All My Hope

All my hope is in You.
All my hope is in Your great Love.
All my hope is in Your great Mercy.

Seeing but darkly,
You are my Light.
Clouds conceal Your brilliance,
But Faith lifts the veil,
And I behold You.
Hidden in my very being.

Despite my smallness,
You dignify my every breath and heart beat,
Giving me Your holy inspiration,
Hiding me in Your Heart,
Cleansing me by Your Blood.

How could I but hope?
You spend Yourself on me.
You are my treasure,
Mercy purer than gold,
Love greater than diamonds,
And I know, without doubt,
You treasure me.

© 2016 Joann Nelander

Lord, You have been growing me.
It’s been 75 years plus a bit, since my conception.
All those years and not one day without love.

Not one day without the play of wind,
Or warmth of golden beam,
Or sustenance given though unseen.

Not one day without a kiss of sun,
Or breeze,
Or butterfly.

Not one day the more or less than You decree,
Simply the glee
Of being me.

Lord, You have been growing me.
I count my days blessed and witnessed from above,
The stuff as given and mysterious as stars.

When I am fully grown,
Incline to lift me from the earth,
And with Mercy’s parting splendor,
Render one last touch.

© 2016 Joann Nelander

Jesus, what I love in Your people is You.
Some shimmer and gleam with Your Presence
While others tuck You away,
As a treasure I must dig to unearth.

None the less, Your grace,
Is life reaching to eternity,
Grace, that blesses me in every encounter.
Life, that draws our humanity to the heavenly.

© 2016 Joann Nelander