THE UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE … @RRBC_Org @RRBC_RWISA @Tweets4RWISA @nonniejules #RRBC #RWISA #Poetry #writingcommunity #readingcommunity
This morning I opened my eyes, rolled out of bed onto the floor, and onto my knees, to pray. This is a morning and nightly ritual in our family. My kids are adults now, but the last thing I say to them at night is, “Say your prayers, on your knees.”
I always begin my prayer with … “Thank you, Lord, for waking me up this morning … “ but after saying those words this morning, my prayer was cut short as I jumped up and ran to my desk to pen the piece below. (By the way, I did return to finish my morning prayer).
THE UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE
We lie down, but we don’t know if we’re going to wake up.
We leave the house, without the certainty that we’ll ever return.
We get behind the wheel of a car
Not to go far…
Just a few blocks from home.
But, who could have known
There’d be a drunk driver on the same road that day?
We befriend who will become our best friend, and we’re sure their loyalty to us is impenetrable.
But then, they betray us in the worst way …
The unspeakable is their crime.
‘Til this day, we can’t talk about it.
We meet and marry the person we are sure will walk with us … ‘Til Death Do Us Part’ –
But then, they break our heart.
The unimaginable pain left behind is too much to forgive,
So we part.
We bear children and make plans for their future.
Our dreams are what we hope theirs will be.
But then, they grow up, into their own minds, and begin to dream their own dreams for their lives.
And we, well, we have to live with what their dreams produce.
It is of little use
To fight them on their dreams.
We plan for them to marry those who will love and cherish them … protect them.
But what they bring home to us are those who hurt and abuse them.
So, we pray and ask God to watch over and blanket them with his protection, for ultimately they belong to him and are only on loan to us
Trust … we must.
Such is the uncertainty of life.
There are but a few wonders of life that we can be sure of…
The rain comes from the clouds
The moon lights up the sky
The sun comes up each day
We’ll live and then we’ll die.
~Nonnie Jules
I hope you enjoyed this piece of what I call a life reflection. Every thought, gave me pause.
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- Tagged: Life, Nonnie Jules, Poetry, Rave Reviews Book Club, RRBC, RWISA
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Beginning and ending each day in prayer… Grateful that He’s listening and working for our good every moment of every day. ❤ Thanks for sharing today's reflections, Nonnie. We all need to know that we are not alone… xo
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Yes, Bette… how comforting it is to know that we do not ever walk alone.
Thanks for dropping by!
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Hi Nonnie, this is a beautiful and meaningful poem. “But then, they grow up, into their own minds, and begin to dream their own dreams for their lives.” This line tells it all about parenting. We have to let our children go and watch them make their own mistakes, and hopefully, successes too. It is hard. Have a wonderful and blessed Easter, Nonnie.
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Robbie, yes, letting go is hard. I am a mom who is struggling deeply with empty nest syndrome. If it were up to me, I’d never, ever, ever, let my babies (who are now adults) out of my sight. I sent my sisters a text message this morning and shared how hard it is not having them with me. My oldest sister replied “But you have the dear hubby.” No comfort there. Although the dear hubby is amazing, I didn’t give birth to him and he isn’t a “daughter.” As a matter of fact, he’s struggling just as I am. Walking around the house loudly exclaiming how he misses his babies. We are a sad pair of here. I guess I should start wishing for grandbabies?
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Hi,
Nina Simone wrote a song that says Everything Must Change, Nothing Remains The Same. I thought of that song as I read your poem. She sang further in the song that what we can be sure of is that rain falls from the sky, the sun lights up the sky and humming birds do sing. Your poem gave me a flashback on my own level of gratitude, and I was thankful that I could cherish this morning after waking. I realized that I didn’t have any authority over what really counted in my life, for the things that are important can’t be bought. And as I lay down tonight, I hopefully will realize that the God who determined my day before it began is the same God that deterines my night. Thank you for sharing, Nonnie. Your poem is awesome.
Shalom aleichem
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Pat, I love that song and actually have it on my phone in 5 different versions (Quincy Jones, Gregory Porter, Nina Simone, George Benson and James Ingram). My favorite version is Quincy Jones – https://youtu.be/Gl-Tkbe2NHE
Pat, God does determine it all.
Thanks for dropping by!
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It’s Tuesday morning, and I have been given the gift of another day: Praise God! I begin each day reading scripture and praying, first with prayers of gratitude and then intercession for the names on my prayer card.
God has been faithful to me over these many years, and I have learned to trust in Him, a shelter in the time of storm. I believe the words of 2 Samuel 22:3 “The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior.”
Thanks for this lovely meditation, Nonnie!
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Marian, I love that scripture! Thanks for reminding me of it and thanks for dropping by with your support!
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Your poem is full of reflection. Though we cannot change the events in our lives, we can choose how we react to them. I enjoyed your poem, Nonnie. Thanks for sharing it with us today. 🙂
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I’m glad you enjoyed it, Yvette! Thanks for dropping by!
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Yes, Nonnie, life is so uncertain. Nothing in life is permanent. Only God is permanent. Thanks be to God!
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Thanks, Joy 🙂
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The spoken truth. Well said, Nonnie. Thank you for the reminder
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Truth it is, John P! Thanks for dropping by!
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An excellent poetic reflection on life, Nonnie! I thoroughly enjoyed it because it left us much to contemplate. Glad you finished your morning prayers!
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Thanks, John F.! It is food for thought for sure!
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Reblogged this on Maura Beth Brennan and commented:
A thoughtful poem to read and ponder:
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A lovely poem, Nonnie. I love that you ended with the “certainties,” too. Much to think about here.
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Thanks for the support, Maura Beth!
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Reblogged this on PTL Perrin Writes… and commented:
This poem by Nonnie Jules moved me today. Life IS uncertain from our limited perspective, but when we choose God and, like Nonnie, thank Him for each new day, we can be certain that He will never leave us no matter what happens in life.
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Thanks for the reblog, Patty!
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Nonnie what I have learned in this life is we should never depend on anyone for our happiness as we surely will be disappointed. The one true dependence is placing our trust in God.
I appreciate your thoughts on this subject.
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You’re right, Shirley. Only you can make you happy! Thanks for dropping by!
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You’re absolutely correct. We can only do the best we can do, pray, and trust that God’s plan will guide us.
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Yes, Karen … and he will guide us. We just need to learn to listen for that still small whisper.
Thanks for dropping by!
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I love this. Yes, life is uncertain, but you start and end the day by expressing your trust and faith in the God who wakes you up every morning you spend on this earth. He never promised life would be easy or predictable. He did promise to never leave us when we choose to become His. That is certain.
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Thanks, Patty! So true!
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