RE-CREATED IN THE RIVER OF GRACE

A man on the highway of life felt lost. He turned to baptism, and was saved by Christ the Shepherd. As baptismal waters poured over his head, the man felt his sins wash away. As new life opened before him, Christ stood before him, holding out His Hands. Thereafter the Saviour beckoned the newly baptised towards a new and beautiful destiny. It does not matter how many our sins have been, nor how sad and sore the inner struggles unseen; Christ can heal them all, and lead us into a new life, and life eternal in Heaven.

Re-Created in the River of Grace

I wandered far through shadowed lands, alone, unsure, afraid,
With empty heart and restless soul, where light and hope had strayed;
My hidden wounds no eye could see, my burdens hard to name,
I walked beneath a weight of years; of sorrow, guilt, and shame.

Yet still there stirred a distant call, so gentle, deep, and true,
A whisper through the silent dark that somehow, still, I knew;
It drew me to the waters clear, where mercy softly shone,
To Baptism’s stream - no longer lost, alone.

The waters fell upon my brow, so quiet, cool, and bright,
They washed away the stain of sin, they filled my soul with light;
Each drop a grace, each wave a peace no words could well express,
A sacred flood that cleansed my heart of all its weariness.

In that moment, still and deep, as past and pain were gone,
A life I had not dared to dream awakened like the dawn;
The chains I bore in secret broke, the night was swept aside,
Hope arose, a living flame no darkness now could hide.

Then there before my opened soul, with love both strong and mild,
Stood Jesus Christ, the Shepherd, calling me His lovéd child;
His hands outstretched, His eyes alight with mercy shining through,
Christ beckoned me to follow Him, to walk a life made new.

“No matter all the paths you’ve trod, nor wounds you bear within,
No weight of grief, no depth of fall, no multitude of sin;
I have sought you through it all, through every tear you’ve known,
Now I lead you home at last: as My beloved own."

O soul once lost in hidden storms, now gathered, safe, restored,
Led gently by the faithful Hand of Christ, our truly loving Lord;
Through valleys deep and trials to come, I do not need to fear,
For He who called me from the dark is always, ever near.

Re-created in that river where grace and mercy start,
A new and living path unfolds before the heart;
Step by step, with Him who leads beyond all earthly strife,
I journey on toward heaven’s light; eternal, endless life.

Image courtesy of ChatGPT and CN Whittle; "Baptism in a medieval church" 

Poem inspired by article "Baptism andCo-existence" by GMA Jansen (Fr Norbert OP) 

https://sahistory.org.za/sites/default/files/archive-files/PvApr67.pdf

With thanks to sahistory.org