Happy Birthday?

Background:

I’m re-posting this poem to get it to the front of the blog since December 30th is Shirley’s birthday.

Do you remember being mid-twentys? It was hard to grasp time and mortality. Anyone a few years older seemed ancient and each birthday moved you closer to that hard to imagine 30 plus…It was in that frame of reference that I got the bright idea of writing a birthday poem to my young wife. It actually worked out pretty well, as we’ve had forty plus years of joyful marriage now and it keeps getting better. I guess I need to write one about Grandma and Grandpa now, although she’s still my young wife.

30 December, 1973

When we first met I couldn’t see ‘round the bend.
When I thought of you, I thought of a friend.

Time went by; it went by in a whirl.
We grew close; I called you my girl.

Our relationship grew, all facets to cover.
I’d think of you and think you’re my lover.

I said I wanted you for the rest of my life.
I asked; you said yes; I called you my wife.

Now you’re a quarter century old and have had your first baby.
Are you old enough now to be called my old lady?

Live in the Light

In my men’s Bible study we’ve been looking at how Adam and Eve chose poorly (to believe Satan’s lie instead of God’s truth) and after sinning tried to cover up. Ever since then man’s been trying to cover up. So while thinking about this and about the choice each person must make at some time, I wrote this poem drawing on 1st. John as well. This was during a staff retreat at Rock Springs.

Live in the Light

Those living in darkness instead of in light,
Can’t see the truth in the darkness of night.

But light conquers darkness and always will win
If the one trapped in darkness lets the light enter in.

But truth can’t be obtained by a person’s own might.
It’s a gift coming down from the Father of lights.

The battle is raging and the One who will win,
Is the One who is chosen by the soul lost in sin.

But we only can choose Him if He gives us sight,
To see through the darkness the beauty of light.

Here is the paradox of standing naked in light,
No longer hiding in the darkness of night.

You find your sins covered by the blood of God’s Son.
The battle is over. The victory is won.

You’re standing there with Him right by your side.
For He has redeemed you and made you His bride.

Jim Shimer
Rock Springs camp
9/27/2011

The Truth

I posted this almost a year ago, but I’m posting it again now as it may be more timely today than a year ago. I’m finding I need to remind myself of the truth more often as I see more and more of the worldly things we’re tempted to rely on falling flat.

The Truth

Today we can look around and see
Reflections of eternity.
For those whose hopes are wealth and glitz,
Have seen their dreams get blown to bits.

Some whose rise to success was steep,
Find the things they built on the rubbish heap.
And we who are proud of the USA,
Must wonder if she has had her day.

For the things of this world decay and rust,
And our pursuit of them is much like lust.
We think that without them we’ll surely die,
But these same things can’t satisfy.

So we’re left with shells of empty dreams,
That lead to tears and even screams.
Attaining wealth or reaching lofty goals,
Cannot feed our starving souls.

We’ll never be fulfilled inside,
Unless that’s where the Lord resides.
We’ll never see the truth of God’s plan,
While chasing after the approval of man.

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit.
And we can’t know the truth if we don’t hear it.
The wisdom of God passed down through the ages,
Is written out in the Bible all through it’s pages.

We’re feeding our bodies and starving our souls,
When we turn from God to pursue our goals.
It’s far better to do it the other way,
And feed on God’s Word each day.

Then whether we live or whether we die,
We won’t be guilty of living a lie.
We won’t be lost if we follow His way,
And trust in the Lord…now…today.

JCS
Wichita
February 1, 2009

Foundation

Last week-end Pastor Carter’s message was on Matt. 7:24-27 about the wise and foolish builders. I was reminded of this poem which I wrote in 2003 about a house built on the Rock.

Foundation

You can work day and night to achieve your dreams oh so grand,
Yet wake up to find your house is built on the sand.
Though the rivers of troubles may be dry for a season,
They can suddenly flood and you won’t know the reason.

But those with heavenly goals and hearts full of giving,
In the midst of a flood tide find life worth the living.
Giving is not to finance what God wants to do.
He’s self-sufficient and He doesn’t need you.

To be a Biblical giver, before you can start,
The grace of God must flow in your heart.
If you’ve not yet accepted Jesus as Lord,
All of your giving will reap no reward.

A truly rich man is one who knows that he’s poor.
And knows that his poverty runs clear to his core.
Because he is helpless, he draws on God’s power,
And finds it available no matter the hour.

And though he’ll still discover one day,
That a flood of troubles is headed his way,
The real danger from flooding is just so much talk,
When the God fearing man builds his house on the Rock.

November 6, 2003
James C. Shimer

The Call

Although this is written in the context of a call to missions, it certainly applies to many of the ways we’re called to obedience and how we try to redefine the call or instruction to fit our own preference or comfort zone. Though I did answer the “call” to missions, I struggle with other “calls” the Lord puts on my life and behavior. We’re all such prideful creatures it’s hard to submit, even to the Creator of the universe.

The Call

It seems like the things we want to hear,
Come through to us loud and clear.
We can find the smallest clue
Buried deep in Zephaniah, chapter two.

When the question is to buy or not,
We can hear God say we ought.
We’ll find a verse to say,
“Don’t put it off another day!”

Of course, we know that verse is for us.
It’s as clear as a billboard on a bus.
We’ll drive that new car to church each week,
Knowing we’ll find the things we seek.

If at church there is a need,
We pray and ask God to lead.
Then we watch and wait for a sign,
Like when He turned water into wine.

Of course, we’ll gladly give our due,
If God will clearly tell us to.
Until we hear Him speak or holler,
We’ll do our part and give a dollar.

When the question is serving overseas,
Where people die of strange disease,
Then there surely must be a call,
A call by name, not just “ya’ll.”

Those who feel they’ve heard His call,
To go and serve and give their all
Need our help. And we’ll be giving. . .
As soon as we pay the high cost-of-living.

What about the Great Commission?
Well, it seems there’s been an omission.
It’s implied. . .there at the end.
If some go, some must stay and send.

That must be it. God wants us to stay
And witness here in the U.S. of A.
We can do things here in God’s name,
Like drive the youth group to a Royals game.

But, of course, we’re willing to go.
We’re just waiting for God to tell us so.
Meanwhile, we think we hear him say,
Recycle! Save your pop can today.

Gemena, Zaire
22 August, 1991

Pain

Last night while our one year old granddaughter was visiting, she pulled a paper out of my notebook where I keep poems I’ve written. When I looked at it I discovered it was a poem I’ve not yet posted here even though I wrote it a year ago. The content may not be satisfying, but it’s true.

Pain
Jim Shimer
May 11, 2010

We claim to serve a God of love,
Who sends good gifts from up above.
Then we’re told we must explain,
Why good people suffer pain.

The danger then is no matter what we write,
It comes off sounding pretty trite.
I’ll not fully answer on these pages
What has puzzled men down through the ages.

I don’t think God has to answer man,
About the whys of His sovereign plan.
But the Lord is gracious and He gives us a look,
Into His plan throughout His Book.

I know some have pain that’s really deep
And even in their faith they weep.
It’s in the midst of pain and fear,
We find our Lord is very near.

He tells us He has joy to give
As through our deepest trial we live.
The trials will serve to make us strong
As we worship Him in prayer and song.

But what of those with no belief
Who suffer trials with no relief?
Even the trials which unbelievers face
Are evidence of God’s rich grace.

For they give a hint of what awaits
For those who are masters of their own fate.
The Bible says to seek Him while He can be found,
And then the captives will be unbound.

He says to come, “All who will.”
And you won’t taste death’s bitter pill.
But if His grace you do refuse,
You’ll receive exactly what you choose.

Toy Joy

This month at Westlink, the sermon series is “Enough” and deals with the issue of materialism. As I read about the various messages coming up I remembered this poem I wrote in ’03. I posted it earlier, but it’s buried in the archives of this blog so I’m re-posting it to get it at the front. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” It is a very human thing to self-justify, but the Bible warns us from it. It is only God’s grace that brings deliverance…

Toy Joy

We all are wealthy, yet think ourselves poor.
No matter our income we really need more.
Whatever the salary it’s never enough
To meet our desire for more marvelous stuff.

But the stuff that we buy, beg or borrow,
Can never bring joy into hearts full of sorrow.
Sorrow’s the name for counterfeit joy,
And it grows as we seek it in another new toy.

Sometimes the sorrow carries a chaser of regret,
When the things that we lust for become what we get.
And the guilt weighs a ton, but we carry it around,
Forgetting that God’s grace and forgiveness abound.

Like a clean summer rain makes everything wet,
Grace washes from our souls the dryness of regret.
The little faith that we have is always enough,
When it’s placed in Jesus and not in more stuff.

September 4, 2003
James C. Shimer

Memories

I hesitated to post this because it won’t hold much meaning for anyone but my wife and me. However, perhaps by inserting your own memories as you read you can celebrate a number of years of togetherness yourselves. Our time as missionaries provided a variety of geographical locations for these memories, but like I say at the end of the poem, the important part to me is sharing them with my wife. There are a few changes since I wrote this: eight grandchildren instead of seven and nearly 42 years of marriage instead of nearly forty. These are, of course, only a few of the memories of a life full of blessings.

Memories
Nov. 6, 2008 Jim Shimer

I find there’s much more good than bad in the process of growing old.
We’ve not a lot of money yet we’re rich in the memories we hold.

To count off nearly forty happy years since we stood and said, “I do.”
Is a blessing that it seems is granted to a very privileged few.

We walked along Laguna Beach and drove through the Big Sur.
We camped in Colorado in a forest of Douglas Fir.

I never dreamed when I returned you from a date to Goodnow Hall,
That someday we’d stand together in China on the Great Wall.

We had that special moment that we spent at Corona Del Mar.
And we also walked Balboa Island and shared a Balboa bar.

From dinners at Black Angus to lunches at Sonny’s Bar-b-que.
The best part of these memories is spending them with you.

The chocolate mousse in Paris, lemon chicken in Beijing.
Even rubbery village chicken in the Congo. I wouldn’t change a thing.

I think of times we’ve taken grandkids walking through the zoo.
And I can clearly picture our walking on the streets of Kathmandu.

We drove to Kansas City to see the famous Plaza fountains.
We flew through morning fog to see the Himalayan Mountains.

We dined together several times at Chili’s in Manila,
And once on Disney’s Main Street, we shared a sarsaparilla.

We saw both coasts of Africa and dipped our toes in the Dead Sea.
On our trip to the Tetons, you walked the trails with me.

We stayed at Old Pejeda Ranch with Mt. Kenya for our view,
Dined in hoity-toity style and went English horseback riding too.

We marveled at the wonder of the majestic Niagara Falls,
And shook our heads in disbelief as we walked through Manila’s giant malls.

We toured Winsor Castle and strolled through Trafalgar Square.
Then we shopped in downtown London before returning home to Gemena, Zaire.

We dined on zebra at the Carnivore and a fancy meal while at the Ark,
Ate fish and chips in Soho and had a picnic at Dinosaur Park.

We saw Les Miserables and each time was a real treat,
But the plays we saw our girls perform were really extra sweet.

We made the girls a cardboard playhouse and constructed a plywood stove.
We started a mini-flock home group with help from the Allens and the Groves.

You taught many children the Bible and school subjects at Cair Paravel.
And through the years we’ve heard from them, they learned their lessons well.

We’d take dinner guests to Tuna Tree and brunch at Serena Hotel.
One thing about our time in Nairobi, we ate pretty well.

We’ve been to several circuses and I’ve really got to say,
“None were quite as impressive as to see the Cirque de Soleil.”

The Guatemala bus ride was enough to turn me gray,
But the bus we rode in Cameroon drove me to my knees to pray.

We went on safari in the Mara and stayed in a fancy tent.
We saw “the big five” and wildebeest. I’m really glad we went.

We’re not really “rockers,” but we ate at Hard Rock Café,
At London and Mombasa and Nairobi and L.A.

We drove through Beverly Hills and shopped Rodeo Drive.
There was not a thing we could afford, but we didn’t feel deprived.

Then the time in Gemena and the worker’s sick baby we could not save,
But then there was the one that lived because of the medicine we gave.

Now when we go boating at Lake Cheney we’ve really quite a crew,
Two daughters and their husbands, seven grandchildren and you.

There was romantic Catalina and evening walks along the beach.
And week-end trips to San Francisco were all within our reach.

We saw Hearst Castle at San Simeon, strolled through Solvang and
We returned once more to Arrowhead Springs where you and I began.

We’ve been a lot of places and done a lot of things. It’s really been a ride!
And through it all by God’s grace we’ve done it side by side.

Short Story

Although I posted this several years ago, I’m re-posting it now just because I enjoy the way it fits together with the rhyming pattern and wanted to get it on my home page again. So here’s the Short Story, or my story made short.

Short Story

When I was young I was unaware, and to tell the truth I didn’t care
About the outcomes of my actions.

I’d sit around and shoot the bull, until my friends and I were full
Of empty spiritual abstractions.

We all thought that we were really smart. The smallest stimulus would make us start
To spout forth philosophical reactions.

And as I look back from here and now, I cannot help but wonder how
The Lord reached me in the midst of those distractions.

I think that deep within my heart I knew my world would fall apart
Unless I could find peace and satisfaction.

To keep from droning on too long I do not think it wrong
To subject the story to redaction.

So finish the poem and you will see that of the way God rescued me,
This poem tells you only a small fraction.

My resistance did eventually relent and I did sincerely repent.
From this there will never be retraction.

And now I find I can truly say all my sins have gone away
Through a process called divine subtraction.

JCS
Wichita
19 March, 2007

Joyful Dance

Last night my wife and I searched on “you tube” for songs we’d not heard in a while. One we listened to again is one we first heard about ten years ago. It’s an Irish jig called “Lord of the Dance” about Christ’s incarnation told in terms of Him being a joyful dancer and life being a dance. It’s worth looking up if you’ve not heard it. Anyway it reminded me of this poem I wrote a couple of years ago on a similar theme.

Joyful Dance
2/2/’09
Jim Shimer

Sometimes while gazing out at space
I marvel at the abundance of God’s grace;
That He who made this vast expanse,
Would give to man a joyful dance.

He spoke and made the worlds appear;
Yet cares about our smallest fear.
To Him a supernova is just a spark,
Yet He guides the path of every quark.

The Bible says He holds it all together,
From the solar system to the planet’s weather.
We’re in His hand both great and small,
And if we’re His, we hear His call.

That is where the dance comes in.
We dance for joy when freed from sin.
And we’re joined by more than six or seven,
The dance includes the host of Heaven.

For the Bible says Heaven celebrates,
Each time a sinner emancipates.
So know the truth and be set free.
And join into this dance with me.