The Dark Nights of The Soul

The stretching and the breaking,
The bruising and the crushing,
The  pulling and the pushing,
.
Wondering and analyzing,
On the path and then off again,
Lost and all alone,
Going in circles,
Grasping and almost reaching,
Inquiring, demanding and getting no response.

Crying out in anguish,
What a job this soul searching,
Oh the battles that rage...
In the emotions and in the head.

So long and lonely,
So deep and weary,
So hard and exhausting,

The dark nights of the soul cause us to look deep
within the places we refused to go on our own,
To examine our motives, our beliefs and our attitudes,
And to make the necessary adjustments,

There is much pain and lost on this journey of discovery,
But far more is gained.

The Battle within

Sometimes I wonder...
Why it can't all be so simple?
Why all the confusion?
Why all the drama and the pain?
Why the waiting and the mystery?
Why the chasing as if after the wind?
Why all the unaswered questions?
Why all the doubts?
Why? Why God why?

Then the answer comes ...
I know deep within.
With confusion I am forced to find clarity and truth.
With pain comes growth and then joy.
The waiting causes me to search within and without ...
the mystery leads me to God's word and to God.
The doubts cause me to question my beliefs
and they cause me to find out who I truly am
And what I really believe ...
which causes my footing to be more secure ...
so that I'm prepared for the next battle ... within.