I know not where I go, but know with whom

I brave these bleak and beauty-broken lands

And know that though he leads me through the tomb

Yet even there my life is in his hands;

Like Christ I cannot see around the bend

Of death except believe the Father’s call

And pour my life out, trusting him to mend

This tattered soul so ravaged by the Fall;

For all the paths of God will end in pure

Unmingled good to every heir of grace

And though the world would with its fires lure

Its warmth cannot compare to his embrace.

So lead me through the valleys when you must,

My Father — only this: help me to trust.

–

Writer Bio:

Michael Stalcup is a Thai American missionary living in Bangkok, Thailand. His poetry has been published in several magazines, including Commonweal Magazine, Ekstasis Magazine, Faithfully Magazine, First Things, Inheritance Magazine, and Sojourners. You can read more of his work at michaelstalcup.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Photo by Joanna Schaus, “Israel at Sunrise”

Read more work like this when you purchase Issue 2: Beauty in Brokenness of Resolute Magazine.