Thank You

You know, I want to say "thank you," For pain inflicted upon me, undeserved. It healed me from my pride And from my self-reliant motives.

And with the flame of betrayal's fires It burned my "goodness" to the ground. And my "I" agonized and burned, And with it all my own designs.

For solid ground torn from beneath me, For the collapse of my weak foundation, For what became suddenly evident— All that I had hidden from myself.

For being reborn from the ashes, Not by my strength—but by God's power— I surrendered to Him the right to my life And gave the keys of my heart as well.

I thank Him that through suffering I gained spiritual vision, And in the depths of my consciousness A revaluation of all my goals occurred.

Thank you that what I once cherished, What in life I'd placed too high, Shattered when it fell apart, And from its fragments God rebuilt me.

I thank Him that I understood That idols bring only suffering, That I forgave my Judases, Beseeching Christ to send them repentance.

I want to say thank you also For turning my whole soul inside out, And shaking it like a dusty coat, That I released my stale refuse.

Like dust, the layer of importance fell, Self-confidence tumbled to the trash, And like a stain beneath clear water, God's forgiveness washed away my guilt.

And now I can live freely onward Without looking back at human judgment. I want to serve with all this life The One who granted me my healing.