Salvage and salvation

Salvage and salvation                                                                                       

Over a lifetime, in my own way,

I’ve been moving toward You –

in darkness, by fits and starts, studying warily

the scriptures, claims, promises,

attuning myself to some real

or imagined inner guide.

Here and there at various speeds and coming

now and then to a complete stop,

wondering which bedimmed fork to take,

or why go on with such a lonely, desperate search.

But only very recently, the sun has peeked

over the heaving edge of the world

enough for me to see that I have

ever been trekking the vast deck of a ship

as You return me surely, safely,

irrevocably to home port.

I’m leaning on the rail right now,

taking in the breaking sun, the salt wind

and wondering what I might do, if anything,

to aid in my own salvage and salvation.

O child of God, learn your ship duties;

prepare well for the immeasurable voyage ahead.