A Reflection on Tears

A Reflection on Tears

When the tears flow from my eyes—
And no matter how hard I attempt,
I cannot help but pour out my cries
From the longings and hurts of my life.

Where does the healing water flow,
When I’m hurt and full of pain?
This joy of my heart has slowed
And Your peace I cannot sense.

Rejoice you command of me,
But I’m still anxious and full of worry,
Frustrated I come to you—
As my tear streaked vision turns blurry.

Deep down I know the perils of this time,
And the troubles from this day,
Cannot vanquish my spirit,
Nor will these thoughts lead me astray.

Though I try to smile through the anguish,
But tears doth fall from me,
As inside I feel cluttered
While my head and heart disagree.

Yet tomorrow is a brand new morning—
As new mercies for me are unveiled,
So then I’ll put aside my mourning—
But right now, all I can do is weep.

Though I sit here wavering,
Quivering like a leaf—
Heal my heart and my mind,
And shake away this troubling disbelief.

Greg Butz
2-24-09

--
Today was an emotional day – not for me, but those around me. As I’m still shouting the longings of my heart, I was quieted today as those around me cried. I prayed for three different people today, as I saw the hurt in their tears. How fitting was it that the devotions I shared with my students this morning came from Philippians 4:4-6. I’m still being humbled by what the Lord wants from me. One student of mine remarked, “You have a gift to see the hurts of others.” Though people may be broken inside, ours is a Lord who comforts.

My Honest Guarantee

My Honest Guarantee

Sitting on the edge of the precipice called life
And I’m wondering why it cuts through me,
Like the sharpness of a knife—

As I seem to teeter and totter for a while,
I can’t help but imagine
What ever happened to the things that made me smile?

I’m hoping that the winds today won’t be so strong,
For I’m not quite sure,
If I can hold my ground for very long.

But if I fall down again I know I’ll be alright,
Because if I loose my grip,
Your arms will hold me tight.

If there is more that is left to be said,
I know I won’t get rest,
For I cannot get outside of my own head.


But “no worries my child” you say to me,
At long last my ears hear your voice,
“I’ll always love you, and that’s my honest guarantee.”

I was standing at the overlook again tonight
With His words echoing all around me,
I wouldn’t be afraid – of this cliff’s steep height.
For I’ll always know, His loves guaranteed.


By Greg Butz

02-22-09


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I got back to the school at 4:30 on a sunday afternoon to lesson plan a while. I just started typing down a few of my reflections of life -- I really didn't know the process or the order of this poem. Sometimes I start out writing three lines per stanza, only to go back and edit it. This time, i liked the flow of this poem, and it gave me a great chance to throw in the vocabulary word of "precipice" so I'm estatic. The title is God speaking -- even though the poem is written from my point-of-view.

They Took My Phone Away

They Took My Phone Away

They took my phone away
But what if the Lord was gonna to call today?
They took my phone away
So He’ll have to tell me in another way

(repeat)

So I got down on my hands and knees
And told the Lord of all my needs
And he told me how he loved me so…
And that’s exactly how this story goes

(final)

They took my phone away
But what if the Lord was gonna to call today?
They took my phone away
And that’s just how He spoke-to-me today

Greg Butz
Summer of 2007

--

This is actually a song that I wrote with Peter Frey the summer of 2007, while I was working at Camp Joy El. The year prior, I had worked on the Leadership Team as the Head Counselor, and this year they asked me to come back as the Activities Coordinator. Because of a violation, one thing they did was to collect all the cellphones from campers, counselors, and even the Leadership Team members. This to me was frustrating, because I never violated the rules. The only reason i would have a phone was to serve as my alarm clock (which it still serves as today).

But instead of making me bitter inside, Pete and I wrote a song which we promptly sung to the whole Leadership Team as we turned in our phones. Enjoy =)

Little Children

Little Children

Growing up so fast, children do the unthinkable.
Simultaneously they bless while they break your heart.
What’s going on in their minds, as their emotions rage?
And the decisions for their lives only tear you apart.

Little children, little children
What’s become of our little children?
Nothing seems so little about—
The magnitude of their decisions.

Little children, bright eyed and full of hope,
They have the whole world before them.
Until their dreams come crashing down
When little children make littler children.

Little children or perhaps we should now call them little adults,
As society tells us they are old enough to make up their own minds.
But we know that they’re only children, when deep down inside—
They only make bad decisions from the confusions that they find.

Saturation of bad news and negativity of the media,
Everyday they’re bombarded with images that shouldn’t be seen.
But we were once children and it was difficult for us too—
Struggling to keep our lives from becoming quite obscene.

What the world needs now are positive role models—
People like you and me living opposite from the television.
We can be a positive force with the remainder of our lives,
And help our little children make better life decisions.

Greg Butz
February 15th 2009

---
This poem was written based upon the life of the fifteen year old girl and thirteen year old boy who just became parents. I was encouraged to write this poem from the facebook reflection of Tiffany.

The words of Christ resound in my mind when he declared, “suffer not, the children to come unto me.” There is so much hope for the next generation, yet they always seem to be negatively influenced by the decisions from the previous one. Either way we still need to love the little children, even when they make the wrong decisions for their lives. They need our love and our prayers!

I Wish They Knew

I Wish They Knew

I wish they knew how much I do for them

I wish they knew how much I care for them.

I wish they knew how much I sacrifice,

I wish they knew that I, I love them.

And all we like sheep,

have gone astray

Lord we need a Master-Teacher

to show us the Way

And I want to humble,

myself and Pray

Lord give me the strength

For another day

And Lord you know

that I need You

And Lord you know

that I love You

I wish he knew how much I can show him.

I wish he knew how much I can teach him.

I wish he how much grace there is to give

I wish he knew that I, I love him.

And all we like sheep,

have gone astray

Lord we need a Master-Teacher

to show us the Way

And I want to humble,

myself and Pray

Give me the strength

For another day

And Lord you know

that I need You

And Lord you know

that I love You

--
Greg Butz

2-12-09

This poem / song (there are words) was written not originally by pen and pencil, but it was a song etched into my brain while riding on the bus. (I didn’t have pen and paper with me, so I had to memorize it until I could run home to type it all out.) While I was on the bus going back home after a stressful day at school— I was reflecting on the times my students don’t listen. As I began reflecting, I realized that my feelings mirror Christ feelings for me. Quickly this song / poem turned into a song from God’s Voice, with humanity’s response. Can you spot which sections are which?

Godly Men, Righteous Woman

Godly Men, Righteous Women

Godly Men and Righteous Women

They’re never seems to be enough,

Of Godly men and righteous women.

But I have seen a vision of a time soon to come

Where hand in hand they rise up—

And boldly stand for the name of Christ.

Godly Men and Righteous Women

Leaving behind the old life, and embracing the new—

Light on display while running the race.

Room for improvement, but they always stands again

Even when they fall flat on their face.

Again and again the rise and continue to run.

Marked for change, a transition in progress

Running together, encouraging you.

When the chaos comes, and troubles swirl,

They cling a hold to Your name.

Not turning back, nor gathering dust—

They’re pressing on to the promises before them.

Finely attuned to Your desire and will,

Letting go of the swinging emotions they feel.

Their dreams left behind, some in shambles—

Yet they hope in visions and all of Your provisions.

Godly men and righteous women, how I long to run beside of them

One day may I be counted, and added onto them.

Keep running Godly Men and Righteous women!

Greg Butz

02-02-09

I wrote this one day after school. The world seems to be running out of Godly people. In fact, David wrote this in Psalm 12. As I was reflecting on the school, this poem is more of a poem of encouragement for all my little brothers and sisters in Christ -- as well as my older siblings in the faith.

Helping Hands

Helping Hands

Hurting people
And their hurting lands
Can’t we put together,
Our helping hands?

And lift each other
Up and find,
That we can bring
A little peace of mind.

With the Fires Down Under and
Rowing Rohingya out to sea?
They need our help,
Are we too blind too see?

Or the hills in Pakistan,
Where the Taliban roam?
Forcing all the school girls
To just go home?

It might seem messy,
Down in the slums,
Getting our hands dirty,
Working with bums’? –

We gotta challenge those stereotypes
You see that they are people also,
Though you live a life more
Fortunate than they do.

There’s so much difference one life can be,
Working with our hands, or down on our knees.
If you got faith, than put it work—
There’s a task to do with our helping hands.


-- Greg Butz
February 9, 2009

This poem contains just a few reflections on the current situations and crises around the world. Currently as I type, there are fires raging out of control in Australia, Thailand’s military are rowing Rohingya boat people-- who are Refugees -- out to sea and setting them afloat, the Taliban are blowing up schools in Pakistan for the only reason that girls attend, and there are too many people to count in the cities that need help. This isn’t the most sophisticated of poems that I’ve ever written, but I do hope the message is poignant. What can I do? I think that I keep going back to this question. Is there something that I can do?

The Morning Rays

The Morning Rays

The morning rays have captivated me—
Rescuing me from the night.
While it was so grim and dreary,
I could hardly shut my eyes.

My moments of desperation
And the troubles of my mind,
Only seem to magnify
When I cannot see the light.

But I am thankful for another day,
And the warmth it brings to me.
This splendor that is on display
Outside of my bedroom window.

So I’ll again do the work,
That I have been called to do—
Pushing aside all of my hindrances
And those inabilities.

Pressing on once again,
Focusing only on you—
And forgive me when it all seems lost
And I forget you’ll see me through.

Greg Butz
January 31, 2009

--

Written the morning after a rough night. Thoughts and insecurities were creeping up on me, almost suffocating me. But in the morning, new mercies arrived as I welcomed the dawn of a new day. I think the Psalmist David says it best when he reflects in Psalm 5:3

"In the Morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you."

A World Without Sight

A World Without Sight

A world without sight
A world without sound,
What type of world
Have we found?

We’ve shut our eyes
And closed our ears
And we’ve blocked the sight
Of other people’s tears.

We’ve become blind
To those suffering,
Yet there’s hope to the world
Your life can bring.

For those that are hurting
And those that are in need,
You can live a life,
A life poured out.

Greg Butz
02-05-08

--
I started this poem as I was sitting at Oliver's Super Sandwhiches one evening, waiting for my meal. I was just seeing all the lights, the sounds of those walking through the mall and I began to wonder what it would be like to not have these senses. As I began reflecting, a strange idea occured to me -- it seems that we are overly saturated with all of these things that we truly do become blind and tone deaf to what is happing around us. We miss those in need, just a few feet in front of us.

Sappy Love Song for My Future Wife

Sappy Love Song for My Future Wife

Waiting is difficult to do
When you don’t know what you’re waiting for
You’re not quite certain if you seen the smile
On her face before.

But somehow you know she’s worth it
Though there’s pain in your agony
But one day, boy, when you find her,
You’ll forget why you were lonely.

When two hearts collide,
Heading in the same direction.
Locked hand in hand
Permanently
For all of eternity.
It doesn’t take a wise man to see
That we were meant to be
But until the day I find you girl,
I’ll be happy just to wait.

Greg Butz, January 30 2009

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This sappy love song was written for my future wife... whoever that may be. I wrote it directly after my previous Post "When the World Isn't Worthy". It was too much to go to bed with that fully on my mind, so i hastily wrote a silly song for my future wife. There is music to it that's in my mind. I guess one day I'll sing this song for her, and how I was happy to wait for her =)