God's Plow Dance

God times things well, just like a minuet,
He brings a sequence to events to show
cause and effect, we’re always in His debt,
how He reaps bread from weeds and seeds we sow.

A fallen world we broken people work,
we little sense God leading us in dance,
beside the plow we do not see Him lurk,
coincidizing what we deem as chance.

Dumb as an ox, we dance behind the plow--
if only with our eyes of faith we’d peek
and raise them just above our sweaty brow,
we’d see the art and artist that we seek.

Lord, when I glance at Your dance mastery,
You help me to dance blind with You--and see.

                     -- by Pete Voelz       1/31/13

GMC Surprise

Each GMC God does is a surprise,
a novel way for God to intervene,
He makes things happen right before your eyes
in ways that you would never have foreseen.

For each God-Made Coincidence is true,
two ways God shows you love and helps you learn:
a blessing and a message just for you,
the blessing’s clear, the message you discern.

There’s no coincidence, luck, chance or fate,
His Providence means God is in control,
you have free will but GMC’s are great
to let His power do wonders for your soul.

Lord, personal and full of mystery,
keep making minor miracles for me.

                   -- by Pete Voelz       1/30/13

Resisting Trust

God’s Providence prevails, but I don’t trust,
I do my thing and give it all I’ve got,
work must get done, and I do what I must,
can’t wait for God, can’t be something I’m not.

God’s Providence demands some compromise,
to see my fate in His hands more than mine,
to look good, not in theirs, but in His eyes,
I’m only human, only He’s divine.

God looks for patience from a can-do man,
He asks no more than that I do my part,
my prayers discern the puzzle of His plan,
more than the work, He wants a change of heart.

I’ll trust more, Lord, and let You take the lead,
“Let go, let God,” You fill my every need.*

* St. Augustine said, “We should pray as if 
everything depended on God,” yet he added, 
“but work as if eveything depended on us.”

                           -- by Pete Voelz       1/29/13

See Christ, Be Christ

I have MS, each night Christ visits me,
He’s female, old, and looks just like my mother;
is not Christ God, One of the Trinity,
and more, my Savior, my Best Friend and Brother?

Christ phones each night, He sounds just like my daughter,
He is, though God, to me, though old, so loyal;
so much like her, He does the things I taught her,
these nightly calls make me feel simply royal.

I see my sister’s love poured on her son,
next hear one called, the mother of my wife;
the years of love shine strong though almost done,
so who sustains such love throughout our life?

At death, love means I gave more, Lord, than took,
to see You and to be You, I must look.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       1/28/13

Tough Love Leads

You drag me kicking, screaming, Lord, to heaven,
not that I do not want to go up there,
but You insist I need my sins forgiven,
and that without You I don’t have a prayer.

I want to have my cake and eat it too,
I don’t want to let up on all the fun,
and yet I want to very much please You,
but just not have You be the only one.

I realize all that You have done for me,
my life, Your care, my cup filled up, Your grace,
Your infinite love as far as I can see,
You make me wanna gaze upon Your face.

I do want You to fill in all I lack,
and ever lead me, Lord, to love You back.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       1/25/13

Love War

Let love become our battleground and war,
“All’s fair in love and war,” let it begin,
a place to fight where love has won before,
where the sole enemy to fear is sin.

Who can fight on when love’s the atom bomb?
Who would resist when love is the police?
Who can oppose a missile of “Shalom”?
Who’d not surrender when love is the peace?

Why war with blood and violence so mindless?
Since God is love, we’re on each other’s side,
instead of guns, let’s kill ‘em with our kindness,
God’s sure to win, and so love will abide.

You teach us, Christ, to love our enemies,
bring on the war of love, Lord, if You please.

                          -- by Pete Voelz       1/26/13

Mystery God

I see how much You, God, are mystery,
so much about You we just cannot know,
yet that You care at all for little me
increases my desire to love You so.

That I should claim I’m so much bigger than You,
and could pretend to think You don’t exist,
can I deny all that You say is true,
the love shown in Your gift of Eucharist?

Who am I to stand up against Your Church,
that holds it is Your living body on earth,
can I all those historic thinkers outsearch,
and so profess that my thoughts have more worth?

When death comes, Lord--which I don’t understand,
I hope I’ll rest in Your mysterious hand.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       1/25/13