To begin again

"Evolution"
by: John Banister Tabb

Out of the dusk a shadow,
    Then a spark;
Out of the cloud a silence,
    then a lark;
Out of the heart a rapture,
    then a pain;
Out of the dead, cold ashes,
    Life again.

I have been in the shadows of life where darkness was my home. I chose to hide there away from everything and everyone because I thought I didn't fit. I had wrongs in my life that I believed I couldn't make right. It's all a part of that darkness. When one is in darkness you breathe despair and speak defeat. It is the language of that deadly space. You accept that you belong there because it is an easy place to be. It doesn't take work or commitment.

You need to work up a sweat to be happy and self confident.

"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed." Storm Jameson

"Such happiness as life is capable of comes from the full participation of all our powers in the endeavor to wrest from each changing situation of experience its own full and unique meaning." John Dewey

"From out of the dusk a shadow, then a spark;" How many times in my darkness did I see a spark of hope, the light of potential rescue and yet turned my head away? Look for the spark in your darkness and reach for it.

"Out of the cloud a silence, then a lark;" The still, small voice that you have tried to silence is calling you out. I spent most of my dark time waiting for the roaring thunderous voice of God and not hearing it I declared He didn't love me. His voice is a whisper.

"Out of the heart a rapture, then a pain;" The moment that I discovered my "self", my spirit cried for hours knowing that in order for me to live again a part of me must die. The death of the old me was painful because it was all that I knew. I was afraid of the day light of a new me. Would my "friends" accept me? Would my world change so much so that I would not recognize who I was?

"Out of the dead, cold ashes, Life again." Yes! A brand new version of me was recreated from the pieces of goodness that was truly a part of me all along. Those ashes served as feed for the rebirth of the man I was created to be. The real me. The trueness of who I was from conception and even before that in the heart of God.

Like the pine forest destroyed by flames. The miracle of rebirth, new growth comes from the heat that opens the pine cones and disperses the seeds inside as they fall to the ground. A new thick beautiful forest begins again. It takes years to return to it's greatness but it's growing offers hope to those who stand by and watch in awe!

Come out from the darkness of the life you have chosen. The light of day shines to expose the beauty of the world not your imperfections. The sound of the lark is fresh and sweet when the listener can truly appreciate the value of it's simple song.

Here, please take my hand now. I'm reaching out to help you in your transition. Your true friends have been waiting for you to live again.

They believed in you all along. So do I!

"I wish you enough!"
J
~ Bob Perks ~

Good news - Bob Perks' first book, "I Wish You Enough," Embracing Life's Most Valuable Moments... is now available for ordering. Here's the "Link" to get your copy of Bob's book: I Wish You Enough from Amazon.com.

[ by: Bob Perks Copyright © 2009 (2believe@comcast.net) -- {used with permission} ]