I began writing Christian Poetry when I was 31 years old, after I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. It all started when I went up for prayer in church one Sunday. There were two older women who were waiting as I walked up for prayer. After praying for me one of the ladies suggested I go to a singles retreat that was taking place In the mountains near my home in a few weeks. I wrestled with the thought for most of the week. My heart was pretty sure it was Gods desire for me to go. The problem I was having was I had just got out of a bad relationship. The last thing I wanted was to meet someone new. I really needed some time to build my relationship with God when It hit me! I would go on the singles retreat to focus my whole heart in getting to know my Lord and Savior.
I had spoken to the pastor after my three-day weekend retreat was over, he clarified to me a lot about what I had experienced those three-days. He explained to me that a school of ministry was on break during the three-days of the retreat. He said a retreat was treated much different from a school of ministry. Just as Sunday church is treated different because of the level of maturity in Christ. Leaders and those studying leadership Is approached much different. God moves different. God is not in the business of scaring people. He is not in the business to show off his power. When a person is mature enough to handle it many things can take place in the power of God. A school of ministry is built up of inspiring leaders and God equips them. This is not to say God doesn’t move in church or retreats. I was at a pastors conference once and I can tell you by far it was different from regular church but let me not get off track, back to the retreat.
Our first night there, all 45 of us gathered in the sanctuary where we would hold our services during the weekend. They started worship when suddenly everyone noticed God’s presence very powerfully. This was my first experience of that. It was a matter of seconds and all 45 of us were crying heavy from the overwhelming love we were experiencing. The staff was caught off guard and found themselves trying to tend to and pray for each of us during this unexpected move of God. Afterwards we all unpacked in our cabins and went to bed in awe of what had happened. I was eager for what was to come. The pastoral team gathered in a meeting to discuss what had taken place. The conclusion to their meeting was that this was no retreat this was a school of ministry.
The rest of the weekend was just as powerful. God moved and I fell in love with my Lord and Savior. Everyone of the 45 people of the retreat-school of ministry became leaders of one sort or another in the church. The Sunday morning I returned home I began to unpack and unwind from the weekend. Funny thing though I had this nagging thought running through my head. Over and over like a song stuck in my head “sit down and write” “Sit down and write”, repeatedly like a song stuck in my head. I tried to get rid of it, ignore it but it wouldn’t go away. When I realized It might be God. I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and sat at my kitchen table. Instantly I could hear word for word what to write as I wrote it, not really knowing what I had written until I read it once I was done. Here is the Poem
BORN INTO CLOUD
born into a cloud smothered into darkness
bringing rainfall in abundance
the deep fog keeps you from knowing who you are
lightning strikes your person
a lashing out in pain
the world is blinding in the dark cloud that covers
life hails in destruction
leaving no hope or sanity
until light shines through from heaven revealing your true colors
the rainbow God created you to be
when there seemed to be no hope
the clouds are lifted by the winds of salvation
and you are born again by the love and mercy of the lord Jesus Christ
whom brings forth truth in everlasting life
Amen
I couldn’t believe what I had just wrote, But it gets better the next day in my daily bible reading this is what I read out of Ezekiel 34:
11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
17 “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
I was blown away how the scripture went hand in hand with the poem. Notice how the scripture says I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. This is talking about when we come to the saving knowledge of Christ out from the clouds into the light of truth. The blessings and promises that are in Christ. How God searches us out in our darkness. Once He has searched us out and we acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior, we considered His words, we are His flock that has been scattered by darkness. He searches us out. Then in verse 17 He discusses how He judges between us and says in verse 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
If you can picture flying in a plane and you look out the window at the ground, what you see is squares of land connecting to one another. These are squares of pastures. So in the scripture He is talking about the squares of pasture we have walked in our lives, in the days of clouds and darkness. Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? What He is saying here is the ground we have walked in our sin. Our past and where we have walked in our lives is muddy. Those who walk behind us only have muddy pasture to eat from. As we walk out our salvation the ground should become les and less muddied.
Full of roses inspirational’s, christian poetry, inspirational photography,framed art and yearly calendars. I am pleased to be writing my first christian blog. If this has been a blessing to you please share this website with others and follow my blog by subscribing with your email address. Thank you, and may the Lord bless you.
Be sure to visit my website fullofrosesinspirationals.com site currently under construction. or just click logo at blog. Thanks for visiting blessings!
sincerely, Ken Hernandez
Beautiful testimony.
Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful testimony and such a beautiful poem. God Bless! CPD
indeed beautiful and a much needed reminder that God will make all things good in his own time… thank you for sharing your thoughts!!
Thanks for stopping by our blog!
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I appreciate the time you took to stop by. May your day be filled with joy and peace.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Love this!
If Christianity is to gain influence in the culture it will have to go back to the arts; your poetry is a great start. Thanks for sharing and also for looking at my blog.
Reblogged this on Divine Inspirations.
So lovely and loving! I appreciate your testimony to your faith In God!
I love your faith, it is very re-assuring. Thank you for visiting my blog today, and taking the time to read through.
Thanks for sharing your story! I loved this line especially in your poem:
the clouds are lifted by the winds of salvation
and you are born again by the love and mercy of the lord Jesus Christ
I am truly happy that you have found Christ and your calling, and my prayers as well as my heart are with you.
A very powerful testimony. I feel I need to say this to you? Your testimony is Christ now and all others fade away as you seek His Will. Your poem was beautiful and God’s Spirit is working through you in this wonderful way. I was blessed after reading your testimony and your poem. Wonderful, thank you for sharing and keep on going for the LORD. Amen!
Thank you for liking my poem on my blog. Your poem touches my heart as well.
I rejoice in the knowledge that we are all guided by the love of God and the gifts that are bestowed on us though our surrender. Blessings to you.
Thanks for sharing your story and for stopping by The Fog Blog. Blessings on your creative ministry of art and poetry!
Thanks for stopping by The Altruist Cry 🙂 Appreciate the good vibes, may our differing clouds soak up the sunshine.
Keep at it. You may want to consider submitting some content to inspirational magazines.
Uplifting. Deep. Inspiring.
I find your blog to be very encouraging and stimulating in the Lord. Thank you for stopping by and following mine. I’ll be back.
Goosebumps reading this!
I am a writer myself, and I think you have a strong message… the Bible says what man speaks is of the heart. We live in this world and are given talents & gifts by God; it is so easy to forget or stumble or be tempted..as a writer you really have to be aware of your message, and mindful of the power of words.
The retreat sounded so powerful, best wishes on your continuing journey!
Thank you for taking time to stop by to read and like my blog Aging “Gray”cefully. Your first poem and testimony are well done. Again thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post the other day at Wren In The Willow… I enjoyed your poem…. may the Lord bless your life as you strive to serve Him in all you do,
wonderful work, i enjoyed a lot.
and thanks for liking my poem, menans a lot to this week old blogger.
peace.
Amen!
Wow.. I hope to be able to write like you one day!
Keep writing! And may you find your palette of Word and words growing ever richer in deeper hues. Blessings!
Thanks for dropping by my blog. Nice poem 🙂
God is so good!
Thanks for liking my blog post on being intrepid. I’m guessing you saw the Christian underpinnings to what I write. For quite a few years I wrote an inspirational newspaper column for a couple of papers, and after 7 1/2 years–I’m now over 70 with a couple of health concerns–decided it was wonderful to do, but a shade too much stress now. For years I felt the Holy Spirit at my shoulder when I wrote, and that last week when I “took a month off” I no longer sensed That Presence. Then I got the Holy boot in the rear (God is not subtle with me perhaps because I’m spiritually a little dense), saying, “Move on.” As I have. Blessings on you and your writing.
God has heard you and spiritually dense you are not, open your heart and seek Him with all your mind and strength. Read His word and your spirit will come alive. God bless you
QUOTE: “The rainbow God created you to be”. How true! Thanks for liking my post http://theyounghope.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/singapore-cancer-society-door-to-door-recruitment/
Such beautiful poetry, inspired by the holy I’m certain. Thanks so much for sharing your words. May Christ continue to bless you with his thoughts.
beautiful writing and thank you for stopping in to read and follow mine ) peace, beth
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
wow, your blog is incredible- beautiful, beautiful, beautiful testimony and writing 🙂
Wonderfully written thank you for sharing. Thank you also for stopping by my blog.
This was truly inspirational. And thank you much for reading my blog post.
This is wonderful. Keep writing 🙂
I got goose bumps as I read the part about God’s Spirit entering the room while you were worshiping it has been so long since I felt that feeling. You blog brought tears to my eyes and the concept that we are a rainbow is such a wonderful, beautiful thought!! My daughter puts rainbows in almost every drawing that she does maybe my 5 year old sees God as clearly as you portrayed it in your poem. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Jenness
http://jennessjohnston78.wordpress.com/
God bless you, I believe your goose bumps were angelic. Keep your heart open to Him. It is time to give Him the worship he deserves. Bless you! Bless you! In Jesus name Amen
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Very inspiring. http://www.surreyKitchen.wordpress.com. Thanks!
What a beautiful testimony. Thanks for stopping by my blog today. God bless. Connie
Yes, everything that comes from God is ever new, fresh and comforting. I wrote two poem volumes but, of course, in my native language – Romanian which, too bad, is Greek to you.
Thank you for reading my blog and God bless you.
A lovely way to meet our Lord. In that meeting He activated His gift He built in you. He has the best benefit program. That’s love in action. Blessings.
You have presented a beautiful post and blog. I loved your poem. Thanks for stopping by my blog and liking it.
Betsy
God has certainly blessed you to be a blessing–thanks for being faithful to His call and for sharing your gifts in words and pictures!
Excellent poem & post. The LORD is surely our shepherd. God bless.
My blog: http://smallstudentbiggod.wordpress.com/
Beautiful poem. Blessings.
Thank you, my first poem is in three parts if you get a chance come back to visit. God bless
Your statement, “How God searches us out in our darkness,” is a perfect reminder that, in our darkest moment, when we think we can’t make it through our trials and tribulations, God is walking with us. May God bless you all.
No question about it! No branch can bare fruit by itself. It must remain in the vine…….. Light your light continue to shine……. Love you!
Very good! I love people who always with God throughout their lives. I love your blog.. inspiring!
Great message, and definitely a well thought out poem. It sounds good despite it being your very first one. 😀 Keep writing and good luck.
Oh man! I missed that paragraph! That is totally my fault! I was actually more making a comment on the structure than the words, but that honestly doesn’t matter at the moment. That really is a powerful message, and a beautiful poem.
Blessings to you as well. Praise be to God. 🙂