Burn Out

We poured ourselves out
cupful, bucketful
streaming, gushing
pumping it out
every last ounce

sermon after sermon
lesson after lesson
song after song
gestures of care
initiating fellowship
running to others
going all the way
until we slowed
to a crawl
then our arms and our legs gave out

You are standing over us
reviving
sermon by sermon
lesson by lesson
song by song

It’s not me sharing a song before a crowd
It’s me in a crowd
shopping in a store
I am stopped by the chorus echoing in the background music
It matches the ache throbbing in the background of my heart
I’m driving down the road in tears
at the same time as the words on the radio
are the ones I didn’t know I needed to hear
You are giving me a private concert

I’m still too empty
to carry my friendship
to the people who won’t
or maybe they just truly can’t
meet us at the middle of the bridge
or even step onto it
I’m at my window seat
You are busily rushing to my mind
long forgotten memories of seasons past
decades past
gestures of care shown to me
Your mercy and goodness will follow me all the days of my life

You initiate fellowship
the sweetest, the nearest, the dearest
pouring onto and into me
washing all of me

one day
again
Our cups will runneth over

 


Jaime Roop is a freshly turned 40-year-old navigating a mid-life journey towards coming out of her shell.  She is a hearing 4’11’’ Highly Sensitive Person happily mismatched to her deaf 6’2” computer genius husband.  They are raising three blonde blue eyed school age girls in small town Alabama. She earned her MA in counseling and still loves to delve into all matters of heart and heartache, however currently she loves doing her dream job as an American Sign Language interpreter.