Closer than you may realize,
And darker than you can imagine,
Someone you know languishes now
Under black clouds of fear and despair –
Clouds that never seem to break enough
To let the light in.
The only hope that they have
Is the light that shines through you.
Believe fervently for them.
Hope confidently for them.
Love them gently
As you hold them tightly in the night.
Hotter than an angel’s breath,
More violent than you care to admit,
Someone you know futilely fights
Against demons that enslave them –
Demons disguised as flesh and blood
Habits and heartaches.
The only freedom they see
Is the victory you display.
Believe fervently for them.
Hope confidently for them.
Love them gently
As you hold them tightly in the night.
Love offers more than convenient escapes
Or vain, empty words that the hypocrites say.
Love enters into the darkness and danger
And shines faith and hope in the Truth, Life, and Way.
Lower than a whale’s belly,
Bent beyond what any man can haul,
Someone you know bravely shoulders
An unspeakably heavy load –
Bearing the weight desperately,
Gasping for relief.
The only strength they can see
Is the shoulder you offer them.
Believe fervently for them.
Hope confidently for them.
Love them gently
As you hold them tightly in the night.
Weaker than a dandelion,
More fragile than anybody knows,
Someone you know cries silently
With a broken, exhausted heart –
Fearing the next phone call or news,
Yet another loss.
The only courage they have
Is the perseverance you show.
Believe fervently for them.
Hope confidently for them.
Love them gently
As you hold them tightly in the night.
Love offers more than convenient escapes
Or vain, empty words that the hypocrites say.
Love enters into the darkness and danger
And shines faith and hope in the Truth, Life, and Way.
Wilder than an ocean cyclone,
Fooled beyond hope by guilt and shame,
Someone you know has given up
On dreams and second chances –
Facing their failure as fatal,
And the final word.
The only grace they can find
Is the warm embrace you offer.
Believe fervently for them.
Hope confidently for them.
Love them gently
As you hold them tightly in the night.
Colder than an ice cathedral,
Done with always having to be strong,
Someone you know is letting go
Of ready answers and wisdom –
Losing compassion and concern
In self-protection.
The only life they can find
Is your Resurrection and Life.
Believe fervently for them.
Hope confidently for them.
Love them gently
As you hold them tightly in the night.
Love offers more than convenient escapes
Or vain, empty words that the hypocrites say.
Love enters into the darkness and danger
And shines faith and hope in the Truth, Life, and Way.