one for R

so much pain
mucking up lives
so much anger
clouding our vision
so many words
that should never be said
so loudly shouted
over and over
so much darkness
crowding out the sun
so much emptiness
swallowing everything

i feel the pain
in your clouds
in your sadness
in your anger
in your emptiness
in the words
you never should have heard

and it weighs down on me
like a smothering blanket
it drowns out my own pain
it fills up my capacity to hurt

but it is your pain
it is not mine
and I want so badly for her
to look at you
and see what is really there
so much growth
so much progress
so much effort
so much goodness

you have come so far
and you are still fighting
to go further still

and i worry
that you will lose sight of that
that your progress will be stolen
that your growth will be stunted
that your effort will come to nothing

but i know
that the goodness in you
is more than just you
the strength you are building
in every single choice
to do the right thing anyway
is an echo of the One
who heals pain like this
who carries burdens
who binds up wounds

the One who shines light
the One in whose image
you were made

but i don't know how to say that to you
in a way that you will hear
without preaching
without judging
without causing more pain
without pushing you away

i know that you need Him though
and i know His Love reaches toward you
and toward her
and that Love
that Love
that Love
is what you need
far more than my ear
far more than my words
far more than my shoulder
if only...you could see it

and so i am taking this pain
the pain you share
the loneliness you disclose
so hesitantly
the anguish imparted
and i am laying all of it
down at His feet
and asking Him to reach out to you
to make His presence known
to call your names loudly
to give you His ear
His shoulder
His words
His healing