Engraved

I met with a friend this week who encouraged me in the fact that she said that she was praying for my son, William. I had not given her a lot of details but had just asked for prayer.
She had been praying through a book, Praying the Scripture for Your Teens by Jodi Berndt and had been praying two of the prayers specifically for William. She knew none of the details of what was going on with him but God led her to prayer and read the chapter on self-injury and the one on depression.
What an amazing God we serve. When we are following close to him and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us, he will lead us exactly where he needs us. To pray for those he knows need us to be praying for them.
I was reading the chapter my friend had led me to on self-injury.
As I was reading it I got an overwhelming urge to write a poem. It was so powerful that I stopped what I was doing and wrote.
This poem is based on the chapter that I read.


Engraved - For William

My pain

Sorrow

Shame and guilt

How can I go on?

The pain seems too deep to escape

Where can I go?

Nowhere.

Looking for a release

An escape

So, I bring that pain upon myself

For a moment the pain is gone

Lost in the pain of new wounds

Peace for a moment

Fleeting

Then come the scars

A reminder of the pain and sorrow

More guilt and shame

A vicious cycle

Where is the end of it all?

I look up 
Through my tears and sorrow

That is the only place I can look

I see new wounds

BUT

They are not mine

A hand reaches out

Hands of peace and gentleness

Offering forgiveness and newness

Giving me strength

In those hands I see wounds

Wounds that spell out MY NAME

Engraved into the hands of my loving Savior

MY NAME

Why?

He whispers of his willing decision

To take my pain and shame

To take my guilt for himself

I am forgiven

Even in the midst of my shame and guilt and pain

I am forgiven

I reach out to take his hand

Hands of compassion

Hands of unconditional love

Hands that are engraved

Engraved with love for me

My wounds and scars become a reminder

A reminder of His wounds
My name on His hands

Engraved forever

6 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

Isaiah 49:16a

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