Right before the squad left for Togo, we had corporate worship one night. My squadmate, Matthew Rock, read a poem he had so eloquently written. It is beatiful and raw and challenging… I hope it speaks to you the way it did me.
This is a messy crayoned love note
But please accept these words I wrote
And though folded with uneven creases
If love’s a puzzle we’re the pieces
And You’re the glue holding us together
You are I AM, and You are forever.
So take our construction paper praises
And forgive us our clichéd copyright phrases
And take us back to when we were young
And with no shame we loudly sung
And with the confidence of a seasoned artist
We poured onto unlined paper our hearts this
Joy we felt in being “Dad’s kid”
And on our dreams there was no lid
‘Cause nothing’s impossible when you’re five
And don’t have to try and you don’t have to strive
‘Cause Daddy’s close and when he’s near
You don’t have to cry and you don’t have to fear.
But sometime somewhere we lost our way
Gave up on love and joined the fray
Of those who settled for Hallmark thank-you’s
To the God who died: “King of the Jews.”
So let’s return to our younger years
But leave all the judging and all of the fears
‘Cause we can sing all the anthems and read all the books
And buy every song with a catchy Jesus hook
But God doesn’t want over-produced and over-played
‘Cause one day even those too will fade
So bring back the crayons and leave the proud look
