Upside Down 23rd

by Dennis Crawford

Lord, you would like nothing better
    than to be my shepherd -- and yet...

At times I
    have been as needy as an orphan,
My pastures
    have been wind-blasted and
    as black as asphalt,
The waters I
    have walked beside have churned
    white and threatening.
My soul
    has been on the critical list.
I've walked in places I
    should not let me go.
Death has scared me witless, and
mere shadows
    have unnerved me.

And who's to blame?
The shepherd or the sheep?

The sheep, of course.

So help me
    follow you to green pastures,
        quiet waters, and
        righteous paths.
Then I'll
    walk with steady legs through
    death's valley.
Neither shadows nor real evil
    will move me.
I shall
    sit at your table,
    feel your healing oil on my head, and
    hold an overflowing cup of your blessings.
Your goodness and love
    will follow me for the rest of my life and
I will live with you forever.

In the meantime,
Help me
    keep the Twenty-third
        right side up.

Posted: 05/09/2000
URL: http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200005/20000509_23rd.html

(c) 2000 Dennis Crawford. Used by permission." -->

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