Kris’ Poem

My friend is leaving for Korea this Friday with her family, right before Christmas. They will be able to remain together on a two-year accompanied tour, but that hasn’t always been the case. They have gone through deployments.

As she was preparing to pack out a few weeks ago, Kris gave me some poetry and said that I could share it with “Excellent or Praiseworthy.” What came immediately to my mind was that credit card ad on TV which puts a price on something, like “a book of poetry–$19.99” and then continues with what is “priceless”? My thought was, “A tender poem written by Kris. . . priceless.” When she handed me her poem, I felt the weight of trust that she was putting in my hands to share it with others.

You see, my friend wrote this poem when her husband left on a past deployment . . . shortly after she delivered her third child, a daughter. She had miscarried before that pregnancy, so she was anxious—especially since her husband was leaving soon after the birth. I do not know the exact story of when she put her thoughts and feelings into a poem, but I imagine that it was after she had come to terms with the fact that her husband was gone—but also knowing that, as a Christian, she is never alone. In the poem you will see the “before and after”:

“His bags are being packed, my heart is building walls
I want life to stand still yet go forward at the same time
Her birthday is soon to arrive, the waiting has been taxing
Enduring loss before, I yearn to feel her in my arms
Please hurry up, yet not too fast
One is leaving, another is arriving
He is familiar, She is long-awaited
Anticipation is a foe as well as a friend
When she comes, then he goes.
This tension must be released.

Now he is far and she is near

God steps in.

Who went to bed with me, woke up with me? – Not him, but Him.
But wasn’t He always there? I now know His presence —
There is no one else

This tension mustn’t be released.
I rejoice — not for the separation but the closeness that came with you — Father.”

When I began searching the scriptures after studying Kris’ poem, I found this in Psalm 63:6-8:

“On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night.
Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings.
I stay close to You; Your right hand upholds me.”

Kris and her family, with four beautiful children now, are making their way to their new assignment in Korea. I will miss them, but I know that God, the Father, is with them. The scripture that I will pray for them will be Psalm 121:7-8:

“The LORD will keep you from all harm—
He will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.”

Questions to Share:

1. Can you relate to Kris and her husband as they faced such a huge transition in their family with his deployment?

2. What difference does it make to you to know that God loves you and is close at hand?