Susan Noyes Anderson » Spiritual Poetry

Sing Sweet the Song

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:52:25 +0000

photo by ParkeHarrison

Humble yourself as a little child

and crawl into the nest.

With barren head and unshod feet

draw peace into your breast.

Come reverently, and shed your burden

like a pair of shoes.

Leave sin and sorrow to the One

who nurtures and renews.

Bow deeply, then arise on wings

of grace and glory born.

Remember Him. Sing sweet the song

of Resurrection Morn.

What Lack I Yet?

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:36:47 +0000

A grateful son knelt down to pray,

determined at the end of day

to bow himself beneath the rod

and consecrate his soul to God.

He offered up a willing heart

and asked for strength to do his part,

reviewing all that he had done

to honor Christ, the holy One.

At work, integrity he’d shown;

despite having to stand alone,

when faced with lies, he’d chosen truth,

obeyed the teachings of his youth.

Though others spoke in vulgar ways,

from his lips came no errant phrase.

He banished all unwholesome thought

and lived the lessons virtue taught.

Whenever evil raised its head,

he leaned on what the scriptures said,

embraced the gospel all the more,

and fervent testimony bore.

He honored parents, paid his debts,

shunned the vice of placing bets,

practiced thrift and moderation,

valued work and education.

His goal was clear: to do his best

and never shrink before the test.

Such stalwart strength few men have seen.

His heart was pure; his spirit clean.

And so that night, on bended knee,

he offered up an earnest plea.

“What lack I yet?” he humbly cried.

“In Thee, I would be justified.”

The answer filled him, warm and deep.

A great commandment shalt thou keep:

To love My children as I do

and bless them, just as I bless you.

For you are brothers, one and all.

The strong shall rise; the weak shall fall.

The weak shall rise; the strong shall fail.

Divided, man cannot prevail.

Then lift each other through the night

and reach as one for heaven’s light.

The core of all you hold as true

is love, My love, revealed in you.

The young man trembled, said amen,

and never was the same again.

On Judgment Day

admin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:44:29 +0000

The day I stand before the bar,

I hope to find in me

the person my beloved Savior

knows that I can be.

I hope I will have earned the pow’r,

enabled by His grace,

to look into His eyes and feel

the warmth of His embrace.

I pray I will have gathered light

sufficient to withstand

the brilliance of His countenance,

the glory of His hand.

The wonder of His presence and

the right to have Him near

are everything that’s sacred,

every gift my heart holds dear.

One day, I long to hear Him say,

“Well done. You passed the test.

Come, good and faithful servant,

enter now into My rest.”

Divine Nature

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:05:48 +0000

Proof of divinity is all around.

God's handiwork transcends His mystery.

We hear His voice in every sacred sound:

the trill of birds, the pounding of the sea.

His whisper reaches us in sunrise stillness,

when all the earth awakens from her sleep.

Betimes He warns us with an eagle's shrillness,

or speaks to us in rumblings, soft and deep.

We see His radiance in sunset glory;

His Light enlivens moon and stars and sun.

Each shining lake that shimmers tells His story.

Each mountaintop proclaims Him as the One.

We feel His tender touch in gentle breezes

that muss our hair or cool a rosy cheek.

His every gift to us is balm that eases,

to know Him is the sustenance we seek.

And yet the proud heart is not counted wise.

Only the humble and the reverent see.

Look for Him in a newborn baby's eyes,

then find Him, in your own divinity.

Grateful, We Gather: A Prayer of Thanksgiving

admin — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:36:37 +0000

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing,

for richly He's blessed us, in years now gone by.

The warmth of our hearth and the love of our family

are more than good fortune; they're gifts from on high.

Beside us to guide us, His hand reaches o'er us…

protecting, directing…our good He secures.

No matter the storm or the tempest that threatens.

in Him are we anchored, and safety endures.

With love do we praise Him and ever extol Him,

our Rock and our Anchor in days that are past.

We trust Him today, and we'll trust Him forever,

until at His feet, we are gathered at last.

first picture is by Norman Rockwell

last two pictures are by Greg Olsen

Come as a Child

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:49:21 +0000

O, that the meekness of a child might somehow be my own!

My heart would never turn from Thee to find my way alone.

If I could hear as children hear, believe as children do…

then I would always feel Thee near, reminding me what's true.

But I am often filled with pride, and though I may not boast,

sometimes I fail to look up, even when I need Thee most.

Perhaps I think that I am strong and capable and wise.

I hope that I am all of these, but not in my own eyes.

The world would have me credit every good I do to me,

yet every virtue I can claim is but a gift from Thee,

and every skill that I employ is given by Thy hand.

Why must a truth so simple be so hard to understand?

O, that the meekness of a child might somehow fill my soul,

then would I let Thy goodness enter in and make me whole.

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child,

the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:4).

(Artwork by Greg Olsen)

A Child’s View of 9/11

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:46:52 +0000

9/11: A Child’s View

Mother, may I ask why God allows such awful things?

Surely His hand could stay the devastation terror brings.

He made the mighty waters and the vast, eternal skies;

no living creature falls to earth unseen before His eyes.

His hand has power to heal and bless and save, then why the pain?

How could a Lord who loves His children let this evil reign?

If God can save us all, why did 3,000 die in vain?

***

All men are free to choose, and choose they must for good or ill,

yet consequence leaves ripples that extend beyond our will.

God’s power to save is limitless, in heaven and on earth;

through Him, each living thing fulfills the measure of its birth.

The victory Christ won for us transcends this world of tears

and raises us beyond the reach of present foes and fears.

Trust Him, my child; all things will be restored when Christ appears.

Musings on Faith

admin — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:35:46 +0000

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

∞§∞

Faith is a simple, splendid thing:

the substance of things that are not seen,

the evidence that hope is real,

the choice to trust in what we feel.

When truth is hidden from our sight,

when day becomes as black as night,

when all seems lost, look up and find

that God inspires the human mind.

For we are His who said Be still,

who calmed the tempest by His will.

His love extends to you and me,

and all is just as it should be.

{God lights the eye that cannot see.}

∞§∞

That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God,

receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

Doctrine & Covenants 50:24

A Family is Born

admin — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 23:17:13 +0000

Man and woman.

Heaven’s grace

reaching, touching

altar’s lace.

Gift of God,

the sealing power.

Life eternal

from that hour

is theirs. A prize

to lose or keep

by covenant

that runs heart-deep.

A family born.

A promise sure.

If man and woman

but endure.

His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

Psalms 89:29

On Trees…and Me

admin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:43:17 +0000

My very best friend is a tree.

He lifts me up and sets me free.

In his strong arms, the sun draws nigh;

his leafy patterns paint the sky.

My dark blue skies turn brighter then,

And my poor heart grows green again.

The wonder of it heals my soul;

and I rise up and find me whole.