Visualising Eternity

One time, as a young child, I ventured outside my front door.
On my own.
I marvelled at how big the world was.

I knew my way to the shops at the end of my street.
It was a long walk.
I couldn't have gone much further.

As I grew, that street didn't seem as long anymore.
Familiarity shrinks the world.
But Curiosity grows it.

And I am a curious man, so before long I knew every street in my city.
I knew how long they were, how they connected.

And my city no longer seemed that big.

Then I left home, and I realised the world was much bigger than I imagined.
I shrunk that city too.

Then even more cities and even countries.

I have now walked many streets, yet barely covered more of the world than when I first began.
The world seems smaller.
And yet endless.

The issue with infinity and eternity, is that we are here and now.
In one place.
In one time.

And yet, somehow, I feel I appreciate the endless more.
For the efforts I started,
When I stepped outside my front door.

Jesus remains.

The World turns. And we turn too
Subject to whatever forces the world puts us through
Seasons rotate. We are passengers on this ride
Gripping on with gravity as we fly side-by-side

Time passes. And so we all must age.
Sometimes we forget, and it fills us with rage
About how mannerisms are different, not like they were before
As we come to terms with a World we don't recognise anymore

Friends change. The learn, adapt, and meet others
Some will fall way, others stay close as lovers.
You've changed too, so do not become numb
You must accept the new people you and your friends have become.

Jesus remains. In a changing world, Jesus remains.
Recognise this, and you'll be thankful of his name
You will always be changing. This fact is known.
But whoever you are,
       whoever you become
Jesus will be there to welcome you home.

You

hello You
                how are You?

more importantly, who are You?
and is it who You want to be?

i don't mean to pry, i'm asking seriously.

see we all have an image of ourselves in our head.
is it different from the mirror? who are You instead?




maybe You have grand plans for the future
maybe you don't
maybe You follow through.
maybe you wont


but i have a question - are you working towards that You?
and are You flexible? do you allow Your path to split in two?

or are You stuck? no movement from who You are and who You want to be.
that would seem a very sad thing to me.


you know You. better than anyone else on this earth.
and You've already changed so much since birth.

but You can get stuck in a rut, fixed in routines
this reminder is to remember Your dreams


so, in summary:
who are You? how does it link to who do You want to be?
and if you find out
                              could you tell Me?

To live, and to feel alive

Some things I do to live.
Other things, to feel alive.
Let me explain.

As one of many fragile ageing beings clinging on a coincidentally inhabited rock, hurtling through the great endlessness of space, I am scared of what challenges tomorrow will bring.
But, as a human. One with family and friends and ambition, I want to know what adventures tomorrow has in store for me.

Every time I take a breath of air, it is my lungs informing my brain "Go on, take one more. Keep the cycle going. You aren't stopping on my watch."
When I take a deep breath of air, my lungs assure my brain "This one, this one will be worth it. Enjoy."

Each time I blink, I must close my eyes to the world. Often I do this so that I can refresh my vision, and to make sure these eyes of mine don't give up on me yet.
If I close my eyes, slowly. Take a pause, and then open them again - I will have light stream straight through my retinas and right into my brain. I will see colour, and contrast, and beauty!

When I ingest food, my stomach instructs me "Eat up. You need energy in order to do all the tasks that I must necessarily achieve this day."
But what if I add salt, or spice? That's me negotiating with my body and saying "But life is more than just the necessity".

Every step I take both helps keep my body working, my lungs pumping, my muscles contracting and my bones growing tough. But it also lets me explore a vast world which still hold many secrets.

Every friend I make is another who will give me advice and comfort when life is being its particularly over-demanding self. Each friend is also someone with whom I can joke and smile and create memories with.

If I get a job, the money is used to keep a roof over my head, keep rain off my back, and keep water flowing to my lips.
Before I realise, the money is then used to keep a cushion under my feet, keep hair off my chin, and keep entertainment flowing to every sense I possess, helping me celebrate my time on this Earth.

Too often, the line between what we do to live, and what we do to feel alive, is blurred.

Unblur it.

Unblur it so you can better appreciate all the necessities you manage each day, for they are achievements in themselves.
Unblur it so you can better appreciate all the extra things you do, which give life something more.

Our bodies may not be so unique, but we are.

So, take a stand, and join me. Breathe once, so you may live. Then breath deep, so you can feel alive.

I can't know.

I can't know what you've gone through.
I just can't.


Maybe it's an identity thing.
You share with others, not me.

Maybe it's blindness.
Something I refuse to see.

If I see it one day, I'll apologise.
I hope it will be enough.

Because, I know that you've survived.
You're made of some tough stuff.



I can't know what you've gone through.
It would be slander to pretend.

That also means I can't feel it.
There will be no lies on my end.


But I can still see the suffering.
And so with your permission.

I'll simply be a shoulder.
And an ear, with which to listen.