Meeting Needs

by Cheryl Merrick
Yes, she is weak and incompetent,
but strength comes 
from facing hard things.

Yes, she is lonely,
but when you shut yourself
in your home,
refusing to reach out in love,
you cannot expect anything else.

What is Fear?

by Cheryl Merrick

Fear is the robber of peace,
and the destroyer of hope.
It is doubt in yourself, others, and God,
     running wild and taking you with it.

Fear is a knot in your stomach,
a thumping in your heart,
and an invisible hand gripping your chest.

Fear is the preemptor of love.
As we focus on our own needs;
"What will I do if --
     he dies? if they do that? if the baby isn't perfect,
     if we lose our job, or our relationship?" ;
our concern turns inward where, like weeds,
fear crowds out our love for others.

Unseen

by Cheryl Merrick

As beauty that is unseen
in a vision-less world,
lies love in a heart that knows
only competition.
Frightened people huddle and scurry,
driven by a fear that never ceases;
“If I don’t control others, they will control me!”.
The fear escalates.
In a desperate effort to protect the fragile soul,
all weapons are employed:
intimidation and guilt,
manipulation and denial.

Invisible Chains

by Cheryl Merrick

Slowly, we allow invisible chains to envelop us.
Chains forged from carefully nurtured fears
grow, link by link, as we tell ourselves
“We can’t do it”, or “We can’t change”.

And so we place limitations on our potential,
like the powerful adult elephant
who continues to restrict itself
to the bounds dictated
by an inadequately small chain,
simply because that chain
was once able to hold him as a baby.

Mirroring Their Heart

by Cheryl Merrick

Seeing dark motives
lurking in shadowed corners,
Fearful that others
are plotting to harm them,
Refusing to walk in the light
they grope through their day,
Full of distrust and doubt.
Their words mirroring
the darkness in their heart.

The Deceived

by Cheryl Merrick

And so the man and the woman,
Longing for love,
give all but themselves.
Living out their lives
shrouded in mantles of self pity.

Lacking faith in themselves, their partner, and The Lord,
They withdraw from each other.
Anxiously justifying their actions
with endless lists of their mate’s imperfections.

Perfect Love

by Cheryl Merrick

As I seek opportunities to uplift others,

my heart soars,

my hurts are healed,

and my fears of aging disappear.

Finally, I come to know that truly

 “perfect love casteth out fear”