The Blessing of You

Originally written December 6, 1994
Edited January 25, 2021

++Dedicated to those who have been my angels on earth.++

You’ve always listened to me–
not with your ears, but with your heart.
You see past what I’m saying
and hear what I’m meaning–
even when my words get all jumbled up
and nothing comes out right.
You sit through the tears overshadowing my smile,
and help me breathe.
In and out, slow and steady–
devotion at its finest,
determination wrapped in grace,
helping me find the perfect lens
that will allow life to come into focus again.

You understand that God’s timing
is everything,
so you gently share perspective,
and then you wait.
You wait for me.
You don’t rush the process,
and you never press for time.
No need for speeding up or slowing down.
Whatever pace works for me,
that’s the time it’ll take to get there,
and that’s all right.

You encourage the silence.
You trust in the stillness,
and you have faith in my becoming–
better than I was before,
stronger for enduring the struggle,
capable of rising above the brokenness.

When nothing I say makes sense,
when fragments of confusion
have drowned the best of me,
and I sit on the precipice of indecision
wanting to call it quits–
because existing is just too hard…
You’re still there!

Praying.

Believing.

Pursuing options.

Being my voice of reason.

My stability in the storm.

A light in my darkness.

A reason to hope.

And you never give up.
I love you for that!

You matter
more than I’ll ever be able
to put into words.
And I want you to know,
I thank God
for the blessing of you.