Daily Devotional for April 16

 

April 16                                                              Matthew 7:15-29

                 Bastard

                                                     Son,
                                     She slapped my face.
Stopped me right there on the street and slapped my face.
    She saw me holding you and loving your brown, golden
             Laugh. I kissed you and put you back in the
  Carriage and she strolled right up and slapped my face.
            Them other ladies laughed behind their hands,
          And she stood there like some righteous dragon,
                                      Smiling down at me.
Her boy went to prison. (I heard that from Mrs. Freeborn.)
                      I thought to send her your diploma,
                      The one sayin' you're a lawyer now.
          I thought to stand over her and laugh and show
                     Pictures of the house you bought me.
                             (Can I ever thank you, Boy?)
                  But I kept them and my smile to myself.
                                I couldn't slap her face
              Knowing what a right smart sting it leaves.

Dear Creator,
There are so many lessons I could stand to learn. Among them,
that my actions are speaking loud and clear, whatever my words
might be saying at the time. However healthy a tree I might
appear to be, people know a sour fruit when they taste it. Please
guide me to humility and a pure heart so that my fruit will be
worth sampling. Thank you.

​

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.1989