WE AND OUR WORLD

We and our world
are part of each other.
We and all of life
are united to one another,
in a bond of love and understanding
beyond compare.

A sense of awe and mystery
fills us with amazement,
as we become keenly aware
of every living thing -
every leaf and flower,
every cloud and bird.

We see as we never saw before,
We glimpse the essence of things,
the secret of life, where all veils
have been pulled aside.

We see the unity of all things,
the kinship we have with one another,
a bond with the universal life around us.

Life is whole, and
we are free to be ourselves.
We know who we are,
and who we are meant to be.
This is our true self,
and we have found it.

We view life with
a child’s spontaneity,
the wonder of discovery.
We feel newly created, so full of joy,
that we cannot rein it in.

We break out of the prison of self,
and joy floods our hearts,
a fusion with nature,
a bond of love and creativeness,
insight and discovery.

Joy comes to us when
we lose ourselves in service,
in the pursuit of a great dream,
when we do not run from life,
or from its devastating sorrows,
incessant struggles and pain.

Joy fills us anew
when we realise that
there is more to life
than we can fathom,
a world greater than our own.

We live in a universe
far more personal,
human and tender
than we ourselves are.

We see the luminous beauty,
hidden at the centre of life.
An unquenchable light
shines to beckon us
to partake in its joy.
This is true, joy-filled life,
the sheer beauty of it.

© MIRIAM JACOB

GOD’S GIFT TO ALL

It was a wet, inclement day,
the clouds hung oppressively low,
as we travelled through the haze,
driving to our destination,
before the rains overtook us.

On a lonely, least-frequented
stretch of mountain road,
flanked on either side
by leafy-green woods,
the devastating storm
struck with a vengeance.

The dark, dreary forest
disappeared in front of us,
in a great, torrential deluge,
as cascades of water
effectively shut us in,
halting our journey
before it even began.

What happened next
was nothing short of a miracle.
A thin, luminescent radiance
like a spray of golden dust,
spread out from the silvery clouds,
catching the tops of the trees,
reflecting a rainbow light,
as the sun flashed on
little drops of water.

Every blade of grass
was glassy and crystalline,
as a brilliant rainbow
arched across the sky,
casting an iridescent glow,
creating a lighted moment,
where heart speaks to heart
in the language of love.

The beauty of nature
is reflected in the human heart,
where souls yearn for the beautiful,
God’s gift to all like.

© MIRIAM JACOB

LIGHT IN THE MANGER

I stand alone beside
the cowshed at night,
Watching the full moon,
Cast its silvery fragrance
Over the silent grounds.

Inside, the warm, cuddly smell
of the cows drifts out to me,
As the soft country scents
of fresh milk and sweet hay
Refresh my awakening senses,
Invigorating me with a new
Awareness of the countryside.
As I slip very quietly inside.

I squirm against a chesnut-coloured cow,
As I worm my way into the hayrack.
The cow goes on munching, unflinchingly,
As it must have done ages ago,
On that dark and lonesome night,
As Mary sat alone in the stable,
Her new-born babe in her arms.

I gaze at the straw-filled hayrack,
And imagine the Baby Jesus
Lying in the manger, still and quiet,
With the animals all around him.
A hole in the roof reveals a solitary star,
Twinkling brilliantly, to guide the wise men
To the stable where the Baby Jesus lay.

I can see them plodding up the valley,
On their swaying camels,
Anxiously looking for the manger
Where the King of Glory lay.
The door of the cowshed opens slowly,
And the shepherds come creeping in,
With their little lambs nestling in their arms.

The stable at Bethlehem
Is very quiet and still,
As the world waits
With bated breath,
For God’s Son, Jesus Christ,
to touch the whole world
With His life-changing love.

© MIRIAM JACOB