This is the audio of the poem, “I Know”, written by Tom Lemler and read at the close of the 2017 New Year’s Day worship gathering of the Deer Run Church of Christ. It was also shared by the author during the 2016 Christmas Day worship gathering of the North Wayne Mennonite Church.
Happy Birthday Susan!
Today is a day
that we celebrate.
The birth of a girl
who really is great!
It’s not always easy,
but so worth the price.
To be given a gift
that’s so very nice!
She came at a moment,
just stepped out in time.
We all had each other,
but barely a dime.
From the beginning,
she was daddy’s girl.
With a smile so big,
any heart would unfurl.
I owe her my life,
and oh, so much more.
She gave me purpose,
which had gone out the door.
In the midst of great sickness
I learned to press on.
There are so many walks
on which we have gone.
Some say she’s different,
I suppose that is so.
For she’s filled with joy,
more than anyone I know!
She’s an angel from heaven —
at least in a way.
With a message from God
that she shares every day.
She longs for heaven
and it’s really not odd.
She teaches me much
about talking with God.
If you should wonder,
what her joy is about.
God’s presence is with her,
of that there’s no doubt.
The labels are plenty
to describe what she’s got.
But to describe her,
those labels do not!
CP and autism,
with seizures not few.
May be what she has,
but they don’t define who.
A child of the King,
a joy to mankind.
A sweeter person,
you never will find.
There’s no fake about her,
no motives to hide.
What you see on her face
is what is inside.
Throughout the years,
we have been told.
Prepare for the worst,
she won’t get this old.
Perhaps a few weeks,
even years may be seen.
But it’s not very likely
to go beyond teen.
And so here we are,
at twenty-six years old!
A gift straight from God
that’s still ours to hold!
I don’t take it for granted,
I thank God every day.
That He loved us so much
to send Susan our way.
She’s not really ours,
she is simply on loan.
And it’s a great privilege
to give her a home.
How long she will be here,
I really don’t know.
She longs for heaven
and is ready to go.
As I sit in a hotel
on this, her birthday.
Alone in a room
many miles away.
I wake up early
to spend time in prayer.
And God gives me this poem
that I now share.
© 2015 by Tom Lemler
We celebrated Susan’s birthday Sunday as I was headed out Monday morning for the North American Christian Convention. As I woke up early this morning and was spending time with God, He put this poem in my mind about Susan. I pray that she has a great day and continues to be a joy and blessing to others as she is to MJ and I.
In prayer,
Tom
Do we even notice
those who walk by?
The tired, the hungry,
those too numb to cry?
The heart that is broken,
in a life that is rushed?
A soul that is empty,
a spirit that’s crushed?
They are all around us,
in line at the store.
They’re even in church
as we walk through the door.
These people exist
in numbers not few.
Perhaps they are me,
perhaps they are you!
And if we should notice,
just what would we do?
The answers are plenty,
the solutions are few.
To treat one another
as God treated me.
To serve and to love,
all those we see.
To sit and to listen,
to give of our time.
To share what we have,
to our very last dime.
To lift someone up
who is feeling quite down.
And comfort the sad
who are wearing a frown.
But most of all,
we share of our treasure.
A hope that God gives
that is beyond measure!
The joy that we find
with God’s Spirit inside.
We always must share,
and never should hide!
© 2015 by Tom Lemler
I was spending time praying this morning about some lingering discouragement that tries to sidetrack me from time to time. As I did so, God put this poem in my mind to shift my focus to a world surrounding me that is full of unseen people who feel unnoticed and unappreciated. I pray that you and I are an encouragement to all those around us and that we are surrounded by people who will encourage us when we are down.
In prayer,
Tom
Today marks the completion of one year, and the beginning of another year, of my being back on the staff of the Deer Run Church of Christ. It has been an incredible year — a year best described by the words “amazing grace”! My return to Deer Run was nothing short of the gracious hand of my God upon me, to favor me with His compassion.
My brain seems to be wired in a way that makes verbal conversation difficult — though many believe God has gifted me with an ability to write that can make up for the verbal inadequacies. As a side note, it is amazing to me that God continues to show up in my preaching and teaching with the ability to speak powerfully through me. For me, writing is therapeutic — it helps me to see where I’ve been and how far God has carried me. While I still carry scars and hurts that continue to heal, God has taught me much over the past year.
I know I have a long way to go, but His mercy has helped me be more merciful. His grace has taught me to be more gracious. His compassion has led me to be more compassionate. And perhaps the most difficult of all for me, His love is helping me know how to love.
So, how does this all happen? What’s the secret? I think the key to all of these lessons is that God continues to draw me to Himself and surrounds me with people who have a genuine concern for me as a person and as a child of God. So, what’s so amazing about the grace God has shown me over the past year?
This has been a very brief summary of some of the ways God, and His amazing people at Deer Run, has extended His grace to me over the past year. While the descriptions of this amazing GRACE that I have experienced over the past year focuses on what God has been doing for me, the real point is that God is using all of it to teach me how to extend His GRACE to others!
God surrounds me with generous people so that I learn to be more generous. He gives me times of great rest so I have a greater understanding of the need for others to rest. He showers me with His acceptance, when I deserve it least, so that I would accept others more freely. He surrounds me with His compassion so that I will be a more compassionate person in my preaching and teaching, as well as in all of my interaction with people. He encourages me daily so that I would be better prepared to encourage the people around me.
As God teaches me these lessons of His amazing grace, I pray that I learn to practice them so that others would learn of His amazing grace through me.
In prayer,
Tom
The way we treat others
will say quite a lot.
Not really about them,
more about what we’ve got.
Do I have compassion
and kindness for those.
That God puts around me,
not just those I chose.
Do I tend to order
and boss those around.
Who don’t benefit me,
at least that I’ve found.
It would be quite funny,
if it wasn’t so sad.
There have been leaders
who have treated me bad.
But that’s not important
in what I will do.
The much bigger issue
is how I treat you.
Do I look beyond all
the things people see.
And love you like Jesus
has shown love to me.
It is so easy
to love those like us.
And think that those different
are not worth the fuss.
It can take much effort
to see in the heart.
But we’ll never get there
if we refuse to start.
It can be quite risky
to let down our guard.
But Jesus did warn us
to follow Him would be hard.
When we show great favor
to those who repay.
We’ve not lived like Jesus,
at least that’s what He’d say.
To give to the needy
what they can’t return.
Is a lesson from Jesus
that we all need to learn.
To lift up the weak
and carry their load.
Is a way to serve others
as we all walk this road.
So what will you do
with the choices you make?
When you deal with people
will you give, not just take?
Will you listen closely
to all that you hear?
And pay close attention
to what’s hidden by fear.
To treat people better
than others might do.
To give them the treatment
that you’d want for you.
When you stop and think
of what Jesus taught.
To go and do likewise,
then really you ought.
There’s no better time
to begin in that way.
To do good to others
by starting today.
And when I say “others”,
I mean everyone.
To put into practice
what we’ve learned from the Son.
©
God gave me this poem last night as I spent time with Him in prayer and listening. This time I jotted it down so I wouldn’t forget it when I finally made it to the computer. I pray that it encourages each of us to see others as God sees them.
In prayer,
Tom
When life seems all wrong
and nothing’s the same.
Most of the time
we want someone to blame.
We look all around
for who it could be.
I guess it is you
‘cause it sure isn’t me.
Yet when we step back
and see that isn’t true.
We look up above
and say, “God, I blame you.”
I have seen this happen,
it might have been me.
It’s not that unusual,
I think you’ll agree.
When we’re in the midst
of what we don’t understand.
It’s hard to imagine
that it all turns out grand.
One of the problems
when we start to blame God.
We step away from
His comforting rod.
If you are wondering
from where did this come.
It happened this morning
before the rising sun.
It was a big seizure,
this I do know.
The pain and the anger
needed somewhere to go.
The mind was not thinking
as it normally would.
So it lashed out in anger
at everyone that it could.
There wasn’t just anger,
there was also remorse.
Back and forth it would go,
driven along by some force.
For seizures do seize,
that’s what they do best.
They take full control
and then no one gets rest.
While it is not pretty
to watch and endure.
Living like this
is much harder, I’m sure.
Then there comes a moment
when the mind starts to click.
“I really do need help
for I am so sick.”
And it didn’t matter
whether angry or sad.
Our love was still given
because we’re mom and dad.
We do what we can do
and pray for the best.
And know there’s a day
that we all will find rest.
In case you are wondering,
about all of this.
I pray that you’re listening
and the point you don’t miss.
We all have our moments
when we’re out of control.
We really need someone
who can help make us whole.
That will come and just hold us,
and quietly say.
“My child I am with you,
with you I will stay.”
©
As I was praying for Susan this morning following a major early morning seizure, this poem showed up in my mind so I collected it to share. Many times, I think that Susan’s seizures gives me an insight into God’s immense love and compassion for me, and for you, when we are seized by the control of selfishness, desire, substances, sin, and the evil one. We often lash out at God and even in the midst of our lashing out, He is trying to draw us near to comfort and protect us. I pray that this poem helps you in your pursuit of God and in your letting God make you whole when something that is not of Him has seized your life.
In prayer,
Tom
Tom's Treasure 