He appeared
a poem by: carole l. haines
Traveling down a road in total darkness
no streetlamps, no headlights, no moon
I find myself groping in the dark, reaching for something
anything to hold on to in this dark
I must shuffle my feet slowly forward, tip-toeing almost
afraid there may lie some chasm that I cannot see
and I should fall in and no one find me ever again
and the loneliness takes on a shape, a shadow
It feels like company, familiar, yet terrifying
Suddenly, off to my right, lights go on; than more to my left, one by one
someone sees my need for help, my need to see where I am going, a way out of this dark
I see that these lights are twinkling, some plain, some many-colored
and they form the shapes of trees and deer and homes
candles in the windows, signify a hope inside, of life, of love
And I realize, just the tiniest bit, what Christmas means
It’s more than a baby in a manger, for that Baby grew up to be a man
and that man was God, come down to be with us, Emmanuel
and Emmanuel lights the way to a place of forgiveness, a path of hope
a new and living way, but the cost to bring us to that path, to Himself, is great
and I follow Him down His own dark road, traveled alone, despised and forsaken
and I watch as they strip Him, and beat Him, and crown Him with thorns
They whip Him and mock Him, they spit on this One who brought light to the world
and I watch him die there, on a cross of wood, helpless to intervene
It is then when I finally understand, that this was the only way, is the only way
out of the darkness, and into the light, His light
and My favorite Christmas carol rings clear in my heart
Long lay the world in sin and error pining, til He appeared
and the soul felt it’s worth.
hisshadowings.com 