Yahweh, remember when I met you on the trail to the summit?
The steps were steep at times,
and at other times my feet seemed to gracefully climb with me.
Remember when I met you on the mountain top?
I could see your creation for miles.
I felt smaller than ever underneath your vast sky
yet larger and stronger
as my the eyes of my heart focused on you.
Remember when I met you in Guatemala?
You spoke to me in a different language yet my heart understood everything you said.
We would play for hours and eat with thanksgiving for what you had accomplished.
We laughed together. We cried together.
Remember when I met you in Uganda?
You were the taxi driver who drove all day to put food on your family's table.
You were the children
who ran after us when we left for the day;
with smiles so big and waving
our hearts back again the next day.
Remember when I met you in the hills of Rwanda?
I met you in the midst of pain and confusion.
Anger pumped through my veins but your compassion hydrated my soul.
You were everyone; the children, the mothers, the fathers,
the sons, the daughters, the priests and pastors.
I saw you daily...hourly.
I saw you in the scarred churches, in the ashen schools.
One time, you reached out through a bullet hole
and grabbed my heart.
It hurt so bad, it burned so deep,
as if I had been shot myself.
Remember how you held me
as my very being collapsed in pain and sorrow.
You spoke peace and love to me;
your hands and eyes were that of an old woman.
Remember when I met you in the fields of Ethiopia?
You sat there willing to learn
but didn't understand a word I taught.
You tried anyways, always raising your hand
and making me feel like a good teacher.
You were the coffee farmer who hoped
for stability for his community.
You were the women washing their clothes in the river.
You were in every house that invited us in
with such joy and grace.
I met you in my sickness.
You were the nurses, the doctors.
I saw you in the halls waiting your turn;
there were hundreds of you.
I wanted you to go first, not me.
Remember I met you and fell in love with you?
Yes, we've been in love for a long time
but this time you came to me as a young man.
A man with integrity and joy.
You were adventurous and compassionate.
I wore the dress, you wore the suit. Our family was there.
You were there, blessing us. Oh, what love.
Yahweh, remember when I met you?
You brought me so much joy, so much love and grace.
Your compassion overwhelmed me
and your faithfulness put me to shame.
Even now, you are with me.
You are always meeting up with me.
I don't mind, in fact, I prefer it.
Your company gives me peace.
Please stay close.
