Edema Rue

Where you wear your cropped shirts and jean shorts and tank tops, I’ll wear my t-shirts and one day the mark of my covenants.

Where you keep your money and pictures in your phone case, I’ll keep my temple recommend.

Where you say ****, I’ll say fridge.

You tell me I dress weird.

You tell me I talk weird.

You tell me I’m naive, overzealous. 

You tell me I’m a fool, tell me I’m wasting my time. 

You tell me a lot of things.

Where you gorge yourself on food, I fast.

And you tell me it’s a meaningless sacrifice.

You tell me my prayers go up to an empty sky.

You tell me my rock is actually just flimsy paper mache. 

But in the end, I don’t care.

Because when you are sobbing and broken on the floor, when you have lost all hope because you tell yourself that you are completely alone and worthless, I will be there.

When you find yourself wondering if life is even worth it anymore, I will be there.

And I will lift you, life you with a strength I don’t have.

I will lift you because He is lifting me.

You will not fall, because no matter what you tell me, world, I know. And you will not, you cannot, take my knowing away from me. 

So tell me I’m wrong.

Tell me my scriptures are meaningless weight.

Tell me I’ll always be weaker, always be an outsider, always be worth less.

Because one day, your shoes and clothes and beautiful illusions will fall through. 

One day, you won’t be okay.

And that, my dear friend, is okay. Because when you can’t keep going, I will find you, and I will carry you until you have the strength to stand. 

You cannot outrun my love.

Your lies cannot overwhelm my truth.

And your pain is not more than my peace. 

I probably need more sleep.