....in order

that we may

      bear fruit for God.

            Romans 7. 4

What in the world 

      am I doing?

Why am I here

    in the midst of this hard place,

    among these people,

    dealing with this mess

        or what I don’t understand?

To bear fruit for God,

       in whatever shape that may look.

Take root and bear fruit,

    even in what we may

    never see fully ripen.

God’s purposes flourish 

   wherever we are planted today,

in whatever circumstances 

          favorable or not

       nothing is random here,

among whomever God puts

            on our paths or hearts.)

O LORD,

We may not see Your purposes 

             or Your fruit,

but we can be assured 

that You are using us

to sustain,

to encourage,

to strengthen,

and to bring Your name here.

Even here.

Even in this.

This may not be about us at all,

but for those around us

and those who come after,

a blessing and testimony 

        yet to ripen.

For You are good,

    for Your steadfast love

    endures forever.