Love, Loaves, and Fishes

Love, Loaves & Fishes

Love is a basket with five loaves of bread and two fishes

It is never enough until you start to give it away.

~source unknown

This past couple of weeks my wife has been going through old letters she saved that her parents wrote to us from many years ago. Her father always loved quotes and often put one at the top of his letters. The quote above was one she found today.

Most of you might be familiar with the Bible Story of the little boy giving his lunch to Jesus, and how it multiplied to feed thousands who were there. There is much wisdom in the act of giving and sharing what we have with other. I hope you enjoy this quote as much as I did.

Tadpoles or Frogs

My little green frog that lives under my deck seems to have laid her eggs in my rain barrel. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed tadpoles swimming when I opened the lid to get some water for my geraniums.

A day or two later I emptied most of the fifty gallons of water on my garden, leaving about a foot of water in the bottom. I could not imagine they would survive in the hot 94 F temps we were having at the time. When we got a light rain a few days later, there they were swimming around in the barrel. I decided to leave them there and watch them for a while.

Yesterday I noticed they were growing hind legs. I can’t imagine that they are still alive and thriving. So, what do I do now? Leave them there to mature or dump them on my garden? Not an easy question to answer.

Tiny tadpoles swim

Growing in my rain barrel

Frogs or tadpoles

***

Life’s unexpected challenge

Leaving choices to be made

**

Who should decide?

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Update: 7-9-2022

The tadpoles have been growing legs; first hind legs and then front ones. We had a couple of heavy thunderstorms this week. I thought I would scoop some of them out and put them in the ditch/stream which now has standing water in it. When I opened the lid, I was surprised to find only three of the thirty plus tadpoles still swimming there. Apparently, they all floated out the overflow notch I had cut in the top of the barrel.  Not sure how they survived, but they must have figured it was time to make their escape!

We are of One Blood

When self-preservation

at all cost

overrides our understanding

of humanity,

Ideologies arise

blinding us to the truth

that we are all of

One Blood

that pumps

through our veins

interchangeable

with you or me

regardless of color

race or ethnicity,

Life-saving blood

revealing

that we are all one

in the midst of

our diversity,

but not exclusive

in value

or superior in

entitlement.

We are humanity

created in the image

of our creator

Spiritual channels

of light

in the darkness

We are hope and comfort…

not death and destruction.

*

My sad condolences to the people of Buffalo whose family members were attacked and killed yesterday by a raving lunatic who thought his humanity was greater in value than the lives of others who were different from him.

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Job’s Cry for Ukraine

Our Cry to God

Where are you God when we need you the most

as bombs explode and buildings crumble

Where are you as little men who desire power

send other men to the slaughter in their place

And where are you as mother’s weep

for their husbands… their sons… and their children

Where were you when refugees fled their homes

for destinations unknown and unforeseen just weeks ago

Where were you as bullets fly and old men are murdered

left shot, lying in the street like human refuse

Where are you as women were raped and children cry

from a lifetime of the despicable happening overnight

Where are you God as the Nations rage

seemingly out of control

God’s Response

I Am… not the chess-master controlling the board

As pawns are discarded and Queens attempt to capture kings

The affairs of men go on as they have since the beginning

Nation against nation and Kingdom against kingdom

Some think I Am a genie in the bottle

that when correct prayers are given, rubbed the right way,

will bring the three wishes of fantasy and dreams

My kingdom is not one of the physical realms

But of the spiritual, not of this world but of the eternal

I Am the God who gives you strength from within

Power of unequal measure coming up from the depths

When faced with crisis, or the enemy, or the forces of evil

I Am the God who reveals himself through the human spirit

bringing comfort to the grieving and strength to the dying

I Am the God who removes physical blinders revealing

chariots of fire moving you forward to face whatever lies ahead

I Am the Lion roaring through you to confront evil in the world

Those who look to me will find renewed strength

And like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, you too will rise

I AM the God of peace…      which will come in time

as Love is shown and Grace, Mercy, and Forgiveness

are extended to all

***

This is not intended to be a theological study although it is inspired from the Biblical account of Job questioning of God as he lay suffering in sack cloth and ashes. This is simply a poetic rendering of questions we might be asking ourselves, as we watch the death and destruction in Ukraine, and how I imagine God might answer.

Paintings of Sunflowers: Dwight L. Roth

Sharing this on d’Verse Poets Pub open link night… Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Sand… or Gold?

Truth will set you free…

Sales-pitches creates blinders

Like panning for gold

One must wash away the sand

To find small nuggets of Truth

*

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, Lillian gave us several proverbs and adages to choose from to write a poem. I chose “The truth will set you free… from John 8:32.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

A Spirit of Fear

Fear creates anxiety

believing we are helpless

unable to control our future

*

Fear drives us to climb on board

riding the band wagon of distress

cheering as we careen toward the cliff;

Just like Thelma and Louise

*

Fear preempts good judgment

listening to our insecurities

believing in hopelessness

instead of common sense

*

Fear grasps for that last straw

knowing it will not save us

while denying the inevitable

*

Fear is the method of control

for politicians, religious leaders, and jihad i terrorists

Dictators, Presidents, Kings, and Priests

Why do we choose a spirit of fear

when we could have…

“…a Spirit of power, of love, and of a strong mind” (NKJV)

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Don’t Marry a Drip

“A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping 

of a leaky roof in a rainstorm”

It is not about the making up

Rather, about making a wise choice

Irritations wears thin rather quickly

So choose compatibility

when picking a wife

Today at d’Verse, Merril asked us to choose a proverb and write a poem that includes it.   I chose Proverbs 27:15 NIV Bible.

Join us at https://dversepoets.com

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

• note: disclaimer- This post is not talking about my personal relationship with my wife! Rather, it is a general observation based on this proverb.

A Bud of Hope

At the base of each drying leaf

Is a bud full of life and potential

Waiting patiently for summer’s heat

Or winter’s cold to pass

Knowing Spring will bring renewal

*****

Remember…

Behind all that crushes you

Makes you feel devastated

Hopeless and distraught

Lies a bud of strength and potential

The creator’s promised hope

Waiting for you to recognize

That your spring has arrived

Once more

Photo: Dwighr L. Roth

Is Your God is too small?

As long as we can keep God confined to an image

or a person, we can control the use of him/her

to conform others to think like we do

~believing we are the only ones~

While others find God’s Spirit all around them

Experiencing love and blessing in all they do

Exchanging religion for real spiritual connection

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, Merril introduced us to Puente, bridge building in our poetry. We are to take the first verse and connect it to the third verse by a single bridge line that completed the first verse and leads into the third. This is a first for me, so I am sharing some thoughts running through my head today.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Truth and Lies

Very unsettling to see

truth and lies woven into the same strand

Hypnotized by strong need to believe

when obviously on shaky ground

Being right at all cost

closes eyes to see what went down

Feeling all is lost

Settling into the quicksand around

Truth and lies come in many forms

People believe what they want to hear

Everyone takes their stand

as truth and lies are woven into the same strand

***

Painting – Dwight L. Roth