Come Back To Me

On March 21, 2018March 21, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, God, God is there, poems, Poetry6 Comments

Image result for god waits for the prodigal

I won’t beg and plead

For you to come back to me

You have your own choices to make

You have your own roads to take

You will take many wrong paths

But the tough times will not last

I will be there, waiting patiently

Until that moment you come back to me

There will be people placed along your way

Most you will not listen to what they say

A few words will stay in your mind

A few others will be left for you to find

All will be where I want them to be

Guiding you to come back to me

You will be tossed around in the wind

Many branches will be trimmed

You will curse, you will rage

Nothing you do will take my love away

Even when all you see and hear are thorns and thunder

Doesn’t mean there are not roses and rainbows and wonder

Dead men do indeed bleed

But you can still come back to me

You can choose to live in a dilapidated shack in a deserted wasteland

You can choose to live in a lush garden in a castle so grand

You can choose to live in a prison in your own mind

You can choose to live with eyes that see but are blind

You can choose to live free

You can come back to me

Image result for god waits for the prodigal

There will be hurt, suffering, and pain

Without them true transformation will not find its way

You can ignore life and choose death

But that is not why I gave you breath

There is so much light around you yet you choose to live in the dark

I will be here waiting when you are ready to open your heart

Take these words as my guarantee

I will always be waiting for you to come back to me

Though your branches shake in the breeze

Don’t you know your roots grow deep

A candle gives off light because it endures the burning

To find the truth you must never stop learning

Every step taken closer to your destination

Every step taken to your current location

Every step farther away from where you began

Each and every step was all part of my plan

I will be here waiting patiently

Until you come back to me

Image result for god waits for the prodigal

Prodigal by Sidewalk Prophets –

One Step Away by Casting Crowns –

Lift Your Head Weary Sinner by Crowder –

Come To Jesus by Mindy Smith –

Lean On by 7eventh Time Down –

Forever Starts Today by Disciple –

The Painter

On March 19, 2018March 19, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, poems, Poetry8 Comments

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painting by my mom, Reba Hansen

With a single stroke of her brush she paints the first word of the line

Each brush stroke adds more words over time

The paintings will tell a story without saying a word

Doesn’t matter it it’s a landscape or of a single bird

What will she paint? She wonders as she starts from scratch

She contemplates every color, how to mix and match

Acrylic, water, oil, or some kind of gloss

She looks at the wall, drawing her inspiration from the cross

A bluebird lands on her window sill and sings a song

A smile comes over her face, she knows her studio is where she belongs

A squirrel grabs a nut and takes a seat

Watching every brush stroke as it has it’s own beat

A rabbit sneaks in the door,

Watching her as she paints more

Her technique is as unique to her as she is unique to God

A deer peeks in the window, the beauty has him awed

A little green there, add some orange and brown

She looks at the animals gathered around

She adds some pink and red, and a touch of blue

She says to my vision I must be true

She looks at the painting, yes, it is complete

She looks down at the dog laying at her feet

Well, boy, what do you think?

He wags his tail and gives her a wink

She wonders where she would be without God’s love

At that moment, like God was listening, in flew a white dove

She whistles a tune from a time when she was in a different place

Then she starts to sing, the hour I first believed, amazing grace

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paintings my mom, Reba Hansen

I Didn’t Like You

On March 15, 2018March 15, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life4 Comments

An older post as I finish up some new writings. Hope you enjoy.

Dear friend,

I am writing this today to be honest with you. I hope you know you are near and dear to my heart now but when I first met you I didn’t like you. When I first saw you I didn’t like the way you looked. I turned away from you and didn’t give you a chance. The second time I saw you you were with a group of people I knew so I came over to talk to everyone. I didn’t like the sound of your voice or how you laughed- at everything. The third time I saw you were just sitting there staring out into space. I was like what’s up with this guy but for some reason I was compelled to sit beside you. We didn’t even say a word. Funny when you look back on it since I can’t stop talking to you now. The fourth time I saw you I actually introduced myself. I remember it felt kind of awkward since we have been together before but I didn’t even know your name yet. I don’t know why but it came as a surpise to me that my favorite NFL team was also yours. Not many Dallas Cowboy fans in Ohio. I almost quit talking to you when you told me you were from Michigan and liked that team up north.

I remember I didn’t see you for a few months after that. I asked around but it seemed like no one knew where you went. You just disappeared. When you came back you weren’t the same. I could tell something was going on but I am not one to pry. As you know I am an introvert and I don’t reach out easily. We didn’t really have any conversations for awhile. Just the occasional hi, how are you, see ya later, keep in touch. Every time I thought to get more involved and invest some time in you, fear kept me from opening up. I could see you were hurting but I didn’t know what to say. I am so sorry I let you go through that alone.

I then met a girl and she was a Christian. I didn’t know much about God or praying and the have not but she invited me to go to her church. I was reluctant at first but I really liked her. I finally gave in and went. That first time was a little awkward but I could feel something. It was like someone was pulling me. The second time I went I opened the Bible and the page it opened to was in the book of Job.

It was like God was talking to me about you. Then I flipped through the pages and stopped. It stopped on Ecclesiastes 4.

Even a doubter like me was starting to think something was going on here. I said ok God, third time is a charm. I shut the Bible then opened it up and you would not believe where I opened it up to. 1 John 3:17.

Just for kicks I said one more time and I opened the Bible to 1 Thessalonians

God was giving me a message.

I asked this girl about prayer. She told me she prays all the time. Prays for me, her family, strangers, friends, her dog, her old rickety car to last one more day, etc.. I was thinking if she can pray for all those things all the time it can’t be that hard. My first prayer was “Dear God” and that was it. I couldn’t think of anything else to say. What kind of person am I? She told me not to give up, God knows what I need before I do. He knows what I will say before I do. I laughed, so what’s the point of asking for something He already knows I need. I think I offended her but she was patient with me. I was really falling in love with her. I kept trying and I got past the “Dear God” part and I prayed for you. I prayed that whatever you are going through that you will be okay. I asked her if it was selfish to pray for myself and she smiled and said heck no, I pray for myself all the time. I then prayed for me. I prayed that God would give me the courage and the words to say to you to help you.

As you know it’s been ten years since I reached out to you. You know I married that girl and that we have four girls now. I am so sorry I waited so long to talk to you. I know I wasted a lot of time that I can never get back. I know that I missed hours and days of laughter and tears with you, even though I still didn’t like the way you laughed. I know you are a loving, special, awesome person who changed me for the better. You made me a better person. You taught me a lot about God, hope, faith, family. You are like a brother to me.

I miss you. I can’t believe I let you go through that alone. All because I was afraid. I can’t believe today is the 9th anniversary of your death. I can’t believe you have been with God for 9 years now. I can’t believe I only had one year to truly get to know you. Even when you were at your weakest you were the strongest person I have ever met. Thank you for being my friend.

Hard to believe I didn’t like you at first.

P.S. Until I see you again I will talk to you all the time. Don’t laugh. You know I don’t like your laugh. Okay, your laugh isn’t all that bad. Thinking of you all the time my dear friend. I love you.

Your friend,

Rob

I don’t know where this letter came from. My original intent was to write about songs I didn’t like at first. Then I started to type and God put the words in my head. I don’t even know what songs to put on here now. I do have lyrics to a song I am trying to get out there on this topic.

How many times have you not liked someone because of the way they looked, the clothes they wore, the food they ate, the color of their skin, their disability, the way they talked or laughed? How many times have you not liked someone because they weren’t like you? The list to not like someone is long but the list to like someone is short.

Jesus hung out with tax collectors, lepers, adulterers, women, sinners – just like you and me. What if Jesus said I can’t be your friend because….?

Maybe Today

On March 13, 2018March 7, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, God, God heals, poems, Poetry2 Comments

Image result for the shack quotes

There was a time

When I would hit my knees and pray

Thanking God you were mine

But that was before He took you away

I was upset, no, I was angry

Eyes sewn shut

No light could get in

I never thought to look up

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Running in circles

Can’t catch my breath

Don’t want to live

I would prefer death

I am out of tears

I scream and shout

I don’t want to grab the hand

I can see reaching out

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It never occurred to me

That I was on the wrong side

Until through a single crack

Appeared a slither of light

A feeling I can’t explain

A weight lifted off my chest

I could suddenly breathe again

A time to heal, a time to rest

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All the hurt and pain diminished

Understanding the tears I cried

Then a voice, I understand your pain

For my own son died

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Spinning by Disciple-

Pull The Plug by I Prevail-

On My Way by Hayden Panettiere-

Keep Your Eyes on Me by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill –

The Wound Is Where The Light Gets In by Jason Gray –

The Pier

On March 12, 2018March 12, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Short story3 Comments

I remember the first time I saw her. Standing all alone in the water. I stood in awe at how beautiful she was. A true work of art. It was love at first sight.

It was our first vacation together to the beach. Our first of many.

I remember the first time I walked out on her, I stood so far out into the ocean. The beach looked so far away. I was so far out all the people on the beach looked like ants.

I learned all about her. From the beginning when she was first being made until now. All the storms she had been through, everything that made her into the beauty she is today. I couldn’t help but wonder if other people looked at her the way I did.

How many sunrises and sunsets have we seen from that pier? How many long talks have we had walking the beaches and that pier while holding hands?

Every year, before we would go back, I would look at the old photos of us taken on that pier. The first one taken when we’re just dating, the first one taken as a married couple, the first one with our daughter as a baby and all the ones through the years as she, and we, grew older.

Image result for piers covered in fog

Throughout the years, I always knew the pier would be there when we were. The times when we would walk early in the morning and the fog was so thick we could barely see our hands in front of our face. But somehow, I knew the next step would land on the next plank. On the dark nights when we could not see the end of the pier because of the darkness, I still knew it was there.

Image result for old wooden piers at night

Then I looked at the last picture, the one from last year. The pier was showing her age but she was still so beautiful to me. Our daughter had grown so strong and beautiful, ready to go out on her own. There was something off about the picture though. There was a light missing from your eyes. Maybe the smile wasn’t as big as years past.

Maybe it was just my imagination. I couldn’t get the thought out of my head.

Do you believe in coincidences? As I was staring at the picture there was a breaking news alert. The hurricane hit the pier and she was gone. I couldn’t believe it. All those years of storms and sunshine, cold winter nights and hot summer days, all the things the pier had been through and now she was gone.

Image result for pier destroyed in myrtle beach

A tear came to my eyes as I stared In disbelief. Was it real or was I dreaming? Was she really gone? All these pictures, all the memories, all of it gone. No, they were still there but as I looked at the empty space in the ocean I knew things would never be the same.

I couldn’t help but look at the last picture again. The one where the light in your eyes was gone and your smile wasn’t as big. All the storms we have faced and survived. All the good days and the bad days. I couldn’t help shake the feeling that a storm was coming. A storm bigger than we have ever faced before.

We will survive it or we will fall like the pier?

Related image

Almost Broken by Sister Hazel-

Church Clothes by Kelleigh Bannen –

Performance by The XX –

A Day To Be Alone by One Less Reason –

Even If by MercyMe –

That Could Still Be Us by Keith Urban-

Where We Go From Here by Jason Gray –

Where Do We Go From Here by Oleander –

Something Beautiful by One Less Reason –

Broken Together by Casting Crowns –

I Am Not Who I Am

On March 9, 2018March 9, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, poems, Poetry6 Comments

I am not who I am

I have setbacks and I have sin

I may lose and I may win

I am not my selfish ways

I am who You have made

I may be slow to forgive

I may forget how You want me to live

I may give joy, I may give pain

I may lose what I have to gain

Some days I follow, some days I fall

Some days are silent, some days I hear Your call

Sometimes I pray all night and all day

Sometimes I forget and I have nothing to say

Sometimes I scream and shout

Sometimes I wonder what this life is about

Sometimes I know You, sometimes I forget who You are

Sometimes You seem so close, sometimes You are so far

Help me to remember who You made me to be

Help me to remember it’s only You I seek to please

Help me to remember I am not who I am

Help me to remember You died so I can

Remind Me Who I Am by Jason Gray –

Change It All by No Resolve –

Honest To God by Devin Dawson –

Why Is He Back?

On March 8, 2018March 8, 2018 By roberthansen1317In angels, Christian life, Short story2 Comments

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It was a difficult time. I knew that she was not being herself. I knew the enemy had attacked and she didn’t fight him.

I told God, I told the devil, whoever would listen that I am stronger than she is. Take the demon from her and put it in me. Release her and let me deal with it.

I don’t cuss. I don’t scream. Most of the time nothing bothers me. I just let it roll right on off and go on with life. Yes, I get discouraged when I am taken advantage of, over and over and over. But life goes on. Stay the course. I tell you this because you need to understand the change that happened when I invited the demon into me.

The change was immediate. I felt like a different person. I could feel the tension inside of me. I turned into a person that screams, yells, and cusses. She deserves every bit of it for what she did. I don’t need her so let’s beat her down until she can’t get up. She did this, not me.

I looked in the mirror and the eyes looking back were not mine. I could see him in there. I knew he was there. He knew I knew. A small sinister smile appeared. You asked for me to be here so here I am.

It was a battle between who I am and who he is. Sometimes the angels won, sometimes the devil won. Sometimes I didn’t care who won.

Sometimes I even enjoyed him being there. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more kind heart. Be the bad guy they all want anyway.

But I can’t be the bad guy. As hard as it tried, it’s just not who I am. It is who he is. Telling me things, telling me I need to do this or do that. I fought it.

I could eventually feel him come at all hours of the day and night. I would feel my eyes shift and I knew he was there. It would be like blinking and the world just looked different. He was the one looking from behind my eyes, not me. I would wake up sweating but my teeth were chattering because I was freezing. I would start shaking, like I was having a seizure, in middle of the day.

Where did he go when he wasn’t in me? Or was he always there and the angels just kept him subdued? If that’s the case, did the angels leave me to deal with this on my own? I don’t know.

I had to get control.

I could not take it anymore. God take this from me. Silence. I guess I did ask for it. Maybe I was not as strong as I thought I was. Maybe I still am not that strong.

I went to a Christian counselor to see if this was just in my head or what was going on. She suggest we do this rapid eye sensory thing, something they use for PTSD cases. Anything was worth a shot.

Holy crap, I will never doubt counseling again. I could see the demons face, he told me his name. It was like he was sitting right beside me. It gives me chills just talking about it now. After a few treatments, and since I now knew its name, I asked it to leave. Amazingly, it did.

That was five years ago.

I finished brushing my teeth yesterday and looked in the mirror. To my surprise, he was looking back at me, then he smiled his sinister smile.

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Oh no! was my first thought. I didn’t ask you to come back here. What are you doing here? Then I thought, I don’t even care. I am too tired to fight it.

I just stood there looking at myself, and not myself was looking back, smiling.

I resigned myself to this is how it is going to be. I must well give up. But then I saw a flash of light in the mirror behind me.

I knew the angel was back also. I was not alone. I would not have to fight this alone. I will fight this.

I will fight.

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Goodnight Good Guy by Collective Soul –

My Demons by Starset –

Don’t Give Up by Calling Glory –

I Am Not Alone by Kari Jobe –

Oh Lord by Lauren Daigle –

A Fight I Must Win by Arch Enemy –

Michael, The Monster Under The Bed

On March 7, 2018March 7, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Short story2 Comments

Image result for good night monster under the bed

My name is Michael. You can call me Mike if you would like. I’m the monster that lives under your bed.

Don’t get me confused with Ted, the monster in your closet. He could never fit under your bed. He’s also afraid of the light. I, however, am not afraid of the light.

Don’t get me confused with Kelly either. She’s the monster in the corner. I wouldn’t really call her a monster. Seriously, she hides right out in the open. Not much creativity there.

Don’t get me confused with Brad, the bogeyman. Between you and me, Brad isn’t real. Let’s not waste any more time on him.

Now back to me. Mike, the monster under your bed. I am free to roam the house anytime I want. Can I tell you something really scary? It’s the monsters, I mean people, on top of the bed that are the scariest. Way scarier than I have ever thought about being.

The mean, terrible, and horrible things I have seen them do scare me. I would never think of doing the things they do. Not even crossed my mind. Not once.

In fact, I have changed my ways. When the monsters on top of your bed scare you, I will be the protector under your bed.

Yes, I like that. Mike, the protector under your bed. Now go to sleep. Sweet dreams.

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A Troubled Heart, A Kind Heart

On March 6, 2018March 6, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, poems, Poetry4 Comments

Image result for a troubled heart

A troubled heart used to beat so strong

A kind heart, thought he could survive the wrongs

A troubled heart broken but still loves

A kind heart pauses and then just shrugs

A troubled heart stitched back together for the hundredth time

A kind heart thinking I will try just one more time

A troubled heart looks around but can’t speak

A kind heart slowly becomes weak

A troubled heart wishes someone could see the trouble it’s in

A kind heart too tired to try, too worn out to try again

A troubled heart wonders why it’s still alive

A kind heart decides to give up tonight

A troubled heart can no longer see

A kind heart decides to no longer beat

A kind heart turns into a hard heart

A hard heart turns to stone, sets itself apart

A hard heart tries not to feel

A hard heart makes walls of steel

A hard heart acts like it doesn’t care

But inside a kind heart still beats there

A hard heart looks at a world that deceives

A kind heart must choose to continue to beat

Image result for a kind heart discouraged

Oh My Soul by Casting Crowns-

Troubled Heart by Kutless –

Joy Is In Our Hearts by Sara Groves –

The Clock

On March 5, 2018March 5, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Short story2 Comments

For something that only has one thing to do, I get blamed for a lot of things. You would think that I would mind, but I don’t. It really isn’t my fault for the problems in people’s lives. I mean all I do is go around in circles, twice a day. You know today what you wasted yesterday. You know today that you have the same amount of time as tomorrow to do what you need to do. How is it my fault you didn’t get it done ?

I come in many forms. Sometimes I have hands. Other times I have a digital read out. Sometimes I have numbers, sometimes I don’t. No matter what I have or don’t have, my job is the same each day. Many of you say I am only right twice a day. Good one. I have to laugh when I hear that.

Often times, no pun intended, people look at me and can’t believe how much time has went by. Other times they can’t believe how slow I am going. I am here to tell you I do neither. I am constant. Always the same. 86,400 seconds then I reset to zero. Well, there was this one time when God stopped me but that’s the only time. Unless He asks again because I will never say no to God. Would you?

Let me ask you, what is your problem with me? Never mind, let me guess. I don’t have enough time. Or is it I have too much time on my hands. Isn’t it funny that when you have too much time it seems like you don’t have enough time? How many times have you sat doing nothing when you could’ve been doing something? You think Tom Brady ever said I don’t have enough time to read the playbook this week? You think Michael Jordan ever said I don’t have enough time to practice my jump shot? They had to sacrifice other things that took up their time to make time to do what they needed to do. I bet they don’t always sleep eight hours a day. I bet they don’t watch three hours of television a night. Do you think they ever said I am too busy to do what I need to do to be successful?

Mother Teresa said “yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” You think she ever said I don’t have enough time? If she was alive today how much time do you think she would spend on Facebook? How many selfies would she take?

Anyway, back to my story. I am like God in a lot of ways. I am the same today as I was yesterday as I will be tomorrow. I will never change. I am not God. Many of you look at me like I am. Many of you curse me because you didn’t do what you had to do in the time you had to do it. Are you more mad at me or yourself? I didn’t force you to waste your time today. I didn’t force you to spend your time that way. I didn’t tell you to spend ten minutes flirting with that woman instead of spending ten minutes calling your wife. Yet you blame me for not having enough of me to give to your wife. I didn’t ask you to spend thirty minutes looking at pornography instead of reading the bible. Yet you blame me for not having enough of me to get to read God’s word.

You know what you have to do in the time you have been allotted. On your death bed you can’t say you didn’t have enough time. I have seen it happen too many times. I regret I didn’t spend enough time with my family. I regret I spent so many hours working. I wish I would’ve spent more time talking to God. I wish I would’ve donated more time to help others. I I I ……I wish, I should have, I could have. Let me tell you you can. What will you do TODAY to take care of your TOMORROWS and not live in your YESTERDAYS? What will you sacrifice? I am not to blame. 1440 minutes. Each and every day. I give it to all of you. The same amount.

Don’t be one of those people. I know I might be out of a job by telling you this but throw me away. Live your life with purpose. Do what God wants you to do! Does it matter what time it is or how much time is left in the day? If God says move, does it matter what time I tell you it is?