Skip to content

Author: Rita Klundt

A Devilish Tool

A Devilish Tool

Published by Rita Klundt on December 5, 2025

I’ve been caught by this tool of the devil,

and suppose that you might have been too.

It sneaks through our thoughts to our actions,

then soon drives many things that we do.

As a sin, it gets little attention.

It can be really hard to ID,

but there’s evidence of its destruction

in everyone’s family tree.

As children, we might have been scolded,

without hearing this sin called by name.

Maybe that’s why there’s so much frustration

when we want what another has gained.

Have you guessed which of the commandments?

Is it two, four, six, eight or ten?

Here’s a clue:  This tool of the devil

makes us feel that we always must win.

We call it the big, green-eyed monster,

and preach without offering grace.

Yet, when we spend time with the mirror,

we see plenty of green on our face.

The haughty and proud deny envy,

but if they would only think twice,

Beyond their material possessions,

would more skill or influence be nice?

You won’t hear me saying, “It’s easy.”

Instead, hear my cry, “Help me, Lord!”

I use up my time and my wages,

and then want what another has stored.

When we do harbor envy or covet,

it’s disguised rather well as a need.

Our fam’ly and friends might not see it,

but God knows our pride and our greed.

He said to us, “Thou shalt not covet,”

not to punish, withhold or control.

For each of us personalized blessings.

More than needs, his abundance can flow.

Help us run from the good and the better,

and to chase after all of God’s best.

Then His goodness should pour out on others.

Not hoarded. Not owned as a quest.

Oh, the list could go on – what we covet.

Some drag this sad sin to the grave.

Where they want for the peace and contentment

of others, forgiven and saved.

The last of the Ten Commandments

should never be seen as the least.

When we fail to obey the nine others,

could covetous be the true beast?

So I ask of the Lord to reveal it

when my discontent gets in His way.

I can rest in His tender reminder.

It’s something like this that I pray:

Now I lay me down to sleep.

I trust the Jones’ you will keep.

If all my stuff someone should take,

I’ll be content when I awake.

Thanks for your wise and clear commands.

Thanks for your strength and guiding hands.

Whatever circumstance I find,

help me not want for what’s not mine.

Help me to pray this every day,

for envy has a sneaky way.

I pray your mercy on this fool.

Help me avoid this devilish tool.

( I wrote this rhyming poem way back in 2013, before I knew how fulfilling it is to “play” with words. I’ve been thinking all week that I need to revisit what I started back then, and write the four more poems needed to include all of the 10 Commandments. The last 6 of the 10 are complete, but as you can imagine, commandments 1-4 lend themselves to a deeper respect and caution. I’ve started them, and then deleted them, having been unable to capture the significance of those commandments and do it in rhyme. Anyway … my goal in this particular poem is to draw the reader in with rhymes, and then bring them to ponder how disregarding and disobeying this 10th commandment might be a bigger problem than we think. And by the way, I can’t deny this poem as “autobiographical.” Even as I proofread before posting, the Lord revealed to me where my envy has tarnished an otherwise friendly relationship. I owe someone … probably more than one someone … an apology and another chance. Envy does have a sneaky way, and it is a favored tool of the devil. )

1 Comment
The Word is “Meditate.”

The Word is “Meditate.”

Published by Rita Klundt on November 23, 2025

The word prompt for this week was “meditate.”

I think it’s good to look back and count our blessings. I think it’s good to look back on occasion, even at the things and relationships that didn’t work out the way we’d hoped. I have good stuff in my past. Bad stuff too. Who doesn’t?

Whatever emotion looking back brings, it’s temporary. Looking back may cause me to grieve, but it’s typically not long before I see that what didn’t work out made room for something new … something good … that looks as though it will work out. We may celebrate an event, look at photos and be grateful for a gift, a good deed or a loving relationship, but it’s only a photo or a memory—a rush of pleasantness that can be gone in a moment.

They call it “water under the bridge,” I suppose because the most any of us usually do is to take a short walk to the other side of the bridge, and say goodbye again. Or if it was a good or a great thing, offer thanks. Now, it doesn’t matter if my meditations takes me to a place of sorrow or rejoicing, it’s a waste of time unless I get off the bridge and head on down the road. I see people living on the bridge, too anxious or afraid to get off the bridge. Stuck on the bridge so long that weeds have grown over and covered the road God had clearly provided.

I think it’s better to look forward and plan … prepare for the trouble I know is ahead, for trouble that is common, and even for those random and rare events that seem to only happen to others. I think it’s good to look ahead and imagine what might be, to make goals, set boundaries and determine what is worth my effort.

Precious few of my worries or plans come to fruition. They’ll call you either a doomsdayer or a dreamer if you spend too much time thinking about tomorrow, so I do that in secret. The hours add up. I probably worry or dream more than others. My first grade teacher called me a “daydreamer,” so it must be true. I’m a mutt in that regard, a mixed breed. I tend to either get lost in today and forget to imagine or meditate about my tomorrows (when I worked as a nurse). I can also dream away complete days and forget about the business on today’s calendar (now that I’m a writer.)

They say that we “can’t be sure that tomorrow will come.” I’d ask “them” to rethink that. Meditate. I think it’s not about whether tomorrow will come or not. It’s about where we will be when tomorrow comes, and what will matter when we get there.

So what of looking back and counting our blessings or grieving what didn’t work out? What about looking ahead and planning, preparing, determining and imagining? Should we schedule time today for looking back and looking forward, or checking that we’re on track in the here and the now?

Yes, about looking back. Yes, about looking forward. And absolutely yes where it comes to managing our todays. God created a tool for doing all three. In it, there is wisdom and meditations and practical guidance that has never failed me. These precious verses are an excellent place to start:

Looking back:

“On that day explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead, so that the Lord’s instruction may be in your mouth; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand.” (Exodus 13:8-9, CSB).

“Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19, CSB).

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, CSB).

Looking forward:

 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 16:33-34, CSB).

“Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am.” (Psalm 39:4, CSB).

For today:

“This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24, CSB).

“Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16, CSB).

“Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” (Psalm 90:12, CSB).

“We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4, CSB).

2 Comments
The Article

The Article

Published by Rita Klundt on November 4, 2025

I’d like to write an article,

Tell of all the things I know,

Help the dumb to understand,

And younger ones to grow.

With all the knowledge I possess,

There’s still so much I lack.

Oh, how knowledge overwhelms.

It’s work to sort the facts.

This article needs something.

A hook to gain attention?

Some scholarly devotion?

Yes, and spiritual dimension.

Do I plan and write an outline?

By the seat of my pants fly?

Writer friends have set examples,

Using methods I should try.

Know the reader. Answer questions.

Be concise and relevant.

Give them something to remember.

Meet their needs. Be eloquent.

There’s a template you must follow.

Academia will scoff.

They will joke of all your rhyming.

At the least, they’ll brush you off.

For your words to be effective

And be seen in online search,

You should think about a title

That will catch all the unchurched.

Write of love and things of beauty.

Write with truth and gentleness.

Don’t get preachy or sound judgy.

Don’t give works an emphasis.

Bring your reader to conclusions

That will profit them and you.

Use your writer’s voice with passion.

Clearly state your point of view.

As I sit with open Bible

Inspiration does not come

For my article or writing,

Or for things I’ve left undone.

Dirty dishes, and there’s packing

For an overnight event.

And that stain upon the carpet.

Now, an hour has been spent.

I just read from Jeremiah,

Chapter thirty-three, verse three.

“Call to me and I will answer.”

And I think … this is the key!

So I ponder, and it happened

That an old hymn came to mind.

Didn’t need to check a hymnal.

Stored in memory, this I find.

“Ask ye what great thing I know

That delights and stirs me so.

What the high reward I win?

Whose the name I glory in?

Jesus Christ the crucified.”

The lyrics go on,

But my heart is full.

The music plays in my head,

As the Spirit pulls.

“Lord,” I say. “What of this article?

Give me a sentence, or even a word.”

I close my eyes, take a breath,

And this is what I heard.

“That article on knowledge?

The one on things you know?

To help the dumb to understand,

And younger ones to grow?

Sometimes I draw you to a place

And wait for acquiescence.

My purpose in distraction

Is to lead you into presence.”

This conversation left me weak,

But energized and ready.

What seems to contradict and stress,

Instead, it keeps me steady.

Relief in what I do not know,

Assurance from the One,

Whose comprehension is enough,

Whose care can’t be undone.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3, CSB.)

Comments closed
What’s Growing?

What’s Growing?

Published by Rita Klundt on October 24, 2025

We’ve heard the term “growing season.” That causes me to wonder. Has God planted a seed in me that I’ve neglected to water? To fertilize? Where is my harvest? I don’t see a harvest.

My husband and I moved into our newly built home about 15 years ago. (Not the one in the photo above.) He planted grass seed. We watered, fertilized … and waited. Grass popped up almost overnight, and we were thrilled. But that first summer was a dry one, and we got busy working on the inside of the house. Winter came, and what green that was left in autumn was gone. We enjoyed a white Christmas, then planted grass seed early, while the chill was still in the air. Excited for the possibility, we read more seed bag labels and bought more seed, then planted again – as soon as spring became official.

15 years of repeating the same process! And ours is still the yard to be pitied.

My husband says, “It’s the sandy soil.”

“We need a sprinkler system,” I argue.

But we find ourselves busy doing other things … indoors. We save our cash for other things. My husband plants every year, he waters and fertilizes, but nothing changes. The weeds do well. We resign ourselves each year that our yard is a yard, not a lawn. Not lush and green and blending well with the neighborhood. We say, “Maybe next year. We’ll exchange our sand for some good black dirt and install a watering system.”

We don’t blend into the neighborhood in other ways. Like on Sunday mornings. One neighbor wakes early to mow his lawn. Another waxes his boat, and another heads off for their weekly shopping. Our friendly waves and attempts to connect may or may not be returned.

And I wonder. Has anyone planted a seed? A spiritual seed? Are their hearts made of sand, carried away by the least wave or wind, and growing nothing that will last from year to year? Do they have one of those underground systems watering their spirit while the rest of us sleep? Is that why they show no signs of thirst? Is it possible they should have great news and information, but have not yet delivered it to us? Could be, but not one of them has tried. Not one.

I do know this: Waving and speaking when our eyes happen to connect, and they are in the right mood, is rare.

Jesus told his disciples that “The harvest is plentiful …”

And we know he was not referring to grass. He’s not concerned that ours is a yard and not worthy to be called a lawn. My husband and I, after 15 growing seasons, have figured out that our labor has been in vain. Knowing why hasn’t fixed anything.

“… but the workers are few.”

Yep. We see no signs of spiritual work going on here.

But the Lord of the harvest says his fields are “ready.”

Pray for me, please. My hands have no callouses – no stories to tell. They haven’t worked a plow – not in a real long time. Last year’s shoes look brand new. They haven’t even crossed my street. No stories there either. I wonder why God would call someone to write who ignores so many opportunities to step into a great story. I can hear my voice quivering with fear. It must be weak, yet the Lord isn’t calling me to lead or to pave a new street.

He says, “Come, follow me.”

Pray for me please. I’m heading out now for a walk in my neighborhood. 1st time in a long while. If none of my neighbors are out and ready to return a smile and a greeting, it’s always “growing season,” even though the leaves are turning brown and falling. I’ll get some exercise, fresh air, and enjoy some well-manicured lawns … try to see the red and orange colors while they’re in season. Spending my prayer time on my neighbors today. The Lord of the harvest is wanting to grow something out of me. You too.

(Matthew 9:35-38.)

2 Comments
Look at Me

Look at Me

Published by Rita Klundt on October 16, 2025

Look, what I can do.

Look, what I have done.

Look, how much I’ve given.

And look, how far I’ve come.

But something’s missing.

Top in my class.

Top of the heap.

Top of the line.

Top notch.

One of a kind.

One in a million.

Awarded this. Awarded that.

Seen.

But something’s missing.

Rich, and I’ve earned it.

Talent, but I’ve practiced.

Success, but I’ve prepared.

Smart. My mother tells me so.

Good, because honey catches more flies than vinegar.

Friendly, because everyone needs a friend.

Generous, because philanthropy is what bigshots do.

Trustworthy, because a reputation cannot be replaced.

Still, something is missing.

Look, what I can do.

Look, what I have done.

Look, how much I’ve given.

Look, how far I’ve come.

What is it that I still need?

Something greater yet for me?

“Don’t be silly, Self,” I said.

“You only lack humility.”

Credit offered to others when it clearly isn’t due.

My niceties for rudeness when frustration wants to spew.

What is more amazing?

What other gift to bring?

To give myself good feelings,

aside from these great things?

I’m at a loss for words and thoughts

of shoulds and woulds and coulds and oughts.

My mind and soul are longing still

to find new deeds that suit my will.

And sleep won’t come because something’s missing.

What more is there to sacrifice

that won’t risk shame or higher price?

My journey set, my path is sure.

Was ease and comfort mere detour?

Or have I placed my confidence

in only self and fool’s pretense?

The Lord of heaven and of earth,

He sees my need and my true worth.

Humility is what I want, but later to attain.

I understand it can’t be earned and might involve some pain.

If there’s a way … of course there is. I’ll figure all that out.

Don’t good things come to those who are religious and devout?

I know already what’s required and how that I will choose.

To be humble is to win at life. To be humbled is to lose.

I’ll ask my friends and family to please cooperate,

Then, I will add some humble pie to my full dinner plate.

But you’ve got to tell me something. You’ve got to tell me this.

Will chasing after humble have me fall into abyss?

Tell me how, and is it worth it? What can I expect?

Is there need to crawl or stumble? I’d rather fly direct?

Look, what I can do.

Look, what I have done.

Look, how much I’ve given.

And look, how far I’ve come.

On second thought—don’t look at me yet. I’m still working on my humble.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are protected. The wealth of the rich is his fortified city;
in his imagination it is like a high wall. Before his downfall a person’s heart is proud,
but humility comes before honor.” (Proverbs 18:10-12, CSB.)

(Note to my readers and fans – if I have any out there: This piece was written in response to an assigned word prompt. The word was HUMILITY. I feel the need to let you know that, in my humble opinion, although this poem is very well-written, it does have major flaws and does not reflect the attitude or personal accomplishments of the writer. This piece is not intended to be autobiographical or representative of my accomplishments – except that my mother did tell me I was smart – once. I pondered over what sort of disclaimer to add here, as I would love to have this post read and receive lots of good comments, without bragging or pointing to the fact that God has given me a special gift. I ponder whether on not I should tap the “Publish” tab, even as I write this disclaimer. What is a writer to do? Is humility not one of the hardest things?! It seems the humility I manage to muster is quickly defeated by a stronger pride. Humility is fleeting at best. It’s a heart problem. Please tell me I’m not the only one with a diagnosis of humility deficiency. It’s a thing. It’s really a thing. I reminded myself in the writing of this piece that there is a cure – at the very least, an antidote. Humility can be achieved through the giving of praise to Jesus for all the good things he had done. but also through offering Christ-like obedience in the simplest of thoughts and words, then actions. Look, at what He can do. Look, at what He has done. Look, at how much He has given. And look, at how far He has come!)

“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy … dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8, CSB.)

3 Comments
Oh, to Be …

Oh, to Be …

Published by Rita Klundt on September 4, 2025

Be good. Be kind. Be thankful.

Be smart. Be brave. Be fair.

Be sweet. Be Bold, and be honest.

Be friendly. Be faithful in prayer.

Be still. Behold the Lord’s greatness.

One God bestows everything.

Because of His infinite mercy,

Believers have reason to sing.

Before, while we lived in darkness,

From beyond the sun in the sky,

He lowered Himself, became human.

I’m bewildered, beloved, beguiled.

Be born again. Belong to God’s kingdom.

Beside Him no other king rules.

Be telling your family and neighbors.

Beware among liars and fools.

Be fishers of men and of women.

Be strong, and be not afraid.

Be listening. His Spirit is calling.

Be watchful. Refuse not His aid.

Be ready with answers, I tell you.

Be joyful, for trials will come.

Be patient, be helpful and study.

Be selfless. There’s work to be done.

Be thoughtful. Consider the lilies.

Be confident each promise is true.

Be willing and free from all worry,

Be glad in His purpose for you.

Be more than you’ve ever dreamed of.

Be less of a sinner each day.

Be alive and alert in the Spirit.

Live being those things that you pray.

To be or not to be righteous.

To behave or rebel, I must choose.

But the one thing I desire to be

Is with Jesus.

Oh, to be with him.

Oh, to be like Him.

2 Comments
Waking to a Song

Waking to a Song

Published by Rita Klundt on June 12, 2025

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. Isaiah 60 AND 1.”

She’d shout it out early

on Saturdays.

And only on Saturdays.

Time to dust and sweep.

To scrub!

Help with laundry,

or maybe go outside

to pull weeds.

My friends slept in.

“Mom,” I’d moan. “Not so loud.”

Cold milk over dry cereal.

Don’t bother to brush my teeth.

We never go anywhere on Saturday mornings.

“Aaar -rise, and shi-ine, and … give God the glory glory. Ri-ise and shi-ine and … give God the glory glory. Rise and shine and … give God the glory glory, Children of the Lord.”

Separated by many miles, it was as if my mother had followed me to camp.

To annoy me? No.

An enthusiastic camp counselor sang it out,

loud enough to fully wake our cabin and others.

Tuesday through Friday.

Time to straighten our bunks.

To wash hands and faces.

Get dressed and straighten ponytails.

To raise the flags

and eat camp food

then a Bible lesson and a craft

and recreation and worship

at Lake Sallateeska.

Oops! Forgot to brush my teeth.

I couldn’t help but sing that song

In the middle of the day,

off and on for the rest of the week.

Teasing the counselor when she sat to eat or rest on a bench, I’d sing the melody and then mimic my mother by adding the address of the verse, “Isaiah 60 AND 1!”

Other girls began to join me in the teasing.

I wasn’t mocking my mother’s southern accent or the way she recited chapter and verse and did so with flair.

No cell phones back then,

but communicating, in a way, with my mother – two or three times daily,

Connecting over a common experience. A memorized Bible verse.

Mom had learned many important life verses in Girl’s Auxiliary,

She had been a GA back in her day

and gone to camp.

Slept on blankets on the ground. Cooked her own food over a campfire.

Made something like smores.

Now me.

Suffering on a thin mattress and a sleeping bag made for hibernating in the Artic.

In July. In Illinois.

Top bunk. Near an open window

where the smell of warm lake water and the sound of a frog put me to sleep.

A big frog. “A bull frog,” they said.

I took that camp counselor’s melody home with me.

And taught it to my mother who began to sing the words most Saturdays rather than shout them. Still way early.

Ahhh. That melody. It brought focus to my day early this morning.

Decades of 6 o’clock mornings later, that song can still wake me to a good day.

The words were mumbled as I sang this morning

because my mouth was full of toothbrush, paste and slobber.

But the words and melody that welled up in me were impatient to escape.

 “Aaar -rise, and shi-ine, and … give God the glory glory. Ri-ise and shi-ine and … give God the glory glory. Rise and shine and … give God the glory glory, Children of the Lord.”

Is there a second verse? I wasn’t sure, so I had to sing it again as I brushed my lower teeth. The words even more mumbled.

After I’d rinsed and dropped my toothbrush into its holder, “Isaiah 60 AND 1!”

Reminder: Have you registered your child or teenager for camp this year. I’m pretty sure it’s not too late. I can’t say that I’m excited about the early rising part, but I’ll be at church camp in about three weeks, as a counselor. And for sure, I’ll be singing that song.

I hope you are having a great summer, making good memories and waking up to a song!

Comments closed
Taking My Time?

Taking My Time?

Published by Rita Klundt on May 21, 2025

Of all that is known and appreciated in God’s creation, it might be easy to forget that time was made for our good. Mankind can only exist because God provided and continues to give us time.

The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us:

“To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill,
And a time to heal;
A time to break down,
And a time to build up;
A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones,
And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace,
And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain,
And a time to lose;
A time to keep,
And a time to throw away;
A time to tear,
And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence,
And a time to speak;
A time to love,
And a time to hate;
A time of war,
And a time of peace.”
(Eccl 3:1-8, NKJV).

So, there is a time for every purpose. This famous and thought-provoking poem points to many of them, and one thing this poem screams, if we listen, is that there is no time—to waste time.

Somehow that led me to what I believe is an important question: What is the purpose of time?

  • God created time, not because He needs it, but because it is necessary for us to measure and organize the events of life.
  • Time provides a framework for evaluating our past, for coordinating and understanding the present, and to prepare for our future as individuals and in community.
  • Time, fundamentally and scientifically, gives us rules for living in God’s universe and holds us to those rules.
  • The use of time is required to get along with people whose deepest needs are the same as ours, but whose goals and methods contradict and very often superimpose our own.
  • We need time to make order of the disorder that others cause, and we need extra time to bring order to the things we have done to ourselves.
  • Time provides the boundaries we need to balance striving with rest, sleep with accomplishment, preparation with practice and to see both failure and success for what they are.
  • Time shows us when our ambition might be misguided and when or where our effort is weak. The same clock that defeats us can be used by God to teach us.
  • Time will follow us to the cliff of destruction, wait with us there, and then be the very proof we need to step away, change directions and run fast toward God..
  • Time spent with God is an equalizer and healer when pain and happiness seem out of balance, when nights are long and days are short, and when “things” just aren’t fair.
  • Time will let us make some things right, and with God to help us, time allows us to forget most of the bad.
  • God’s timing is often for our protection, always accomplishing His will, and never to be used as an excuse for our reluctance to obey His commands or our refusal to follow His wise instruction.
  • Time tries hard to awaken us to the sin that would jail the soul of the unbeliever or dampen the praise and steal joy from the believer.
  • Shared time was created to multiply our good. Quiet time was created to feed our souls so that we have something to contribute and to share in due time … sometimes just in time.
  • When we search for God and then walk with Him in the hard times, he makes us stronger, smarter, more creative and useful in His kingdom.
  • God purposed time so that “mine” is no more precious than “yours.” And vice versa. But all time—every time—belongs to God, and God alone.
  • Time is a precious gift. Time equals opportunity, yet opportunity, by definition, is bound by time.
  • Time’s purpose is not to serve itself or to be our master. It is a guide, a tool for our benefit. We cannot cancel, return, repurpose or promise time . Time can neither be saved, served or borrowed. God always offers time to do the right thing or to do a thing right, but we often don’t take it because we are fixated on time itself rather than the giver of time. There is no such thing as taking “my” time.
  • Time is both a blessing and a curse while we wait for Christ’s return. Time is either a blessing or a curse the moment of His return.

“Then the angel that I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. He swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, “There will no longer be a delay, but in the days when the seventh angel will blow his trumpet, then the mystery of God will be completed, as he announced to his servants the prophets.” (Rev 10:5-7, CSB).

PRAY FOR A PRODIGAL TODAY:  Ask God to give them understanding that time is short on this side of eternity.                     

Comments closed
Breaking the Silence

Breaking the Silence

Published by Rita Klundt on June 25, 2024

“

Afraid of speaking and having my words twisted

Afraid of the message my silence sends

Grieved to have relationship taken from me

Grieved, with no option to make amends

But I am a child of God

Broken, yet I am made whole

Cut off from the future I wanted

But good is secured for my soul.

Perplexed when I look for good reason

Perplexed by deceit and known lies

Angry for bridges now burning

Angry for lost family ties

Guilty of worry and doubting

Guilty, my mind looks for blame

Humbled, belittled and sorry

Humbled by effort so lame

But I am a child of God

Broken, yet I am made whole

Cut off from the future I wanted

But good is secured for my soul.

Wretched am I from betrayal.

Wretched and harmed in the fight

Frantic that time has no answers

Franticly praying at night

But I am a child of God

Broken, yet I am made whole

Cut off from the future I wanted

But good is secured for my soul.

And cheer can be found for the taking

Cheer. Jesus has lifted my head

Joy, brought fresh every morning

Joy overcomes and every dread

Yes, I am a child of my Father

 I shall not be moved from His side

He has clothed me with mercy and gladness

Light for my darkness supplied.

Yes, I am a child of God

Broken, yet I am made whole

Cut off from the future I wanted

But good is secured for my soul.

Note from Rita:

Friends who know me well (and some who barely know me) are aware that one of my daughters decided to estrange herself from me, my husband and nearly all of our family. I’ve gone from stunned and frozen to restless and searching – and back again several times for nearly eight years.

Breaking the silence is risky, but I’m ready. The status quo isn’t good enough for a child of the almighty and everlasting God. It isn’t about healing. God is taking care of that. It isn’t about winning, giving up or giving in. God fights those battles that need fighting. And He always wins. I’m tempted to defend myself, but I have no weapon other than my Father’s promises, and anyway, I’m weary from the inner battle.

Breaking the silence does not mean that I am ready to talk about it to just anybody. It simply means that my words won’t be filtered by what I think my daughter needs to hear. That might sound strange, unless you have parented a prodigal.

Surprised? That I would think about parenting a prodigal? Hasn’t the prodigal decided they don’t need parenting? But I’m still parenting – from a distance. Giving her “space.” So I’ve been parenting in silence. In my prayers. In preparation for “some day.” That won’t change.

Breaking the silence is all about surrendering . . . to God’s new design on my life.

Yes, I am a child of God

Broken, yet I am made whole

Cut off from the future I wanted

But good is secured for my soul.

3 Comments
Almost There!

Almost There!

Published by Rita Klundt on June 22, 2024

My 2nd Real Life. Real Ladies book of short stories is within weeks of being published. The edited manuscript was emailed to the publisher weeks ago. One would think that the hard work is done where I am concerned.

Not!

There’s still work to be done. The cover needs to be designed and I barely have a clue about what I want. The publisher will put me in touch with the cover designer soon, and I have to have a better clue before that email or phone call. (Note to self: Remember to pray about the cover and for the cover designer.)

I’m excited to be planning a book signing/book launch party, but wait? Fewer than half of the 21 women who contributed stories have returned their publishing agreement to me. No books are printed until that happens. Then there is the tiny issue of scheduling. What is the best date? What is the best time? God is in these stories. I am sure of it, and my faith is bigger than a mustard seed, but I am finding it a struggle to plan and coordinate an event where there are 21 essential female players.

“One day at a time,” I tell myself. “One task at a time.”

The publisher sent an email earlier in the week, asking me to complete an author information form. Nothing daunting. Information I need to receive royalties. Copyright stuff. And part of that form needs to include 2 descriptions of the book for Amazon. A short description and a long description. My task for today.

The short description only (ha ha) took me two hours and several edits. It has to fit into a small space, yet give an adequate and inviting description. Tight writing is a challenge.

I felt relief having completed the first assignment and moved the curser into the next big blank space on the template. More room. More words for the longer description, but that too was a challenge. A longer description of the book? It’s an anthology. Where will the words come from? I believed that the short description summed it up just fine. What more could I say? I started and deleted several times over the next hour. I hadn’t had breakfast. It was now after lunchtime , and my husband had eaten the last of the leftover roast beef.

I wrote hungry, and now this assignment felt like work, because I’d rather stick to writing stories and not write about my writing. How does one describe these stories?

But this particular assignment turned out to be a joy . . . a pleasant trip down memory lane and a look forward to the day when these stories (28 of them) will be published and recorded in the Library of Congress. That’s cool! And no matter what anyone says, these ladies and their stories have added to the kingdom of God with a testimony of His goodness.

Here is what I wrote as a short description:

How do you see God? As a fairytale character? A problem fixer who never seems to fix any of your troubles? Or do you sense God’s heart when you can’t see His hands working for your good?

These motivational stories help women see that Jesus is ALL there, ALL the time—in your mountains of trouble, pesky molehills and the good stuff between.

 . . . And my long description:

This book of true, short stories begins by telling about an innocent girl and her puppy. Sweet. The second story takes you to a dreaded place, a hospital, where one can’t be sure what to fear most – the noisy, coffin-like machine or the probability of a cancer diagnosis.

Turn the page and another little girl named Stella, with one affectionate statement, will lift you to a happier place. Ah! The good stuff that makes the awful bearable. Vicky, in her story, doesn’t tell us whether it was an addiction, or a longing to be with the “in” crowd that led her to problem drinking. She was slow in waking to her circumstance. Or was she just in time? Next, a single mother battles with her past and resists seeing a future.

A grandmother recalls the antics of her daughters, the “thinker” and the “comic.” Another real life, real lady admits to falling prey to a Picasso-like flirt. Spoiler alert: She lives to write about it. And we all know the saying that when you marry a man, you marry his family. Never was that more true than in Sandra’s story. Janice isn’t able to share her story without crying. So she wrote it. And the title of Aimee’s story, “Bittersweet,” tells you that she’s had mountains of trouble, stomped out her share of molehills and still came out appreciating the good stuff between.

“Choosing Hope” sounds helpful and healthy as long as you’ve got something to hold on to. But could I do it in the middle of my disaster? Marcia’s “Choosing Hope” sounds an awful lot like choosing to trust. Rebecca gives in to her anxiety. That’s what she does, knowing she will miss out on the good stuff God wants to give her. She’ll only agree to baby steps. Frustratingly cautious baby steps. Until she falls into a God-designed trap and agrees to a huge leap.

Kristi had one of those God moments that she carried with her for what seemed to be no reason at all—until the phone call.

Life on the farm is not always green pastures and fields of daisies. Diana’s story will rip at your heart.

Anita has some poems for you. They read somewhat like Dr. Seuss, but only to soften the subject matter and the trueness of her story.

“My Secret” and “Persistent Love” ought to be required reading for every preteen person—boys and girls alike!

Lara tells stories on her grandmamma because . . . because . . . well because her GG should be a character in a novel.

And Lesley, well she approaches life from an unusual direction, but God has landed her right where she can do some of her best work. Because God is good like that.

A honeymoon for the books. Yep. That’s a good description of Lesa’s 1970s story.

A Real Life Real Ladies book would not be complete without a coming to Jesus story. Dona tells how Jesus pursued her and didn’t give up. And Rita’s “Just Pray” is a story for the woman who doesn’t know what to pray and the one who has prayed a thousand prayers over the same problem and hasn’t seen God’s answer yet.

To the woman who says, “If there is a God, he is not on my side,” get to know the ladies in this book. They want nothing more from the telling of their stories than for you to sense God calling you to his side. They would love to help you take your first step in his direction.

This is the second in a series of Real Life Real Ladies books. Twenty-one women promise to motivate, educate, alleviate or simply entertain with their twenty-eight true and sometimes quite personal stories. No nagging. No preachy lectures. Just stories to remind us that Jesus is ALL there—ALL the time.

Be watching for Real Life. Real Ladies: Mountains, Molehills and the Good Stuff Between to be released. And yes! You are invited to the book release party!

How did I do with my assignment? Let me know.

5 Comments