Dear Friends,
Although I write poetry, I rarely if ever share it because the words come from a place too close to my heart to risk the scrutiny of others. My thoughts and feelings sprawl out and refuse to be stuffed into the strict 5-7-5 syllabic rhythm of classical Haiku or the measured perfection of iambic pentameter.
But sometimes I play the piano in the dark at 1:00 a.m. and for the same reason, I sometimes write poetry. At the end of last week I attended a spiritual leadership retreat in the San Bernardino Mountains. The time was blessed, even though invaded by urgent pages and emails from clients in the valley down below.
Toward the end, there was an exercise in which each of us was asked to describe our life in six words. Some chose lists of descriptive words, others formed sentences. One of my closest friends said, “Lived and loved with no regrets.” It is a true description of him, but I confess to having had a twinge of envy at his freedom and peace.
When it was my turn, I said, “Broken, but mending by living gratefully.” This is my truth and I owe it to a kind and merciful God who never flinches away from the messy and difficult task.
I glimpsed something of his love and grace on the mountain Friday morning that inspired me to write this poem.
. . .
wild strawberries
(c) 2016 by Kent A. Hansen.
back when i walked much closer to the ground
on child legs
and saw things easily missed by others
who weren’t really looking,
i spied tiny white and yellow teacups
nestled on spearmint green tablecloths
with scalloped edges
in the cool shady places of the yard.
“wild strawberries”
said mom,
who was expert on growing things.
and I was delighted to know
GOD,
who made all things,
did not confine himself
to neat rows in the fields
of the meticulous Japanese farmer
down the road,
but, instead, popped up
here and there
in ways that were my size.
.
this was a revelation to a little boy
who, try as I might,
couldn’t help coloring outside the lines,
but I really had no interest in doing so
even when the other kids were praised for their neat work,
though I wouldn’t have turned down a shiny gold star,
on my page if ever offered,
but it wasn’t.
.
time passed
and i moved on to hotter, drier places,
where wild strawberries did not grow
and their delicate beauty faded
from memory.
.
until this morning,
when, walking to breakfast down the retreat center’s winding path
through the fog
under a gentle rain whispering through the cedars,
I glimpsed tiny white and yellow teacups nestled
in spearmint-green leaves,
and the distance of four hundred fifty miles
and fifty-seven years closed just like that!
.
a familiar delight stirred in my heart.
grinning,
i bowed and took a good look,
a reverent prayer of sorts
to the GOD of little boys with curiosity
and old men with regrets–
a GOD who said to me,
“I know who you are,
what you think,
how you feel —
I remember things you’ve forgotten,
and I’ve never forgotten you —
how you’ve never been able to color within the lines —
I’ve heard what they say about you,
but your delight in Me makes me happy.
I am your GOD,
you are precious in My sight,
and I love you.”
.
“Thank You”
I exhaled.
Then I stood up and walked on
listening to the rain whisper through the cedars.
(c) 2016 by Kent A. Hansen.
. . .
“O taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).
Under the mercy of Christ,
Kent
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Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.
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Kent Hansen is a Christian attorney, author and speaker. He practices corporate law and is the managing attorney of the firm of Clayson, Mann, Yaeger & Hansen in Corona, California. Kent also serves as the general counsel of Loma Linda University and Medical Center in Loma Linda, California.
Finding God’s grace revealed in the ordinary experiences of life, spiritual renewal in Christ and prayer are Kent’s passions. He has written two books, Grace at 30,000 Feet and Other Unexpected Places published by Review & Herald in 2002 and Cleansing Fire, Healing Streams: Experiencing God’s Love Through Prayer, published by Pacific Press in spring 2007. Many of his stories and essays about God’s encompassing love have been published in magazines and journals. Kent is often found on the hiking trails of the southern California mountains, following major league baseball, playing the piano or writing his weekly email devotional, “A Word of Grace for Your Monday” that is read by men and women from Alaska to Zimbabwe.