The storm was severe;
the aftermath was cruel.
I was raked across the coals
and stomped on, too.
Set aside, abandoned—
and tenderness sprouted wings.
I felt so alone
I could not hear a sound,
and I could not see a thing.
I wore my abandonment
like clothes that were no longer in style.
I wondered how I was doing this.
Then, during my upward gaze,
I came to realize a certain truth:
I will not merely survive—
I will thrive.
For now I see the truth:
I am not the man I used to be.
I stand as a living testament
that my Lord has tried me,
but He has not abandoned me.
So I remain encouraged,
though I long for the day
when my despair takes flight.
Until then, I will stand—
moving neither to the left nor right.