These Are My JOTtings, Part #2

Tenderness

A tender heart's not born that way.
It is the gift of God.
To live and love each gentle day
is through one truly awed.

"A new heart I will give to you.
New spirit in you I will put.
I'll take the stony heart. It's through,
so marred by dirt and caked in soot.

"I'll give to you a heart of flesh.
My Spirit I will put within,
and cause your walk in me be fresh.
My judgments you shall do, not sin."
(Ezekiel 36:26-27, AKJV, in iambic meter)

I'm tender when I'm breakable.
My tenderness sees other's needs.
With gentleness unshakable
I bandage hurts, each wound, that bleeds.

A stony heart sees mirrored eyes.
It looks out "just for me!"
But God's been calling from the skies.
Just listen and you I'll free.

Each life upon this stony Rock
is worthy of tenderness.
Because we're made of Adam's stock,
God chooses us to bless.

Salvation is of God each part.
He stops me cold to change my core.
Exchange makes new my imbittered heart.
Puts life within, where none was before.

by Jay O'Toole
on April 27th, 2020