Monday, April 16, 2007

As Fresh as Today's Headlines



I need You on a key chain
Holy Spirit in a wrapper to go
a Jesus they could stick in their pockets
so the principals wouldn't have to know
but Emily's backpack isn't big enough
to even hold the weight of her pain
Daniel's brilliant mind is spinning
like a rusty weather vane
Marie is on a boy safari
doing anything to catch his eye
all my mini-skirt, tank top girls
asking the boys "Who am I?"
Michael sits in the back
peeking through the blinds
sarcasm to play it safe
losing his faith in mankind
Corlissa has lost too many families
to even think about losing one more
but here she stands, holding Ashli
with Cancer pounding on their door
Demario keeps his hood up
he has to play it cool
he says he's just too dumb
and the streets pay better than school
Jami got kicked out again
and Danny lives out of his car
but a listening ear, a gentle hug
and advice go only so far
no get rich quick, travel-sized hope
will get them through the day
they can smell plastic apathy
and know all the tired cliches
You don't come in a chewable pill
or in a handy virus scan
But I wish they could just hold on to You
like a key chain in their hands


"I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught. " John 14:27



"I'm ashamed to admit that I've sometimes offered people cheap hope. I've made Jesus seem like a back-slapping frat buddy rather than a war-hardened hero. I've peddled him like the peanut guy at the ball park. "God! I've got some red-hot God here!" I've held out the plastic, easy hope hyped by the preachers of a bargain-basement God when all the while, the hope God offeres is raw and real and unvarnished . . . It's a passionate hope, a real hope, a battle-scarred and yet victorious hope. Only a hope like that could ever conquer heartaches this strong and wounds this deep and pain as fresh as today's headlines." Steven James, Story

2 comments:

Dan Vukmirovich said...

Nice work Kristin. This is REAL. Don't lose this. Remember. Don't lose this. Remember. Don't lose...

Anonymous said...

Kristin;
I literally cried when i read this. I love your heart! and your honest vision in this is just beyond relevant... Maybe it's because i know a few of these kids through you... maybe it's partly because i'm reading it and listenting to Dave Mathews at the same time (I'm a sap : ).
Nah, it's just that you nailed it on the head.
I agree with Dan; Don't lose this! I know you won't. In fact, i know you're only going to build on it, and redirect this unique vision in your upcoming life-chapters.

I love you! I'm so lucky to be your husband.