Twas Best for Me

~ Sandi Staton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lord
Remember when my husband and I first moved here
How I cried for weeks on end
For reasons only you could understand
Remember how trapped and isolated I felt
How uncertain and afraid
How utterly disappointed
Now
Decades later
Sitting here on my back porch
Embracing the cool morning breeze
Watching the birds
Joy skipping through my veins
I can’t imagine living anyplace else
Thank you for making me tough it out
For locking all the windows and doors
Making it impossible for me to run
Thank you
That in spite of my kicking and screaming against you
You continued loving me
Fixing me
Teaching me
Exposing the ghosts from the past
Unveiling the woman you created me to be before I lost my way
I know I’ve been a brat, Lord
Stomping my feet
Demanding my way
Pounding my fists when I didn’t get it
But thank you for not caving in
Thank you for not striking me dead!
Thank you for your tough love
Your sense of humor
Your strong arms
Your tender heart
And thank you
That in spite of everything I thought I wanted and demanded to have
You gave what was best for me

“My precious child, It’s not for you to understand what I am doing in your life.
I just want you to trust me.” 

Published by Sandi Staton

So, I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to describe myself to you, and these are the words jumping up and down in my heart: I'm just a simple human being living in a complicated, messed-up world. I speak my mind. I love hard. My feelings run deep. When push comes to shove, I stand my ground. Sometimes I push back. Sometimes I walk away. I've surfed the crashing waves of life that threatened to destroy me only to make me stronger. I bear the scars of emotional rape, sadness, and depression. I've walked the golden streets of churches and religion only to be disappointed time and time again. And as a result, it's taken me seventy-five years to get where I'm sitting today; a sinner saved by grace through the blood of Jesus Christ. I fell at the cross. I repented of my sins, and Jesus saved and washed me clean. I still fall flat on my face. I still get dirty as a pig in a mudhole. And Jesus still picks me up, dries my tears, forgives me again and again, and continues walking close beside me. No one has ever loved me like that. And no one ever will.