Quintessential

A craving pure and so deep

Nothing to be desired as you

Your heartthrob rhythms like the lullaby

The beguilling warmth of your bare skin

Hands struggle to refrain from your curves

Your lips gives an effervescence of delight

Twin soft organs evoking the child in him

Beneath the housing lies a beautiful mind

Seeking nothing more than his pleasure

Such treasure of gold in earthen vessel

Your name echoes a sweet melody

Your body scent is as a valley of roses

Life sure is unimaginable without you

Jealousy rages like a fountain towards you

Much to be desired than precious silver

Creation was incomplete until your arrival

 You are the essence of love, delight & desire

You are simply quintessential. 

Ebony

Imagine a world without you? Unimaginable - that would be.

The surface of Eden is covered by you - birthing life and existence.

Without you, the other has no meaning - light begun after you

Some think you signify otherwise; not knowing perfection also come in grey

You don't hide yet they fail to seek & see the sun in the moon

Red, yellow, you, white - like golden sparkles they all are precious in His sight

The apple of His eyes - He that forms the rainbow also calls you beautiful

Without form and void came something distinctively good...

You too are ebony.

Substitute

So I've been battling with this ailment for some time now. I ignored it initially but it grew worse making me very uncomfortable.

I went to my employer who happens to be my personal physician for the normal prescription. Like every good physician, he ran a test but offered no prescription.

It couldn't be out of stock because I was 

certain He had the prescription I needed. 

I tried to patch through but my condition grew worse.

By my third time of visit, I wasn't going to leave the dispensary. My excruciating pains left me almost numb hence my resilience. I asked yet another time.

Reaching out to the section towards where He had what I felt I needed, He reached out and got something else - a substitute.

Puzzled for a few seconds while I awaited the dosage, He spoke softly to me that I had several other ailments that I did not mention, maybe not yet but didn't want me to come back for those other things hence the "Do-It-Yourself" substitute.

Stream of tears immediately streaked down my face. Barely did I know He had better plans for me as this ailment seemed to be the most pressing at that particular time.

"So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Grace...

Are You Wise?

The subject of wisdom is too simple yet tricky as many people go into self-delusion when asked the question. How can one tell? By how swift we get to answer in the affirmative.

“But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (NET)

If you read the earlier verses before proffering the solution (asking in faith) to those who lack wisdom (see James 1: 2-4), it starts by building a case of how a "wise believer" should respond when faced with many trials:

"...consider it great joy..."

Do you know a faithless "believer" can't please God?

You cannot say you are grumbling, complaining and whining over everything that goes wrong or inconveniences you and think you are responding with great joy. When we do, it shows our lack of faith in God who wants to equip us with the patience virtue while waiting on Him.

Trials are like darts targeted at our faith with an aim to shift our focus away from God. Although it differs from one believer to another, never think your case is peculiar as all cases have one aim.

For those of us who may have realized we are not as wise and ask God with reservations or doubts, James 1: 7-8 (NET) tells us

“For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways.”

We will be worse-off to compound our foolishness if we only get this close to "completeness" only to doubt as we won't only be stuck in our folly (complaining, grumbling or praying away that which will produce patience in us); we won't receive ANYTHING from God.

In summary, if we are wise it translates to the following:

Many Trials -> Patience -> Completeness/Perfection

Are you wise?