Yesterday my brother in law and his wife came by and my wife and I sat with them in the breakfast nook and conversed as we hadn’t gotten together in over a year. In the background, on a counter in the kitchen, the ice cream machine was doing it’s thing. Other then me, there were 3 people talking and that machine running and my hearing now is such that it was just one big wall of sound with no definition. I look at a talkers lips and automatically the visual together with the audible I can usually make out what is said. As long as it’s one on one. In groups I don’t do so well. Background noise blends everything into a slurry of sounds and I bore quickly. Same with this video. The background music melded with the voice and I had no idea what was going on. I tried, I really tried, but after about 2 mins it was futile. What is the story about, in 10 words or less?
I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat—and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet—
‘All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.’
. . . and it goes on from there in pretty much the story of your life.
For me He never pursued; He waited. He came to me through my mind, through my thoughts, through my reason. He showed me that I was blind; He offered sight. He showed me that I was deaf; He offered sound. He showed me that I had never been alone. He took the evils I had done and put them aside. All He wanted was—me.
For thousands of years theologians debated the nature of belief: of man, of Faith, of God Himself. They were as men climbing up the face of a mountain. For generations they labored up the mountain, until they reached the summit. They saw Christ, Peter, Paul and he Holy Ghost sitting around a table playing poker and smoking cigars. They said to the theologians, “What kept you?”
DennyJune 5, 2022, 7:41 PM
I was going to add something, but it’s already all here.
My slim copy of this poem, illustrated by Tim Ladwig (the illustrations are finely done), describes the poem as “A Wildly Romantic Poem About Spiritual Conversion,” and goes on to note that Thompson’s life was adrift in the thrall of opium who supported his habit by selling matches. Thompson’s attempts to flee from God were unsuccessful, and though he never realized his dream of being a famous writer in his day, Thompson did achieve God’s grace and left us with a heart wrenching, yet uplifting, poem of his attempts to flee God’s grace. “Rise, clasp My hand, and come!”
DennyJune 6, 2022, 8:02 AM
“Thompson did achieve God’s grace and left us with a heart wrenching, yet uplifting, poem of his attempts to flee God’s grace.”
Thank you John, you just proved my point that there are only two things in life that are
very, very hard for human beings.
1. Learning how to permanently live free, and
2. Po – et – ry
Real World Address for Donations, Mash Notes and Hate Mail
Gerard Van der Leun
1692 MANGROVE AVE
APT 379
Chico, Ca 95926
Green Pants Interior by Klahn
Who Am I? by Carl Sandburg
My head knocks against the stars.
My feet are on the hilltops.
My finger-tips are in the valleys and shores of universal life.
Down in the sounding foam of primal things I reach my hands and play with pebbles of destiny.
I have been to hell and back many times.
I know all about heaven, for I have talked with God.
I dabble in the blood and guts of the terrible.
I know the passionate seizure of beauty
And the marvelous rebellion of man at all signs reading “Keep Off.”
My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
Duty, Beauty, Liberty, Country, Honor, Family, Faith — Plus a few simple easy to follow rules for guys
Men saw the stars at the edge of the sea
They thought great thoughts about liberty
Poets wrote down words that did fit
Writers wrote books
Thinkers thought about it
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
Many’s the road I have walked upon
Many’s the hour between dusk and dawn
Many’s the time
Many’s the mile
I see it all now
Through the eyes of a child
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
[Chorus]
Lost dreams and found dreams
In America
In America
In America
Lost dreams and found dreams
In America
In America
In America
And close your eyes
Leave it all for a while
Leave the world
And your worries behind
You will build on whatever is real
And wake up each day
To a new waking dream
Take it where you find it
Can’t leave it alone
You will find a purpose
To carry it on
Mainly when you find it
Your heart will be strong
About it
[Chorus]
Change, change come over
Change come over
Talkin’ about a change
Change, change
Change come over, now
Change, change, change come over
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I’m gonna walk down the street
Until I see
My shining light
I see my light
See my light
See my shining light
I see my light
See my light
See my shining light
![The Complete "Growl" [Because Now More Than Ever]](https://americandigest.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/brainsinjar-150x150.jpg "The Complete \"Growl\" [Because Now More Than Ever]")
Gerard Van der Leun
Comments on this entry are closed.
Yesterday my brother in law and his wife came by and my wife and I sat with them in the breakfast nook and conversed as we hadn’t gotten together in over a year. In the background, on a counter in the kitchen, the ice cream machine was doing it’s thing. Other then me, there were 3 people talking and that machine running and my hearing now is such that it was just one big wall of sound with no definition. I look at a talkers lips and automatically the visual together with the audible I can usually make out what is said. As long as it’s one on one. In groups I don’t do so well. Background noise blends everything into a slurry of sounds and I bore quickly. Same with this video. The background music melded with the voice and I had no idea what was going on. I tried, I really tried, but after about 2 mins it was futile. What is the story about, in 10 words or less?
God wants you. He pursues you. He never gives up.
It’s an animated and rebooted variation of a famous poem called
The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson 1890 – Hound of Heaven which begins…
I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmèd fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat—and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet—
‘All things betray thee, who betrayest Me.’
. . . and it goes on from there in pretty much the story of your life.
Thank you both.
For me He never pursued; He waited. He came to me through my mind, through my thoughts, through my reason. He showed me that I was blind; He offered sight. He showed me that I was deaf; He offered sound. He showed me that I had never been alone. He took the evils I had done and put them aside. All He wanted was—me.
Now all I want is Him.
Weird, he was waiting for me the second I arrived!
For thousands of years theologians debated the nature of belief: of man, of Faith, of God Himself. They were as men climbing up the face of a mountain. For generations they labored up the mountain, until they reached the summit. They saw Christ, Peter, Paul and he Holy Ghost sitting around a table playing poker and smoking cigars. They said to the theologians, “What kept you?”
I was going to add something, but it’s already all here.
My slim copy of this poem, illustrated by Tim Ladwig (the illustrations are finely done), describes the poem as “A Wildly Romantic Poem About Spiritual Conversion,” and goes on to note that Thompson’s life was adrift in the thrall of opium who supported his habit by selling matches. Thompson’s attempts to flee from God were unsuccessful, and though he never realized his dream of being a famous writer in his day, Thompson did achieve God’s grace and left us with a heart wrenching, yet uplifting, poem of his attempts to flee God’s grace. “Rise, clasp My hand, and come!”
“Thompson did achieve God’s grace and left us with a heart wrenching, yet uplifting, poem of his attempts to flee God’s grace.”
Thank you John, you just proved my point that there are only two things in life that are
very, very hard for human beings.
1. Learning how to permanently live free, and
2. Po – et – ry
John 8:32