What I'd really like is a life of
Christmas trees and strawberry summers,A walk through the zoo with a pocketful of bubble gum
and a string of balloons.
I'd say "yes" to blueberry mornings
and carefree days with rainbow endings.
I'd keep the world in springtime
and the morning glories blooming.
But life is more than birthday parties;
life is more than candied apples.
I'd rather hear the singing than the weeping.
I'd rather see the healing than the violence.
I'd rather feel the pleasure than the pain.
I'd rather know security than fear.
I'd like to keep the cotton candy coming.
But life is more than fingers crossed;
life is more than wishing.
Christ said, "Follow me."
And of course I'd rather not.
I'd rather pretend that doesn't include me.
I'd rather sit by the fire and make my excuses.
I'd rather look the other way,
not answer the phone,
and be much too busy to read the paper.
But I said, yes and
that means risk-
it means, Here I am, ready or not!
O Christmas tree and strawberry summers,
you're what I like and you are real.
But so are hunger
and misery
and hate-filled red faces.
So is confrontation.
So is injustice.
Discipleship means sometimes it's going to rain on my face.
But when you've been blind and now you see,
when you've been deaf and now you hear,
when you've never understood and now you know,
once you know who God calls you to be,
you're not content with sitting in corners.
There's got to be some alleluia shouting,
some speaking out
some standing up
some caring
some sharing
some community
some risk.
Discipleship means living what you know.
Discipleship means "Thank you, Lord"
for Christmas trees and strawberry summers
and even for rain in my face.
The author is Ann Weems and the poem can be found in her anthology, "Kneeling in Bethlehem" (Westminster Press: 1980).
