Open Our Closed Hands!

A Poem, By Joy Aletheia Stevens

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Lord I come before You and stand.

I ask, Lord, open our closed hands!

Closed in anger, closed in fear,

Closed and keeping us from drawing near.

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Keeping us from doing what is right.

Keeping us from taking up a correct fight.

Confusion reigns, and terror abounds.

It is Your love that needs to be found.

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Oh Lord, help us understand!

It is Your Grace that will protect this land.

Not fear or anger or even war.

War is not what we are here for.

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War has a place in this world,

But we are to be about Your will uncurled.

We are to live with open hand,

Giving love and grace and all we have.

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You never said that when we do what is right

that it would not be a very hard fight.

You never said that if we turned from wrong

that we would be safe, but that we wouldn’t belong.

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Lord open up our hands to You,

Open our hearts and eyes to what is true:

A world aching, and needing just You.

This, after all, is nothing new.

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He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them- he remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free,

The Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalm 146:6-9

Joy Aletheia Stevens