My Heart Be Still

My Heart Be Still

My soul is deeply distressed

I weep in anguish

Crying out for your presence

Your intervention

How long our Lord?

How long?

My heart and flesh

cry out to the living God

Hear me Lord

hear my cries

my pain of soul and body

Threatens to overwhelm

Yet

Sitting here

In this ancient church

the oldest Christian site

on the moor

I feel stilled

The solid walls

Enfold me

Like the arms of the Good Shepherd

Who has pulled me aside

Into his sheep pen

I am stilled

Even though a storm is raging outside

And the winds howl around the stones

Whistling its threats

Rain lashes

Trees whoosh

as wind whips bare branches

Yet

I am stilled

By the sanctuary inside

It feels

More

More than the solid building

It feels as though

I have climbed right inside

The very heart of God

And I am safe

This stillness

Right in the midst of a howling Gale

Is more than natural

and

I recognise

I know

You are here in this place in fact

You were here ahead of me

Waiting for me to come

Thank you

Stoke Pero Church Exmoor UK (February 2020, just before covid19 lockdown)