One minute after two

One Minute After Two 2/16/2012

One minute after two
And two hours past noon
One moment
In an otherwise average day.

All of your life
May come down to a moment
And all of our countless mistakes
Can be forgiven at once.

That I could live at all
Is against the odds
But that I could survive
Is from the grace of God.

I may suffer
But so also have others
Giving their all
For nothing.

But for each man who asks
There shall come a test
A season of want
And a burden to bear.

These are the moments
That seem to last forever
And they can be so very heavy
And just too much to bear.

But we make it through
And then we learn
That our lives may not be unique
But our experience
Is one of a kind.

A strange set of circumstances
Intended or unintended
That converge in our lives
Just as senseless
As they are painful.

I know what it feels like
To want and to pray
Trying with all your heart
And still coming up empty.

I try to smile
Or just remain silent
Holding my head high
Even though it will not matter
Eyes level and unflinching.

But these are the moments
That are more than just trials
And more than a test
But also a chance
And an opportunity.

A chance to make a choice
And a chance to be truly great
To rise higher
And give glory.

Becoming stronger
And growing larger
No matter how we feel
And no matter how it hurts.

Nothing is over
And it is never too late
Because everything is changing
And evolving at once.

Another moment comes
And another opportunity arises
Another chance to decide
Compare, and contrast.

What is wrong is wrong
And nothing can ever make it right
But in the here and now
I can be the difference
Larger and stronger.

Another battle
That I can emerge from
Undefeated
And smiling.

God is alive
And God also knows
Remembering every prayer
And knowing every secret.