The tranquil river flows deep into the heart The beauty it reveals and grace that He imparts ~ Fills to overflowing in glorious abundance, His love is everlasting, His majesty is wondrous. In His glorious splendour the heavens and the earth Are His magnificent creations the epitome of His worth ~ He made the land and the seas, the animals and food, Then He created man and He saw that it was good. As the generations passed from the days of Abraham, God in His wondrous glory gave to us His Promised Land ~ But just as the children of Israel wandered for forty years We too rove through our deserts of hardships, pain and tears. God reaches out His hands and embraces us with love Giving us strength and courage to walk through our "floods" ~ He is there to guide us safely through the waters and the flames, We are His chosen people He has called for us by name. God in all His glory knew me in my mother's womb Weaving and creating by the grace of His loom ~ Perfecting all my qualities He fashioned every one, And though I grow within His image His work is never done. Every day He cleanses me from each and every sin Washing me whiter than the snow from the river of life within ~ Guiding me through my valleys He gives me strength to see The times I feel alone is when He carries me. His promise for tomorrow a brighter better day Sheltered in His arms, His love will lead the way ~ And though I wander through my deserts looking for my Promised Land, God knows my every heartache He always understands. God is my Creator, He has a Master's hand And everything we go through life is a part of His wondrous plan ~ Growing from strength to strength with faith that showed I could Share with Him my burdens and God saw it was good. Trust in Him completely share with Him my soul Give to Him my troubles His love will make me whole ~ I am His great creation perfect in His eyes Seeing my potential cleansed by His river of life. The tranquil river that flows within and love that makes me whole The Living Water of my life is food for my thirsty soul ~ The rainbows of His promises are filled with plentitude; And when He breathed life into my soul God saw that it was good. © Christina 4th February, 2003 "This poem is a like a personal reflection, in fact it is a personal reflection.  It expresses the feelings and soul of the heart.  The inner most desire to trust completely in God for His plan for our lives, despite the paths we think may offer better experiences.  God always knows best.  Just as a parent wants only the best for their child, so God only wants the best for us, His children.  But children are rebellious of their parent's wishes at times, and we defy them, just as we defy God and His plans for us.  I make mention of the children of Israel wandering in the desert for 40 years (with Moses as their guide).  We too, can wander through our own deserts in life ~ not the literal desert ~ but deserts of pain, suffering, heartache etc.  THAT is not God's plan for us, but just as the children of Israel disobeyed God, so do we.  We are only human, yes, but with disobedience comes consequences.  And we must suffer them and pay for them like every one else.  We choose our own paths, and if it is not God's plan for our lives, then we must live by those consequences.  It is up to us whether we follow God's plan or our own.  The "Promised Land" referred to is His promise for us.  The place we shall be rewarded by Him.  We search and search for our own "promised lands" on our own, without God, but there is no Promised Land without Him.  The Promised Land is His promise to us; His gift to us.  No one else can receive that without Him.  It is the place where we are complete.  The place where we are whole.  The Promised Land is where we are one with Him. This poem could well be titled "River of Life", because it reflects God's tranquil river flowing through us....but the basis of the poem is about trusting in God.  And God sees that as good.  Therefore it is about us as God's creation, seeing our potential, no matter how broken we are.  It is about trusting in Him, despite the storms in life and the deserts we may wander.  It is about Him creating us in His own image to strive be like Him.  God created us.  He created me ~ and from the time that He breathed life into you and me, He saw that as good.  And that is what this poem is about....His creation ~ us."