The Greatest of All Gifts

Today I share something I wrote back in 1991 and 1997. In 1984, I had known a friend who was a Pentecostal. She tried to pray over me to give me the gift of tongues. I became scared and ran away. This was when I was a freshman in college.

I realized soon after that God had a different calling on my life, but in 1997 he made it clear to me what that calling was. The next two poems are about God's love being the greatest of all gifts. 

The Greatest Gift

She spoke in tongues, was filled with the Spirit—so it seemed,  

Leaving me confused beyond what I’d ever dreamed.  

I wondered, Is tongues for me? Could my views be wrong?  

Then deep within, I heard, “My child, be strong.”

“Many come to you with stories of miracles and such,  

And many great things happen to those lives that I touch.  

But you need listen only to Me—  

By heeding My voice, not man’s, will you truly be free."

So I walked away from her one heartfelt night,  

Unsure of my faith, alone in my fright.

But God gave me peace, and so I journeyed on—  

He showed me that I've known Him all along. 

The greatest lesson I could ever learn:  

Is to love others and God's presence yearn.

Still, there was more for me to understand.  

God gave me joy—and pain, both carefully planned.  

Yet always, His presence remained in my life,  

Guiding me through both joy and strife.

God had shown me peace in Him alone.  

No sign was needed; my faith was known.

Time passed, as I knew it would,  

And I walked on in faith, knowing where I stood.  

When someone insisted I must have these gifts,  

I simply smiled because God’s truth gave me a lift.

Yes, I’m still journeying, still walking with God.  

Still learning obedience on this path I trod.  

I’ve never known wonders noble or grand—  

No tongues, no healing by my hand.

Even as I sat with the sick in a hospital bed,  

Healing never came, but the time was spirit-led. 

I knew in my heart, this gift I’d attained  

Was the one most precious, though hard to explain.

It’s not a gift I can show to man—  

It’s etched in love by God’s own hand.  

Though I speak not in tongues or heal,

God's gift of love is the most excellent still.

© 1997 Sandra C. Johnson

1 CORINTHIANS 13

If I profess to have tongues, what does it profit me

Without love, I am a resounding symbol with no melody. 

I can claim to know all knowledge and prophecy; 

And have a faith that can hurl mountains into the sea. 

But without love, it's useless and means nothing in the world. 

I can give endlessly, and into the flames my body can be hurled. 

You see, I can surrender my whole life for man; 

But without love, I gain nothing, no matter how much I understand. 

But what is love? How are we called to live? 

It needs to be our foundation when we serve and give. 

Love is patient, with those who cannot see; 

Trusting God to allow the seeds to grow, planted in humility. 

Love is kind, in kindness to our neighbor; 

We reach out and show them God's loving favor. 

Love does not envy what others seems to do; 

Even though maybe those good things are not in me and you. 

And love does not boast of all we seem to know; 

Nor loudly announce the ways we grow. 

Love is not proud-- too proud to acknowledge sin. 

True love, walks humbly before God and men. 

Love is not rude, nor quick to wound with speech.

It thinks of others, and in love will gently teach. 

Love is not self seeking, chasing it's own cause; 

It puts others first while honoring God's laws. 

Love is not easily offended by another. 

Keeping no record of wrongs, it  forgives a brother. 

Yet if someone is in sin, love must stop and say; 

Your not in the right, your going the wrong way. 

And when they change, oh how love does rejoice; 

In the truth, it has no other choice. 

Love always protects, and it always trusts.

God's love is fair, unconditional and just.

It always hopes, and always perseveres; 

Loving those estranged from us in prayerful tears. 

This perfect love breaks through and conquers all; 

It lifts the weary and never lets them fall. 

This love must be the foundation of our Christian walk; 

And the sweet aroma of the way we talk. 

Still, it won't always sound gentle or nice; 

For true love must sometimes give hard advice. 

Yet it still remains unchanged, if it's the love of Christ. 

Out of love, He died for us, and was sacrificed. 

God's love is never ending, and never fails; 

It's His love that will in all things, prevail.

© 1991 Sandra C. Johnson 

1 Corinthians 13:1-8, 10-13 NASB1995

[1] If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. [2] If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. [3] And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. [4] Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, [5] does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, [6] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; [7] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [8] Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 

[10] but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. [11] When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. [12] For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. [13] But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

We Are Not the Same

 We Are Not the Same

Cities on fire, buildings demolished,  

Crimes unchecked, their acts so polished.  

It all began with George Floyd’s death—  

They made him a hero with every breath.

Church vigils spread across the land,  

Prayers lifted by a humble hand.  

But when Charlie Kirk passed away,  

No riots broke out, no cars ablaze.

We are not the same as those on the other side.  

We’re not consumed by anger, arrogance, or pride.  

We pray for our enemies, walk in humility,  

And honor the fallen without hostility.

We are not the same—we don’t demand  

The right to wreak havoc across the land.  

We don’t mock those who vote another way,  

Or ridicule the faithful when they pray.

The contrast is striking, though years have gone by.  

They claimed we staged an insurrection, a lie.  

But someday, I’m sure the truth will be clear:  

January 6 was not what they feared.

We are not the same—the line has been drawn.  

By their fruits, you’ll know them, from dusk until dawn.  

Jesus said it, and it still rings true:  

One tree bears fruit, the other—few.

We are not the same—we preach Jesus Christ,  

But never by force, nor under cover of night.  

We love through rejection, hold fast to what’s true,  

And follow the call God gives us to do.

You have a choice—two paths to tread:  

One leads to life, the other to dread.  

One is forgiving, full of love and light,  

The other is bitter, cloaked in spite.

As for me, I will follow Jesus the King.  

I will listen to His voice and joyfully sing.  

I won’t let hate rule—I’ll give it to Him,  

For that is His will for all men.

© 2025 Sandra C. Johnson 

This poem was adapted into a song and can be viewed on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/2qS6KGahrF4?si=NMEAH6lYz5bZiT1X

I Won’t Apologize

I Won’t Apologize

I won’t apologize for my faith or for saying what I feel.  

I won’t apologize for believing in a God I know is real.  

I won’t apologize for my morals, my values, or where I stand—  

And I won’t apologize for grieving the death of a godly man.

I’m sickened and disgusted by the world I see today:  

The hate, the accusations, the venom they send our way.  

I won’t apologize for standing against corruption and lies.  

I stand firm in my convictions—I’ve learned to spot their disguise.

You’d think they could have paused, just briefly,  

As someone mourned the loss of a father.  

You’d think they’d show compassion  

To a grieving, widowed mother.  

But when we weep, they ask about others who’ve died—  

As if we didn’t care. That’s just another lie.

No apologies—I’m done. If offense is taken, so be it.  

I know my heart. I strive for fairness, and I mean it.  

No one should be assassinated—no matter who they are.  

Democrat or Republican, we’ve let it go too far.

When the children in Texas died, the left rushed to assign blame.  

While parents grieved in silence, drowning in their pain.  

Again came the attacks, the politics, the shame—  

Instead of simply praying for the families by name.

So I look at this world and hear the rhetoric from both sides.  

I throw my hands to heaven—only in God do I confide.  

We’ve failed the test of love, of mercy, and forgiveness.  

This tragedy exposed our hearts—and our divisiveness.

I won’t apologize for being gaslit by the world.  

For questioning my faith as their accusations unfurled.  

For honoring a godly martyr with reverence and grace—  

No, I won’t apologize for giving him his rightful place.

We fail the test of compassion when we pick and choose  

Whom to honor, whom to shame, based on their views.  

But God’s love is unconditional—He died for every man.  

Not based on politics, religion, or where we stand.

So let us never apologize for what we believe.  

Let us treat one another with dignity and reprieve.  

Let us stand firm, even when the world demands we cave—  

For we each have a choice in how our souls behave.

© 2025 Sandra C. Johnson

An Ode to Charlie Kirk

An Ode to Charlie Kirk

He was not a politician, but struck down in his prime,  

A man who sought to shape young hearts and minds.  

Simply because of what this young man believed,  

He was shot down by what another perceived.  

We say our nation’s divided—and sadly, it’s true.  

People hurt others for a different point of view.  

But today as this man of God was shot down. 

There was not a dry eye that could be found. 

“It all has to stop” many out there will say. 

“It's time to legislate and take the guns away.”

The left will accuse the right as they always do. 

Though much of what they claim will not be true.

A man died today because of what he believed

And some will scoff, while others will deeply grieve.

He was a husband, a father, a friend—  

His life had meaning; it should not have met this end.  

He wasn’t a politician, but an activist bold,  

With wisdom beyond years and a heart of gold.  

We may never grasp why his life ceased today,  

But we find comfort knowing with him, God had His way.  

This world is upside down—he tried to make it right,  

Restoring common sense to youth lost in the night.  

And many like him will rise follow in his steps,  

For he left a legacy that few will forget.  

His name was Charlie Kirk. May he never be forgot.  

Today marked infamy—a great man was shot.  

May he rest in peace, and may his family find grace  

To gather the pieces and stand in his place.

© 2025 Sandra C. Johnson

Unless I See the Scars

Unless I See the Scars

I need to see the holes where the nails were. 

Before I believe–I need evidence to be sure. 

To feel, to touch, to know it’s true,  

I fear being deceived, as many do.  

 

“Blessed are you,” said Jesus long ago,  

“To those who believe, though don't always know.

Faith is the evidence of things unseen,  

Trusting the promise and all it will mean.  

Do you need to see the scars before committing?  

Do you need trust in the proof you’re admitting?  

Today’s culture cries, “Follow the facts!”  

“Follow the science!”—but faith often acts  

In contrast to what the world demands:  

Degrees and data, not nail-pierced hands.  

Yet God understands the heart that needs to know—  

Jesus showed His wounds so Thomas wouldn’t let go.  

He does that to those of us who need to know too. 

Because He loves us and will leads us to what is true. 

But blessed are you who have never seen

And still believe in Christ the King.

“I need to see the scars,” many say today,  

As they search for God, and hope, and pray.  

Afraid to believe, taught to doubt,  

They need more before they can work it out.

If you need to see his scars, dear friend, it’s okay.

If that is what it takes, for you I will pray. 

Just as Jesus met Thomas with grace back then,  

I pray He’ll show you what you need—Amen.

© 2025 Sandra C. Johnson

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!" 

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

John 20:24-29

 

 

 

They Know Not What They Do

They Know Not What They Do

A long time ago, in a place far away,

As Jesus hung on the cross He did say:

“Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”

And still today, walk a path that's not true.

I stand and gaze at the world's vast population,

Listening to the news and man's declarations.

I realize nothing is new under the sun–

We repeat, age by age, what's already been done.

The right accuses the left, the left accuses the right,

Each side convinced they dwell in the light.

They invoke God’s name to defend their morality,  

Yet truth isn’t found in political polarity.

I look at the world and wonder: do they know, God, what they do?  

Do they grasp how far they’ve drifted from You?  

So I pray, as Jesus did long ago on the cross:  

“Forgive them, Lord—they are truly lost.”

I don’t say this to excuse mankind,  

For not all are blind—some choose to be unkind.  

Yet who am I to judge what others believe or say?  

All I can do is kneel and pray.

“Open their eyes, Lord, so they may see  

That only in You can they truly be free.  

Forgive them, for they know not what they do—  

Illuminate their vision so they may follow You.”

We live in a world where hatred reigns,  

Where passion and pride leave spiritual stains.  

But I believe change is near—not by my hand,  

But by Your Spirit moving across this land.

They know not what they do, indoctrinated by lies,  

Which is why so many on the right are despised.  

We know not what we do when we fail to seek truth,  

When we follow like sheep, uncaring and uncouth.

Yes, they know not what they do—so I’ll continue to pray,  

Entrusting their souls to God each day.  

I’ll reserve judgment, for only He can decide  

Who walks in blindness, and who in pride

© 2025 Sandra C. Johnson

Unexpected

God moves in ways we don’t expect—  

What He ordains, the world rejects.  

We sketch our plans, but He smiles instead,  

And shifts the path where we thought we’d tread.  

He moves in ways both bold and unseen,  

His hand at work in all routine.  

His thoughts are higher, His wisdom deep,  

He reigns above—our souls He keeps.  

God’s ways are unexpected—by design,  

Set in motion before our time.  

We lean on strength that cannot last,  

Yet find His sovereignty steadfast.  

So when life shakes and feels unsure,  

And you wonder if He’s still near—  

Fret not, His ways are not like ours,  

They stretch beyond the stars.  

His ways are not our ways—hold fast.  

He moves through seasons as they pass.  

He knows the end from what we see,  

Which is why He moves so unexpectedly.

© 2025 Sandra C. Johnson

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

9 

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9

Its Time for an Upgrade

 “God’s promise is the “good news” that the Messiah was anointed to proclaim. Unfortunately, most Christians today seem to base their salvation upon their own will as they “decide” to follow Jesus and to be obedient to Him. They do not seem to believe that it is based, not on the will of man but of God (John 1:13). The result is that their salvation is based upon Old Covenant faith. They need an upgrade.”

Isaiah prophet of Salvation Book 9, chapter 1- Stephen Jones

https://godskingdom.org/studies/books/isaiah-prophet-of-salvation-the-complete-set/book-9/isaiah-61-chapter-1-releasing-all-captives/

It's Time For An Upgrade

It's time for an upgrade from the old covenant to the new.

It’s time for an upgrade to that which is true. 

We as people of God have long lived a lie. 

That our salvation is secured if only we try. 

It’s time for an upgrade from what we believe. 

Oh my dear church how you’ve been deceived. 

It’s time to upgrade from the carnal ways of man. 

And to learn from the father where you truly stand. 

It’s time for an upgrade in our way of life. 

From the chains of doom and destruction and all of the lies. 

It’s time to understand the true good news of the kingdom. 

That hell fire and brimstone is for a season.

It’s time for an upgrade. It’s time for the body of Christ to understand. 

God loves you and will work with you right where you stand.

He will write His law on your heart and teach you His ways

He alone will change us through His amazing grace. 

It’s time for an upgrade my friend. 

Time to let God change you from within. 

It's not done through hours of prayer 

Or reading your Bible and professing to care. 

Nor is it accomplished by going to church every Sunday. 

And beating your flesh into submission the following Monday. 

No, this upgrade will make you whole but not by your effort. 

Only God in His work in you will make you live better 

When we once and for all put aside all that we  know. 

And fall on our knees at his holy throne. 

When we reach people out of God's love for their soul 

Not out of fear of the big eternal hole

Yes, purchase your upgrade it’s not far off.

But wait the purchase was made that day on the cross. 

Just let go and let Him shed you of the old person you are today. 

And upgrade your life and thinking to his true way 

© 2024 Sandra C. Johnson