Mars Garden By Mel Bjorgen My heart was Mars. Cold and distant, Red and dead. Unchartered territory— Vacuous and stubborn, Corroded, then crumbled. Dust to more dust. The till dug in. Breaking, turning, Sifting and shifting My soul. Hands toiled— Plucking and prodding, Dividing, then piling. Praying. Dust gave way to soil. Soil sprung life. Life awakened. The Gardener is good.
I have thought so much about what I wanted to say today. I don't really know if the above is a poem. I'm not educated on what poems are supposed to be, the intricacies of rhythm and rhyme, or any of that stuff. I was given a prompt, which tumbled around in my mind, and this came out—I’m calling it a poem.
Friends, I want to express my gratitude to God for the work that he's done in my life this past year and a half. This time last year, I was about to go into my second EMDR treatment. And now, I'm just so thankful. God has done such precious and holy work in my heart. I am so grateful. When I tell you that I was a shadow of the woman I am today just two years ago, it's the truth. I didn't even want to be alive. But now, I want to live life gently and love as many people as possible. It is a miracle.
God did the exact work on my heart that I reflected on in the above poem. His hands dug down deep in my heart, and as much as I resisted, as much as I didn't think that I needed things to be healed, as much as I didn't realize how bad things had gotten—he cared, he toiled, and he loved me back to life.
"How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me (Ps. 139: 19-18 NLT)."I don’t know where you are today in your heart, but I wish I could look at you and tell you how very loved you are. I wish I could sip coffee with you and affirm that you are not collateral damage and that God can and does work. He loves you, knows you, and wants you to thrive. It does not mean all the struggles disappear, but what a difference he makes!
“His workmaship is marvelous—how well I know it (Ps. 119:14).
Another beautiful reflection Mel. I remember nearly 30 years ago walking through a deep dark depression. My dad had died one month before my youngest son was born and all the changes sent me under. I can now look back at that time and see Gods hand even though I could not then. As I’ve grown older I have had smaller bouts of depression but I can always look back and know that there is a path forward. His always been faithful to me. I love that song and I tear up every time.
Keep sharing your words. They resonate with many of us
So thankful for all He is doing in your life. Thanks be to God!