How Do I Tell You

How do I tell you
That God is both real and present
And that is where to begin and end?
How can I persuade you
That you need to start there
And there you should never move beyond?
How can I convince you
That awareness of Him is what you really seek
When your eyes look right past Him
Or upon Him refuse to gaze?

How do I tell you
That contemplation leads to clarity
And reflection to relevance?
How can I explain
That being present with God comes first
And always before speaking in God's name?
How will you see
That God has just as much to say about His means
As he does about His mission?

How do I tell you?

By being patient,
By being gentle,
By being faithful,
By being courageous,
By being a servant,
By being rejected,
By persevering,
By keeping in step with the Spirit,
By looking always and never away at God,
By dying to myself,
So that Christ can live in me.
My loss is your gain,
My death is your life.

Sweet Jesus, give me the grace to die.