Thanksgiving

An ode is a poem written to celebrate, commemorate, and meditate on people or events (Bishop, Thirty Ways of Looking for a Poem. 217). The following is an ode on the very first book, besides the Bible, that led me to Christ. The book is titled Mere Christianity (C. S. Lewis) and given to me as a gift from brother Brent.

A Gift of God
--- to Brent, my beloved brother and mentor in Christ

Memories unfold as the pages turn,
my thoughts run towards the moment
when he handed me the book with
such joy and expectation on his face.
So many times were the pages turned,
It's no doubt a treasure of his heart.

Small and light is the book yet I could sense
the heaviness and depth of its content.
As the pages turned, I found myself walking
from the valley of darkness to the field of light.
Not knowing what it was, I could sense something
new and wonderful emerging in my soul.

Once again, the turning pages bring back memories---
I see him, standing beside me with his
Smiling face and encouraging eyes.
I hear the echoes of my heart, saying:
"I was once lost but now am found."
Surely no simple book, but a gift of God.