The past 12 to 14 months have been very difficult for my family, with multiple health problems, the passing of my mother and sundry continuing sagas. I think it has been the most difficult time of my life and one which I would loath revisit. But is that not what life is - mountains and valleys and long wide plains?
Truthfully, I think it unlikely that I would have survived the onset and duration of one trouble after another without my faith. Being able to pray and surrender seemingly intractable problems to God has been a blessing beyond description. Sure, I would probably still be here and breathing in all likelihood if I was not a Christian, but in far worse shape, I suspect.
Those who argue that faith is a crutch, which I have just conveniently described for them, are missing the point. My Christian faith does not provide a means to avoid suffering and trials. The chances are that they will increase as one's faith increases. People don't become converts in order to avoid pain. But trials can build greater faith if we focus on the promises of God, found throughout scripture, especially that He will abide with us and that His plans will come to fruition, no matter how much we cannot see past our noses.
I guess my poems should reflect a greater joy than they do. I have always been a little melancholic and this comes out in my writing. If I could write like Manley Hopkins, in a more modern way, I would.
'I caught this morning morning's minion/ kingdom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn drawn Falcon'