Encouragement

Let it Soak

Something has been burned onto you,
It’s crusty and sticky and acting like
it has always been a part of who you are;
You are not this mess, don’t let it shame you.

We can scrub at it hard and long,
Use some steel wool and strong-arm this thing
To get it off, or we can let it soak instead,
Then it might come off more gently.

I’ll run some warm water, drizzle in
Some bubbly soap, we will cover this mess
With a different substance that does its work
Slowly, and then we will wait.

We are not ignoring this goo,
Some charred things just need time resting
In still, warm water before they are soft enough
To detach from the surfaces they have stuck to.

Yes, we’re still here, it’s only been five minutes.
We have to give the water time to do its work.
Water is a miraculous substance, changing
The weight of things, working by osmosis.

Yes, I’m excited to get this over, get this done, too,
But dear one, rushing ahead will only make this harder.
Let it soak. Let it rest. Let it be covered.
Under the water, transformation is happening.

Yes, now it’s been an hour,
Funny how time moves like water,
Like quiet streams, when we’re sitting together,
Together here in the waiting.

I’m still thinking about water:
How it makes up so much of who you are,
How it is used to wash and clean,
Thinking about living water and baptizing.

Words are like water, and parting seas
Sometimes looks like shutting out deceit
By letting me clear the way for you,
Or like being buried, under water, and coming up free.

Words are like water, like the water I use
To wash my disciples’ feet, I’m gentle,
It’s not a scouring, it’s an honoring,
Washing off the parts that don’t look like me.

Words are like water, when waters break,
There is a flood, life is going to pour out,
There may be pain in the process,
But this new life is wondrous and full of beauty.

Words are like water, coming out of a rock,
The rock that is higher, the cornerstone rock,
Bringing refreshing where there was once doubt,
Keeping promises, this water that doesn’t run out.

It is time now to see how things have changed;
Let’s pour some water out slowly,
There now, here’s a clean cloth to remove
The lingering mess. All through. There now.
There you are, now you look like you.

Originally Published on Faith Danielson