Held in the heart

After Philippians 1:3-11

What does it mean, to be

held in the heart? Is it

a fellowship of grace,

a partaking, or a yearning

of affection? Is it a prayer?

Is it love that abounds

and overflows? Or is it 

knowledge, or discernment? 

Perhaps it is a striving toward

and approaching excellence?

Or a purity and innocence,

without blame? Is it a synonym

of righteousness and its fruit?

Or is all we can say with precision

and certainty is that it has a point,

a purpose, a process, and a goal?

God only knows.

Photograph by Bruce Hong via Unsplash. Used with permission.

A good work

After Philippians 1:3-11

It comes from without,

a good work, a seed planted

in prepared soil. It will grow

until its time of completion.

That’s how it works. You can’t

force the planting or the growth

or the completion. That’s not 

how it happens. It’s all without,

outside, the wind moving across

the fields, the rain finding

the furrow where the seed explodes

and growth happens.

Photograph by Hello I’m Nik via Unsplash. Used with permission.