"Will you trust Me?"

For the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time ~ 9 September 2007 ~

WILL YOU TRUST ME?

“Will you trust me?”
Was the gentle query,
that was heard,
when one day,
upon Christ,
my Love,
I awaited.
No audible words.
No rush of angels wings,
upon the wind,
was felt,
or heard.

It was in the woods,
our time together,
in the early evening.
I had shared my prayers,
in my end of the work day
weary, dusty, praise.
Hungering for Him,
His Word,
His Presence,
His Love.
Yet, feeling, knowing
my failures,
my weakness,
my fears.
I felt so deeply,
the silence.
I heard so clearly,
nothing.

Weary tears
of hopeless love
spilled from within
my soul of longing.
Past the time
I should return
to my quarters,
yet unfelt,
a gently strong hand
Kept me
in the darkening wood
of longing.
Then, in the shadow,
of His Wood,
my heart heard
the whisper,
“Will you trust Me?”
“Will you follow Me”?

Unseeing,
Unknowing,
Yet with the eternal clarity
And hope
of Love,
Yes, I said.
I will trust You.
I will follow You.

Then remembering
my true self
I cried.
But Lord,
I do not understand.
How can I?
You know….
me.

Then again,
His eyes upon me,
Smiling.
I heard.
“Will you trust me?”
“I do understand,
I know you,
I created you.
Follow Me”.

Then I saw the wood.
Red with His blood.
And I followed Him.

Sweetheart of Jesus,
Be my Love.

And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. Mk. 8:34 RSV