Beautiful Masterpiece
Have you ever put a puzzle together and noticed how different each piece is? Have you ever pondered on how they are shaped just perfectly to fit perfectly together? Have you ever noticed the detail each piece has in order to fit where it’s supposed to? God created puzzles and that’s how I like to look at humanity. We are all shaped differently. We all have our own special gifts and talents to be able to do what God anointed us to do. If we were all meant to be the same, He would have created us that way, and what fun would that be?
Every person is loved and adored by God. In fact, He calls us . . . ‘His own handiwork, His own craftsmanship made intricately and delicately detailed’ with perfection to work together as one union, for one common cause: to love and serve God because He first loved and served us. We were fearfully and wonderfully made in Jesus’ image. We are the apple of His eye. God is a God of wonders, a God of mystery, a God of brilliance and beauty. God’s wonderfully crafted masterpiece puzzle will soon be completed . . . when His son, Jesus, returns.
God uses healthy children for their strength and emotional stability to help those who are spiritually (and/or physically) blind. A disabled child demonstrates how important it is to wholly depend on God, how a completely holistic lifestyle approach is needed (and sometimes required) just to stay alive. God uses the mentally challenged to shine brightness and creativity in areas and ways that others cannot. They think simple, childlike, outside-the-box ideas. They shine their light in places that have never seen light before. They find comfort and peace among angels in the darkness. They tend to be the ones to keep the healthy, healthy and heal the sick, wounded, and tormented with their unique yet simpleminded ideas and approaches. Therefore, they can bring their creativity to life and express emotions in ways that are different from others yet share exactly the same concept.
God uses each one of our abilities and no one person is more important than the other. When all these skills, qualities and attributes come and work together, as one, the world is an amazingly beautiful and peaceful place. However, no one person can replace YOU. You are unique, very loved, treasured, cherished and valued, not only by your heavenly Father but also by your family and loved ones.
A Little Girl’s Dream
As a little girl, I dreamt of a fairy-tale ending. I dreamt of everything but reality. Reality was much too painful. Still is, but at least now I have more strength than I did. I wanted a white picket fence, a dog, a cat, a loving and protective husband, and two wonderful children, a boy and a girl. My husband was a successful entrepreneur (businessman) and I, a songwriter/singer. We had a big colonial house with a large front yard and an enormous backyard. We built the home and when each of our children was born, we planted a tree for them.
Each spring we lined our backyard with the Christmas tree from the year before. The kids loved to play in our tropical backyard oasis and even on sweltering summer nights, when the kids were in bed, the Mr. and I would sneak off to the pool and hot tub for a secret little rendezvous of our own.
We had the happiest life ever. He had a good relationship with his family, and I with mine. During the holidays, we would go to both. We were all in the same area. There was no hate or hostility. No harsh words exchanged. No heart problems. No deaths. No abuse. No stepparents. No addictions. No financial hardships. It was a perfect world. And everyone lived happily ever after.
© 2004 HMRyan
The Journey
My journey begins at 5th and Bay Ridge Ave. The bus is nearly full. There is an empty seat next to an older woman. Normally, I would stand but the stitches in my toe and my new shoe will not permit such, so I graciously accept the seat. I don’t look into the woman so much. In this city, you can’t. Brooklyn is not the place for soul-searching. I hang my head and slide into my seat. She has a few bags with her and wears a pale pink jacket. Her few wrinkles tell me she is exhausted, but she keeps going. Italian, I presume, but it is hard— one can never tell these days.
The bell rings and another empty soul exits. The woman in front of me has beautiful silky brown hair. Her son of about three or four years sits on her lap playing. He laughs and giggles with his mother. It brings a smile to my face as I remember playing with my eighteen-month-old. With his father next to them keeping a protective eye, the bell rings again. The happy family gets off. I watch out the window as they scamper down the street.
The bell rings again. Another empty soul exits. I stare out the window while my companion has her eyes elsewhere. We sit silently next to each other for miles. She doesn’t look to me and neither me to her. I love sitting next to the window. Knowing someone sits next to me is comforting. My mind and body relax. At least the woman doesn’t have a nauseating smell to her. I don’t smell much of anything during this particular journey. The bell rings again. This time my faithful companion gets off. The bell keeps ringing. I remain alone next to the window throughout the rest of my journey. I watch the world go by, overwhelmed with loneliness. Only a few linger inside the bus now.
Is it fair for me to wonder where they are going? Is it fair to wonder what my companion was thinking? Was she thinking of cooking? Was she happy she had a family to go home to? Was she worried about tomorrow? Was she worried the chemo wasn’t working on her, or a loved one? Was she dreading an upcoming surgery? Is it fair for me to wonder if they have normal lives? Is it fair for me to wonder who they all go home to? Is it fair for me to wonder all these things? Is anything fair?
© 2013 HMRyan
Trapped
The door slammed behind her. The room was pitch black and empty. A light, just barely hung from the ceiling flickered on and off. No decorations, no furniture, nothing; the room was completely empty. The only presence was hers. She felt trapped. She felt isolated. She felt alone and abandoned. She was befuddled as to how she could have ended up in that state of mind. Nevertheless, that wasn’t nearly as important as how to get out. She sat to collect her thoughts and mastermind her next move.
Suddenly, the light flickered brighter, and two doors appeared, Door 1 and Door 2. They both looked the same, dark and empty. The only difference was Door 2 echoed with a platform. Door 1 was deep, hollow and dangerous. She put one foot in Door 2 and suddenly lights turned on. Disbelief flooded throughout her while she stood watching the commotion below. People shuffled about doing what looked like fixing machinery or something. She stepped back and the lights turned off. The barely hanging light still flickered above. She pondered the situation for a minute. Full of fear and eyes closed, she leaped onto the platform.
The door slammed behind her.
© 2005 HMRyan
Nostalgia
One small object, one small incident, one event, a certain smell, a certain taste, a certain texture can trigger the strongest nostalgic emotions. Suddenly, you find yourself free again, imprisoned again, scared again, young again. Some feelings and emotions, no matter how well you conceal them, always resurface at one point or another throughout life.
While memories can last a lifetime, you will never forget the feelings and emotions that are associated with those memories. Some you might welcome and some just might haunt you. Significant or insignificant as they may be, they are a part of your life. A fluttering butterfly can bring a smile to one’s face while bringing tears to another’s eyes.
Ultimately, at the end of the day, you sit back and ponder the decisions you have made throughout your life, the decisions you are currently faced with and that little nostalgic memory and all its emotions flit through your mind, even if for a second, and then it suddenly disappears, and you are faced with reality once again.
© 7/21/2013 HMRyan
Revised 2/2023
United States of America
“One Nation under God . . . In God We Trust!”
Jesus has put it on my heart to remind His people that the United States of America was founded and built on immigration, Christian values and morals. Unless you are a full-blooded Native American Indian, you and/or your ancestors immigrated here from somewhere.
‘In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.’
During that time in history, Jews were expelled from Spain while Columbus sailed on behalf of the Spanish Monarchy. Coincidence? I think not!
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
Jesus took what Columbus discovered ‘on behalf of the Spanish Monarchy’ and gave His people a new ‘Promise Land.’ Just like Israel, American soil flowed rich with milk and honey but also overran with giants and wild beasts they had to conquer and tame. Thanks be to God; we now have a peace treaty and a good relationship with the American Indians. No, it did not start that way, but today, we are peaceful with each other. Israel and Philistine could also live peacefully together if they rid themselves of their prideful and prejudicial ways and thoughts.
Everyone wants to point fingers, blame this one, blame that one; look in the mirror, people (myself included)! Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is what we live in today. Someone doesn’t like or hates another because they are African American, Mexican, Chinese, Arab, white, Jew, Christian, Muslim, whatever the reason; grow up, people! No one, and I do mean NO ONE, is better than anyone else on this earth. Just because you were born in the United States and/or are a Jew does not make you superior to anyone else. God has given this nation, the United States of America, to Jesus’ people, Christians… no matter where they come from. This nation is called the ‘melting pot’ for a reason. We are melting into one another and creating different ways and means for Satan to attack us.
It doesn’t matter who enters the White House; the war between good and evil (God and Satan) will ensue and take place. There will be no more ‘president’ when Jesus returns. He WILL return and rightfully reign as the King that His Father created Him to be!
Whose side are you on?
Only If Alley Could Talk
Why am I in here? Where are we going? What are all these strange sounds? Egypt? Where is that?! Oh, my ears! She holds me so tight and says, “Hold on, we’re going up.” Why does she insist on taking me everywhere she goes? I was content where we were. He played with me sometimes. I always had food and water. There were many places to hide. There were lots of things to play with. Is this my punishment for not catching that mouse? I promise I’ll catch it next time; I promise! Finally, I get to poke my head out. What are all those fluffy white things passing us? She makes me so dizzy. I’ll just stay in here. It’s safer.
It’s quiet now. She’s reading as usual. She never pays me any attention when she’s reading or writing. She always says, “Alley, not right now. I’m writing.” Or “Alley, why do you always want my attention when I’m reading?” Oh, she’s petting my head. I love it when she does that. I don’t like flying, as she calls it, but knowing she’s always here is comforting. Oh no, she’s holding me tight again and I have that feeling again. She says we’re going down now. My ears! The sounds are different here. They don’t talk like her.
I don’t know how long we’ve been here, but I’m so happy she leaves me in one place with the same faces now. I don’t know what he says when she’s not around, but he plays with me and is nice. I only get to sleep with her now when he’s not around. When he’s here, she tells me, “Alright, Alley, give me my kisses. I have to go home now.” I run, hoping she will chase me to keep her here, but she doesn’t. She leaves. I sit and wait for her at the door, but she doesn’t come back. I know she will come tomorrow.
I miss our home. We weren’t apart like here. I always had food. The water is bad here and my dish is empty most of the time. I was warm all the time and our home was much nicer. This place is cold and dirty. What was she thinking?
RIP Alley 4/03-11/7/11
© 2011 HMRyan
