Streams of Comfort

I wrote this poem a couple of years ago when I was experiencing anxiety in a public space. I was completely unable to think my way out of my worries and self-consciousness, and I thought that writing a poem might help. So I wrote the poem below on my phone and prayed for peace. As I wrote, the Lord guided me to a truth of the gospel. That I am only able to attain the peace my heart, body, and mind desires through Jesus and the abundant love he freely gives. It is not something I can attain in my own strength and thinking. If you are experiencing anxiety in any way, I pray that this poem will point you to Jesus, the source of peace.

There is something I don’t understand,
It’s just slightly outside of my reach,
A low hanging fruit,
That hangs off the Peace Tree.
The state that I want my inner world to be,
What I believe will finally set me free,
If I can just stretch up and reach,
The fruit that Jesus promised me.
But I wonder why,
That the higher that I reach,
The farther away the fruit seems to be,
As if it is purposely eluding me.
And my heart begins to sing,
A somber and soft melody,
“Though I long for the fruit I need,
It’s too far out of my reach”,
“Though I long for the fruit I need,
It might not be for me”,
And tears well up in my eyes,
And I start to cry.
As no matter how hard I try
I can’t grab what will set me free,
And I cannot stop this somber melody.
But then suddenly the melody stops,
And I hear a rustling of leaves,
Of something moving above me.
I slowly look up and see,
That the Peace Tree is shaking,
That the Peace Tree is smiling,
That the Peace Tree is giving,
The fruit that I need,
And it falls into my hands,
And I consume it.
My heart begins to sing,
A new and joyful melody,
“Though I long for the fruit I need,
It’s too far out of my reach”,
“And that’s why Jesus my savior,
Gives me the fruit that I cannot reach.”
I look up and thank the Lord,
For the low hanging fruit,
That is just outside of my reach,
As now I know,
That peace isn’t something I reach,
It’s a gift that God gives me.