Take Courage

Jesus said, "A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me." Then some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying to us, 'A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'; and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" They said, "What does he mean by this 'a little while'? We do not know what he is talking about." Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, "Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, 'A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me'? Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. On that day you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

"I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you plainly of the Father. On that day you will ask in my name. I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father." His disciples said, "Yes, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech! Now we know that you know all things, and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God." Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!" John 16:16-33 

Take Courage

Waking by the stormy  steely ocean

gulls and geese creating cacaphony

a symphony of sound and bouncing light

we rise to face another day without a compass.

We set out with all the tools we have

fragile  weary sailors on  roiling sea

we have to pray or dance as we shove off

and face the losing of the shoreline.

Daily life begins again and yet we feel lost

a dense fog of grief and hope swirl around

we revisit our childhood dream scapes

and know we have to reinvent ourselves again.

Tacking in the ever present blustery wind

we give thanks for a lifting tide and rising sun

we can chart our direction primitive though we be

and learn to sail without charts on new seas.

Take courage he said and we wonder

when will the presence of joy return?

when will the summer's delight charm us

and fill our nets with happiness again?

It is ours to navigate and ours to discover

new worlds we never understood existing

embracing the eternal ancient gifts of love 

and setting a new course for a new home.