Twilight in the Desert
There’s a twilight in the desert
between bitter cold and blistering heat
where ‘tis bright enough to travel
yet not so bright as to defeat
those who journey through this place
of scrub and rock and sand
to a place of promise -
to a… Promised Land.
The sun creates the warmth
whereby all life is made.
It also heats the sand
on which mirages are laid
that lead the weary traveler,
who’s a stranger in this place,
in search of Living Water
to sustain his living race.
Yet, is that really water
he sees dancing on the sand,
or is it a mirage
that leads him through this land?
Matter, does it, now
that we are in this hot, dry place,
or matter only that
we finish this, our race?
What if God, the Creator -
the Author of this rhyme -
had not thought
to send for us
this pillar of fire in this time?
Would we not have just laid down
and wallowed in defeat
rather than searching ever on
for water in mirages of heat?
There’s a twilight in the desert now
between blinding light and darkest night
whereby we can really see -
whereby we might have sight.
Let us no longer fear the night,
nor shiver in its cold.
Let us no longer hate the day
because its sun’s too bold.
Let us see between the two -
between the two extremes -
where we cease to compromise
and, instead, begin to see -
to see more clearly than before
in the forgiveness of this twilight
that forms before the heat of day
and after the dark of night.
Whereby there is light enough
to see to work and play,
yet not enough to, by mirages,
be led far astray.
God has for us a master plan -
a purpose for us all -
but we shall never see it
until… we all fall.
We all must fall -
fall down upon our knees
in this twilight of reality
in between the two extremes
whereby we are blinded
by the light of day
and the scorching sun soars high
and mirages lead us astray,
or by the blackness of the night
where we but stumble and fall,
only to get back up on our feet
only to stumble and fall.
There is a reality out there
of what really
is,
but no man holds on to it,
for it’s not his to hold.
It is God’s
and it’s God’s alone,
and if we will but trust in Him,
He will lead us home.
He’ll guide us in this twilight
through this foreign place
to our Promised Land
by His amazing grace.
March 1, 2007