I like to dabble at poetry. Ever since I learned what a sonnet was as a young kid (junior high maybe?) I've tried my hand at writing my own here and there. Not so much the deep, serious, beautifully constructed kind of poems, but more the fun (usually rhyming) type.
For Christmas one year, I wrote Gigi a bunch of fun poems and printed them out in a real book complete with full-color photos. It was one of my favorite handmade gifts.
But I don't think poetry is my calling. I don't call myself a poet, even though I may enjoy dabbling at it. When I named this series The Life Poetic, I wasn't really referring to poetry itself, but rather the idea of poetry and of a poetic life.
I'm reading Emily Freeman's A Million Little Ways, and she has hit the nail on the head for me. I know why God gave me that title/phrase now. It's not that I'm a poet, it's that He's a poet.
I'm a poem, my life is a beautifully constructed piece, crafted with rhythm and grace, seemingly ordinary but in fact, distinct and unique.
Our English word poem comes from the same greek word [poiema]. Workmanship, masterpiece, poem-- all these words in Scripture are used to describe God's work-- you and me.
God calls you his workmanship, his poiema. What happens when God writes poetry?
We do. We happen.
We are walking poetry, the kind that moves, the kind who has hands and feet, the kind with mind and will and emotion. We are what happens when God expresses himself.
I feel like my job is simply to observe, and to recognize His artistic hand at work in my life. Of course, part of His design is that I myself am a creator as well-- He gave me a creative mind so that I can reflect who He is every time I make something, whether that's by way of sewing, cooking, writing-- anything!
It's easy for me to feel like I'm bringing Him glory when I'm worshiping Him, arms out stretched, heart and voice singing out with abandon. But that's just the tip of the iceberg really. Living out a poetic life, where all that beauty stuff is noticed and appreciated, that too brings Him glory.
When a poet writes a poem, he isn't writing a technical manual or a how-to booklet. A poet writes to express an inner desire.
We see that same idea here in Ephesians 2:10, where it essentially says, You are a poem written inside the person of Jesus Christ. You exist to carry out his inner desire. This is your good work.
So this is our job, to carry out the inner desire of Christ. And the inner desire of Christ is to bring glory to the Father.
This goes for you, too. You are a poem, beautifully, wonderfully crafted out of the inner desire of our Savior.
This is Day 13/14 of 31 Days of the Life Poetic. View the other posts in this series here.
The discipline of writing at least something daily is hard one for me, for my stage of life. I'm not legalist about it as you can see, but I'm going to keep on going, there's so much poetry out there in my life and in the world to take in and note down. I lost steam for a couple of days, but I'm hoping to carry on through the second half of the month.
Quotes from A Million Little Ways by Emily Freeman. I'm loving this book so far! Affiliate links included; thanks for your support. :)