i have always known his name.
i have always heard his story.
i have always said i believed.

but i haven’t always understood.

he has shined a light in my darkest places,
but my reasoning made excuses
to turn the other way.

he has gently nudged me
towards the road to take
as i forced my way against him.

despite my stubborn ways and
ignorant choices, he walked
beside me through pain and hardship,
shaking his head with tears
trickling down his face
as he watched me carry
burdens he never asked me to hold.

when the weight became too much,
and the dark inside me grew
too heavy to outrun,
he restored me with
his nail scarred hands.

he led me down the paths
i refused to see. he helped me
rest and listen. to hear
his quiet whisper... his voice.  

despite my ways,
he never abandoned me.
he walked beside me
through my own poor decisions
until i finally learned to walk with him.