If you have a testimony or a poem for the Lord and if you like to publish it on this website, please contact Jasmine or email her at overcominghurdles@shaw.ca.
INNOCENCE STOLEN
Poem
Scantily clad
With darkened eyes
And ruby red lips
She walked the streets
Luring men to destruction
A stolen childhood
With shattered innocence
As a young girl
She needed protection
But sad to say
This was never an option
What did her daddy do?
What did he put her through?
Young and naïve
He burned a hole through her heart
Tender and delicate
She finally escaped
Her body was used
For financial gain
As she believed the lies
Given to her
By selfish men
Her beauty was used
While she was abused
Then she turned to the Lord
And He made her whole again
Every tear was wiped away
She saw the light
At the end of the tunnel
Peace and love filled her heart
She was never the same
Restoration and healing
Repaired her broken soul
And no longer in her heart
Was there ever a hole.
Written By: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada
THE HOODLUM
Poem
As a young boy endures
Endless taunts and constant mockery
Vengeance he seeks
Fashioning himself with hoodlum garb
Devilish marks paint his arms
Along he goes with the young toughs
Parading himself among them
His wounded heart seeks to destroy
As acceptance becomes his aim
Respect was all he needed
But hatred was all he got
Love was lost as a young adolescent
As tongues of poison pierced within
His apparel was cheap
As his mother had struggled
And sacrificed all day long
His skin was dark
And his features were foreign
And this had brought about judgement
Then he felt the Lord
Healing his wounds
And making his face all wet
The community could now
Rest in peace
For he was no longer a threat.
Written by: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada
VANISHING WORLDS
Poem
With bows and arrows
They hunted
With cleverness
They fished
With gracefulness
They danced
Faces painted
With crowns and feathers
The drums are beating
As you hear
The mysterious sounds
Of rhythm and melody
These were the cultures
Of this great land.
Both rich and intriguing
Lo and behold
The fairs ones have arrived
Greed and arrogance
Grip their hearts
With deadly weapons
They steal their land
This is ours
Is what they say
Times have past
What has happened
To the future generations?
A struggle it is
To keep their old ways
How much harm
Can the fair ones inflict?
As a multitude
Of cultures
Becomes ravished
This land was theirs
But it was stolen
Their ancient ways
Virtually depleted
Restoration is needed
Change is essential
You can modernize the world
But at what cost?
You can explore new lands
But whom will you harm?
Enough is enough
As the people lose their roots
And the tribal ways become vanished
For once it’s gone
It’s gone
Written by: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada
NOW YOU’RE WITH GOD
Poem
Days went by
And things got worse
Maybe you were born
With a serious curse
It was you they picked on
It was you they harassed
And all you wanted
Was to finish class
You plunged down deep
Into despair
And maybe you wondered
Does anyone care?
You overdosed
On so many pills
Part of it was
That words can kill
You suffered from
Discrimination
When all you wanted
Was an education
You finally died
Through suffocation
And your painful story
Has alerted the nation
You hated your life
You wanted to die
And all you could do
Was cry and cry
It did not work
As you swallowed bleach
As an end to it all
Seemed out of reach
Things got so bad
No matter what you tried
And all you could think of
Was suicide
You were caring and sensitive
So I’ve read
But it’s so unfortunate
That now you’re dead
Rest in peace
Amanda Todd
Now you are in heaven
Now you’re with God
Written by: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada
MAIN AND HASTINGS
Poem
This is the intersection of humans defeated.
Their eyes are dead, their lifeforce depleated.
Men, made in the image of God, are dying.
Why did they give up?
What made them quit trying?
I have not walked in their weary shoes as such,
I am an observer and not their judge.
I smell the falsehood of their intoxication.
Bottled anesthetic,
Tools from the master of deception.
Look, see, the angry crimson cuts and bruises.
The remnants of unremembered nights gone by.
I hear their laboured breathing, their moans and sighs.
Oh Lord I smell urine, I see brown stained fingers.
This sadness will not leave me,
It remains and lingers.
Father these are the lost and the unlovable,
the forsaken, forgotten and the untouchable.
Was it not for these that the Son of man , died?
These strays,
The victims of Satans funfilled lies.
Who will jump into the mud to pull them out?
Who in this concrete wilderness is to herald and shout? "MAKE WAY FOR ONE WHO'S LOVE CAN SAVE"
Oh hear you lost ones that exist in this cold, hard and grey cement.
"REPENT"
Let them drink from living waters at the fountain of LIFE.
Look down with compassion Jesus
and free them from their heavy yoke and their Strife.
Written by: Marion Garbe
British Columbia, Canada
Your Blood
Poem
Your Blood
My hatred
My anger
And the foulest words
I ever spoke
Were no match
Against your blood
No matter how deep
Was the filth of my sin
No matter how evil
Was my blackened heart
Nothing was a match
Against your blood
No words can describe
The penetrating power
And the enormous strength
That was found
In your blood
The sins of the world
And the weight of it all
Washed away
By one man
Whatever it is
Jealousy, hatred
Greed, lying
Stealing, adultery
As strong as it seems
It’s power was destroyed
By your blood
Written by: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada
Fatherless Girls
Poem
Fatherless girls
The yearning continues
As desperately they roam
From lover to lover
The unfulfilled void
The dissatisfaction
Is like a bottomless pit
Extending and never ending
Lo and behold
A man knocks at the door
And he says,
Whoever drinks of the living water
Will never thirst
Like a thirsty vagabond
In an arid desert
They receive what is offered
Although fatherless
The yearning ends
The roaming ceases
The void is fulfilled
The living water
Quenches the thirst
Rejuvenating the soul
Refreshing the heart
Young and vulnerable
They are no longer prey
As the search is over
Written by: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada
The Lost & Lonely Soul
Poem
The lost and lonely soul
With clouds above
Drenched in darkness
Craves the light
The light that is shone
From far above
In a faraway land
A child is born
In a desolate place
A child mourns
Loneliness pierces his mind
But a faint flicker of light
Is like rain
Pouring down
And watering the soul
Quenching the thirst
Deep within desolate places
The heart is renewed
The mind is made fresh
The soul is filled with joy
Written by: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada
You Knock At The Door
Poem
You knock at the door
And I answer
How can I possibly
Turn you away
After all you’ve done?
You knew me
And all the hurts and pain
Were clearly visible
Before your eyes
You saw the tears
You saw the anguish
You saw the depths
Of my deepest sorrows
You saw what happened
And all the effects
In a darkened world
Your light was shining
In a world of hate
Your love stood out
You were there
Through thick and thin
And when I asked
Why me?
Little did I realize
That pain is the moulder
Of the loveliest pots
Written by: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada
You Were There All Along
Poem
You knew me
You saw me
You heard me
You felt me
Every thought that I had
Every emotion I felt
Every tear I cried
You were there
Looking down
As you saw the bruises
The sadness, the misery
Drowning in my sin
A heart blackened
With the cruelest intentions
And you knew my condition
The hatred I had
Deep within my soul
You came to mend
That which was broken
And I cried out
As I needed You more
You took this stony heart
And you softened it
So here I come
To the foot of the cross
And I say
Father God,
Lover of all mankind
You were there all along
Inside out
You knew it all.
You came to save
You came to mend
You came to heal
When life seemed unfair
You were there
You never left me
All alone
But you came
You knew everything
I had to endure
And you were always
High above
Looking down
Written by: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada
The Universe Declares Your Majesty
Poem
A Wandering Nomad
Walks through the desert
Longing for some cold refreshing water
So my soul longs
For the living God
Through dark times
With gloom all around
I search for God
What can fulfill
The empty void
That is deep within
What can satisfy
Some music here
Some movies there
Some friendships here
Some hobbies there
No matter the form of pleasure
Each has its limits
The pleasure can bring you up
But then you come down
The mediocrity and mundane
Pierces the mind
And penetrates the soul
Who can shatter the darkness
The loneliness and the gloom
A touch of God
Pouring deep within
Nourishing the depths
Of body, mind and spirit
Like a wandering nomad
Walking through the desert
Searching for the water
So here I am
Longing for your touch
The sun, the moon and the stars
Declare your greatness
The four seasons
Provide evidence
Of your creative power
I gaze around
With awe and wonder
Intoxicated by the beauty around me
The shining sun
Adds sparkles with hues of gold
As it shines on the lush green grass
The flowers of the fields
And the diversity of the colors
Which they bring
Add beauty to everything around
The various climates
With diverse levels of sunshine
Color the skin
With different shades
The rain falls
The sun shines
And the crops grow
Feeding the human body
And the many organs
Which are intricately made
Everything around
From people
To animals
To plants
Declare your wisdom
Your creativity
Your intelligence
Written by: Shawn Ghala
British Columbia, Canada