept my bad poetry written with an adoring heart as worship pleasing to your ears.

And with that whispered prayer, I set aside my prayer journal and pen and stood up, ready to refill my coffee and wake my slumbering family.

When I take time to remember God as the creator of the universe with every living creature called to worship him, I regain perspective over the inconveniences and challenges. I am reminded to whom I belong and to what I am called, shaking off the temptation to be distracted by things that ultimately don’t matter. Being creative as an act of praise to the Master Creator can be a form of worship, drawing us into intimacy with God as we busy our hands and focus our minds. It provides another avenue for those of us who are not particularly musical to spend time in God’s presence, without worrying about how we sound or who can hear us.

The beautiful thing is that no one besides Jesus needs to read our bad poetry. If we choose, it can be silent worship, vulnerable and raw, as we sit alone before God. He does not care if we haven’t written poetry since seventh-grade English class. And he doesn’t care how beautifully we string together our words. He cares about our heart’s condition, the sincerity of our effort, and the time spent sitting in his presence, focused on his majesty and goodness.

Julie

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Write God a haiku of praise and thankfulness.