This Beating Heart
—----------------------
You reached into the depths of me,
My black, sinful, soul,
And took the heart that would not feel
And gave me this new heart—
One of flesh, beating and tender.

I hold it now,
Unsure of its rhythm,
Afraid of the breaking it might endure.
For who can love and not bleed?
Who can serve yet not be torn in two?

But you call out
For me to lay it down…
To hand it to you,
And let it break, if need be,
So your love is completed in its place.

And here I am, looking up,
Offering this gift back to you.
If it shatters in Your name,
I'll count each crack as marks of love
Set upon the gray, weary, world.

For this heart was never mine to keep,
But Yours to use in me.
This heart is worth breaking for You.


Fragility of Life
—------------------
As silent views pass on,
Life's fragile breath slips away-
It is in God's hands.

Echoes of all life,
Time's brute yet gentle hands;
Endings softly come.

Stephen Landis a poet from Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. He is a
two-times published author and his poetry and writing focus on themes of faith,
inspiration, and spiritual growth, with a desire to encourage readers in their
Christian walk.