I Confess
When I began Within the Vine
I intended a soft place to fall
A place
Of Delight
Of Reassurance
Of Encouragement
However
When the man loses his job
When the friend is diagnosed with a tumour
When the baby expected with joy
Fails to grow
Stops moving
Then
Soft places are hard to find
Soft places are hard to speak of
Soft places are hard to take
When all else is comfortless
But
I forget
I forget all of us have hard times
I forget
If I stay silent in hard times
I permit that dark angel
To stop my words
To stop my pictures
To stop The Message
So I Affirm
God is here
Even in the Hard Times
Even in the Dark Days
Even when the place to fall
Is Rough
Is Bleak
Is Savage
I am reminded
Write Life
Write the Light that shines
In my own Dark Days
Write Reality
Write Fulness of Truth
Write of Fears that arise
Write of that Calm Voice
Stilling the Storm
The friend is
Stronger than tumour
Victories have been won
The Fight continues
Though denied work promised
New Blessings give opportunity
For Man to work
A little for pay
A lot for no pay
And the wife learns to budget hard
And the baby?
Born
Sooner than expected
After much prayer
He Grows
Strong
Stronger
Bringing
Much Joy
Many Smiles
Much Thanksgiving
From once worried hearts
But even before the story changes
I pray
This can truly be
A Place
To Delight
To Reassure
To Encourage
Then
If I tell all
I can tell
All is not lost
Photographs and Words © Denise Stanford 2013
Within the Vine 