When It Gets Hard

This is a poem written for a dear friend of mine named Ruth. She told me about some things that were going on with her and I was moved inside to write this piece for her.

Oh, God, hold me!

It hurt so much! The pain,

Oh, God, the pain!

My heart can’t take this anymore.

I cannot do this anymore!

Why must I suffer like this

For those I love?

Why must I care…when they will not?

 

And God answered and said

“Because love hurts, my child.

That in itself is it’s miracle.”

 

I wondered how, for my mind could not grasp

The wondrous nature of our Lord.

Why is pain a miracle? How could it be?

 

And God explain to me.

“Love hurts because love…

True, unfiltered, undeserved Love

Is what you were made in.”

 

But still I did not understand.

I did not see how love could be pain

And still be something good.

My tears are not good. My hurt is not good. about my internal suffering is

Nothing

But still I did not understand.

I did not see how love could be pain

And still be something good.

My tears are not good. My hurt is not good. about my internal suffering is good.

Nothing

 

And yet, God indulged me my ignorance.

“Every man exists with backs turned to the truth.

You were made to love and be loved. And yet, as you grow

You find more and more reasons not to. And you hurt Love.

Love cries out. Love longs to be expressed.

But it also longs to see itself coming back

Loving.”

 

That’s when it finally clicked.

To know love, you must know pain.

Because, love goes the distance. It shows itself.

It is that thing which can last through anything

If you let it. It can carry you through anything,

If you let it.

 

I was reminded of a man, born without sin

Doing no wrong to any made, speaking only truth

And giving willingly

That was hung upon a tree for the likes…well, me.

Nothing special, nothing great. Just me.

Bleeding. Dying. Beaten. Tortured. Scarred.

And yet asking for forgiveness for those that wounded him.

Mocked him.

Cursed him.

Hanging there with all the power and ability to shake the earth

Down to it’s very foundations.

Just for me. Because of Love.

 

And I remembered the glory he rose in.

The strength he gained because of love’s endurance.

The power made manifest because that heart…oh, that heart

It would not give in! It would not let go!

It saw that the pain was just a passage, a temporary thing

In a temporary existence.

For in the end, Love always wins. One way, or another…

It stands, victorious. Gloriously so.

 

And I just cried and cried. Because I knew I knew nothing about Love

Until I had come to know this.

 

Only those that love can ever truly understand.

Only those that will not give up can truly grasp.

Only those that will give, sacrifice, and keep going

Will ever finally get it.

Love just is. It just is. It just is. It just is.

Nothing last forever...

 

…except Love.

 

--Warrior Spirit