bruised and smoldering moments

a bruised reed has a certain numbness

numb and hurting in their spirit

desperate in their loneliness and rejection

reeds grow on the river bank

it is a delicate task hollowing them out

to make a musical pipe

our hands

often clumsy

we easily bruise the reed in the process

when bruised

it is considered useless for making music

and is thrown away

but

God delights in taking these bruised reeds

and making them into fine tuned instruments

for his orchestra

David

the song of God among men

was a bruised reed

a wick floating in oil

gives light

if the oil runs out

the stench of the burning wick is obnoxious

and one is quick to throw it away

but

Jesus takes the smoking remnant of a life

and makes it into the light of the world

he will not extinguish

a burning wick

there are some who sit on the edge of life's craters

and inhale the sulphur of defeat

failure

and sin

but

it is a bruised reed

that plays the strongest song of grace

it is a bruised reed that will be fitted

to minister grace to the lonely and wounded

giving them the grace

deeply received from God

those who have been wounded

make the best healers

many times the broken reed

we throw into the river as useless

is the very instrument God uses

to bring his grace to us

in the moment of our need

the fact is

God lives in my wounded brother

so many bruised reeds have experienced

their friends falling asleep

when they needed them

to just be there

it is not necessary to give answers

simply stay close

and pray

Ezekial had no answers

but he was willing to sit

with the captives

in their despair

for a week

with his mouth shut

this afternoon

with no answers

and my mouth shut

I sat

on the edge of the crater

with a bruised reed

a smoldering wick

I can only pray

there will be one

who will stay awake with me

should I be bruised

and left smoldering