The Pieces

 The Pieces 

I was broken in pieces by this world and didn't know what to do.

Trial upon trial came upon me until I was torn in two.

Piece from piece of my heart was torn away. 

Until I was alone on the floor and could only pray.

Have you been torn in pieces as well?

Well join me because I have good news to tell.

I will share how God put me back together again.

He loved and redeemed me from my life of sin.  

He didn't force me to go to Church or condemn.

He simply came into my heart and changed me within.

He took each piece and made it new every time.

Over the years I was changed by the creator of mankind.

I hung on so tightly to these pieces that I lost.

And He reminded me of the price He paid at the cross.

He lovingly took those pieces away.

And gave me a new life and new piece each day.

He created a new person with each new piece I received.

Until I soon looked upon Jesus and strongly believed.

The pieces that were broken I no longer desired.

A new person with a new heart has since transpired.

I was once broken in pieces with no hope at all.

But God put me back together and made me stand tall.

But I will only stay together by remaining in Him.

Without Him I may break in pieces again. 

Sometimes a piece of me falls off and brings pain.

Because the potter is still working and removing the stains.

But as He continues His work in my heart.

The joy within me is much more than the pain in the dark.

So my friend, are in you in pieces? Do you feel broken apart?

Call on Him, He will put back together each part.

However, He replaces the old with the new.

And gives a you a new life and new point of view.

© 2024 Sandra C. Johnson

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

The Pickle

 The Pickle

I am a pickle that has been transformed.

The process began when I was reborn.

I was lost unable to change my heart.

But God put me in His supernatural brine and gave me a new start.

I am thankful for God's pickling process.

I am His chosen, nothing more, nothing less.

I am content being a pickle because I'm more pliable.

God bending my life to conform to His will is undeniable.

There are cucumbers and pickles in the world here.

The pickles have faith, and the cucumbers have fear.

Cucumbers don't bend as easily, and seem stronger.

But the pickles have been refined and last much longer.

Being a pickle is not always fun or easy

It's not a life of prosperity or anything breezy.

The blessings of being a pickle are of a deeper kind.

It's a life of God's transformation in His brine.

I am a pickle and would have it no other way.

Which one are you have you decided today?

Will you be God's pickle until the age to come?

When we are raised to new life with Jesus the Son.

© 2024 Sandra C. Johnson

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

Doors

 Doors

Sometimes doors close unexpectedly and we don't know why.

It brings us pain and sorrow and all we can do is cry.

It's in our pain when we can't see the road the lies ahead,

So we wake up each morning having a sense of dread.

And until the sun rises anew deep within our hearts,

We cannot see that this was God's way of giving us a new start.

We sometimes miss His voice and cannot hear,

Because we're clinging on so tightly to something we hold dear.

But God has a plan and He knows what is best.

Sometimes He just needs us to move out of his way and simply rest.

That's the only way He can do what he needs to do.

You see in His sovereignty He is taking care of me and you.

Sometimes doors close unexpectedly and we don't always know why,

But at the end of the day we see God's plan and we no longer cry.

Just as a baby in a womb can't see the beautiful world before it's born,

Neither can you or I see the future when we close our eyes and mourn. 

When these doors close God has another one for us if we will just look,

Open your eyes my friend at the beautiful landscape beyond the brook. 

Open the windows and all the doors and let the sunlight in.

The way before you is blessed if you will just rest in Him.

We are all longing for a better place and a better day,

Yet like babes in a womb we kind of like it and we want to stay.

Unknown to us that God has an eternity of beauty for us to behold.

Beyond this life Is a story waiting to unfold.

Sometimes doors close unexpectedly and it is okay

Because God holds our destiny, it's always been that way.

So hang on to tight to Him and go through the other door,

As He leads you through this life to Heaven's shore. 

© 2024 Sandra C. Johnson

This Has to Stop

 This Has to Stop

This has to stop! It's time to make our stand. 

This has to stop, we have to obey God's command. 

No more forcing vaccines on the masses. 

In the name of herd immunity for all classes.

This has to stop, the lies that they tell. 

Calling evil good, and good evil as well

Prosecuting someone for standing up for life 

This has to stop we need to put it in to all of the strife.

This has to stop all the name calling we see.

Calling people Nazis and demonizing Humanity.

When you have no clue what that person believes.

This has to stop it's time to unroll your sleeves.

We are better than this. We were created in the image of God

We have to follow him alone, yes this has to stop.

We need to learn to forgive our fellow man,

And agree to disagree where we stand.

We all have a right to express our point of view

And we can debate whether or not what we believe it is true

But it needs to be done in the spirit of love.

We need to learn to keep our hearts focused above.

This has to stop, the hateful rhetoric and gossip.

The name calling the accusations, we need to just toss it. 

We have to stop devaluing the United States Constitution,

And as its people, letting them get away with this revolution.

This has to stop and it starts today.

As his people get on bended knee and pray.

And we clean our own hearts and confess before him or sin.

This will stop hopefully maybe then.

In the meantime, I will stand up for what I believe.

I will not let the world or its leaders keep me deceived.

I pray that this will encourage you to stand up too

Only then can our country be renewed.

© 2024 Sandra C. Johnson

 

No One Else Will

 No One Else Will

I stand here before you because no one else will.

No one wants to fight this battle that is until,

Until there is a victory won on their behalf.

Then more people will stand and walk in this path.

But until then I am in the fight alone,

Except for the heavenly angels on God's throne.

They are standing beside me though no one can see.

And with them I will gain the victory.

Throughout the ages in times past

Stood many against the tyranny at last.

Our forefathers who settled here in our land

Alone against England they took their stand

They did what they did because no one else would

They fought against tyranny as only they could

Clear back in the Ancient of Days,

With Gideon, a small army was raised.

What started with thousands was narrowed down

Until only 300 soldiers could be found

But who gave them victory in the end?

It was God in heaven; no one dares fight against Him.

I stand up for the broken because no one else will. 

But then God reminds me no, there are others still.

When Elijah hid in the cave thinking he was the only one.

God told him no there are others like you my son.

I stand here today alone fighting 

Will you stand alongside me or are you still deciding. 

I invite you to come join the battle with me

As we stand for the truth and set others free. 

© 2024 Sandra C. Johnson

The Highway of Holiness

 The Highway of Holiness

On the Highway of Holiness is where we all begin. 

Learning of His ways, listening to Him. 

It begins at the bottom of the steep mountain ahead. 

And we head out on this path, sometimes with dread. 

As we climb the terrain, many times we think it’s impossible 

The terrain is not smooth and there are many obstacles. 

We run out of breath, because spiritually we are not fit. 

Unknown to us, this walk of faith is a workout  bit by bit. 

It’s on this highway of holiness we learn to walk in faith. 

It’s more than just believing, it’s living it day by day. 

Sometimes, we get a reprieve and the path becomes smooth 

But then a little more walking and some rocks become loose 

We then lose our footing and begin to fall. 

And cry in frustration asking ourselves is it worth it at all? 

But we are not walking on this path alone. 

Others come by and pick us up as we walk into the unknown. 

There are few on this path that we walk. 

Others ridicule us for it and at us they gawk. 

But we know and understand our destination. 

And we hike up the hill to our salvation. 

It’s not that we have to take this path in life. 

We can accept Jesus and live in HIs light. 

But there is a higher calling that some of us attain. 

And that is the highway of holiness and its terrain. 

Have you been called to walk this path too? 

Are you ready to join the chosen few?  

You may go to Church each week and say all prayers 

I guarantee you the Highway of holiness is not there. 

The highway of holiness is the high call of God. 

It’s the path that only few take and only few trod. 

So if you're called on this path and you feel alone. 

Know that Christ is walking beside you guiding you home. 

©2024 Sandra C. Johnson

This poem was inspired by one of my favorite authors. I was reading his book “Habakkuk Prophet of Faith" and read the following quotation which inspired the above poem. 

The distance between existence and manifested reality is time, and we walk that distance by faith on the Highway of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8). -Stephen Jones from his Book “Habakkuk: Prophet of Faith Chapter 3-The Life of Faith.”

https://godskingdom.org/studies/books/habakkuk-prophet-of-faith/chapter-3-the-life-of-faith/

Isaiah 35: 8-10 reads: 

And a highway will be there;

    it will be called the Way of Holiness;

    it will be for those who walk on that Way.

The unclean will not journey on it;

    wicked fools will not go about on it.

9 

No lion will be there,

    nor any ravenous beast;

    they will not be found there.

But only the redeemed will walk there,

10 

    and those the Lord has rescued will return.

They will enter Zion with singing;

    everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

    and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Giants

 Giants

David went against a giant and we read the story over and over again

We stand amazed at the power of God and feel we can win. 

We face our own battles, but the enemy seems so strong. 

We don't feel so confident, and wonder what if we are wrong?

God allows these giants in our path, to guide us to the truth. 

He makes them look insurmountable from our point of view.  

But He is with us in every interaction and in every fight. 

We just have to make sure we are standing for what is right. 

David went out to this giant with just a sling and a few stones.

He went and faced him bravely because he knew he was not alone. 

God was with him and protected him in this fight. 

So David boldly proclaimed the truth and marched courageously into the night. 

We have giants in our life that scare us into falling in line. 

Despite what we know is true we feel outnumbered and want a sign. 

We want to be assured that this fight is where we should be. 

We don’t want to stir the pot unnecessarily. 

But my friends, let’s not complicate what God has put on our heart. 

We don’t need to reason or calculate His part. 

We just need to have faith that He is in control of each move we make. 

And He will hold us in His hand.  He determines our fate. 

So go into the valley alone with your sling and stones. 

Go out into the dark and face the giant alone. 

Because up in the heavens there is an army on your side. 

And they will light your path and be your guide. 

David faced a giant and we all know how that turned out. 

God will take them down.   Have fear and never doubt. 

His plan will be accomplished with or without us, as He is sovereign in the earth. 

So trust Him and go forth in His armor with His weapons and His Word. 

© 2024 Sandra C. Johnson