WHAT IF?

What if I give the Lord
my best?
And yet my fresh flower fades
and droops
and dies?
Irretrievable and broken
All has been spent
And has all been lost?
Yes, lost, to Him.

My best strength, my best effort
I gave to Him.
And He
poured it all out
on the ground.
Not even His thirst to quench
All has been spent
And has all been lost?
Yes, lost, to Him.

My vessel has been broken
unto Him alone.
Gathered, broken and poured out.
What a waste!
It could have been…
Many taunt
Despised and broken
All has been spent
And has all been lost?
Yes, lost, to Him.

He called me out,
He called me on.
Above the other voices He called.
To lose my life
To take my cross
To go down
And now, moment by moment
All is being spent
And, all is being lost?
Yes, lost, to Him.

R.K.H.

(The previous poem has a couple of allusions to historical events found in the Bible. The first event shadowed was from the life of King David of Israel during a time of pitched battle with the Philistines: “And David said with longing, ‘Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!’ So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David, Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.” (2 Samuel 23:15-16) The second historical event took place during Jesus’ life on earth just prior to His arrest and crucifixion: “And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste?’ ” (Matt 26:6-8)