Beloved God, Divine Tongue-

As the years pass,
I’ve kept my mouth quite closed.

You have asked me to share the Good News,
And I kept your love to myself.

You have asked me to share your message of justice and equity,
And I worried about what others would think.

You have asked me to be to be the most authentic version of myself,
To share the truest me with the world,
But I kept that self hidden too many times.

It would have been lovely to speak my truth along the way-
To those who downgraded me,
To those who have doubted me,
To those who tried to destroy my soul.

Yet as I learn about my worth,
And continue the journey of healing and growing,
My voice continues to be freed by the constraints of this world.

The song I sing in this new chapter
Reflects a version of myself that has hidden in the depths of my spirit
That once fled to the Sheol of my mind.

And now I stand in the warm sunlight with you, Spirit of Wonder-
On top of the escarpment overlooking the lands I’ve previously walked.
I know what needs to happen now
As I warm my voice at dawn of this brand new day.

Amen.