Speaking Life, Disarming Love {guest post}

There’s a richness and prophetic insight to Suzannah Paul‘s words that I cannot get enough of. She fights for justice in the best of ways, through powerful peace. Over to Suzannah:
They’re willful, the both of them. Like their mama, I suppose. Not much for people pleasing or authority. (Like their mama?)

Parenting is a struggle most days. We’re on the same team. Team Paul! I speak it like prophecy, but it feels more like a battle of attrition. They are small but mighty, their reserves and stamina unmatched.

I never wanted a fight, but they’d die on every hill, and I’m outnumbered. We pray disarmament.
We listen with our ears. I listen with my ears.
We speak kind words. I speak kind words. I’m sorry.
We help with our hands. I help with my hands, gently now.
We love each other. And we do, so very much.
—

The seasons change, and so do we. Some days are brighter. I make a friend. We tell the truth and we remember they are little. We’re all imperfect and we’re trying. So are they.
They disagree. One hits. The other cries. Make it right, I say. They apologize, hug it out, and all’s forgotten.
But me, I pick my wounds and hold it against you. As tough as they are, they forgive lavishly and teach us. We’re unlearning. Their mercy exposes the anger our hearts harbor.
Its poison generational, we pray to break the cycle. We lay it down—and lapse—and lay it down again, speaking life.

New mercies are for parents, too.
—
Spring lies waiting. It’s twenty-odd degrees, but daffodils arise unflappable. If they can believe in spite of the evidence, so can we.
You’re best friends. I speak it like prophecy. The words-make-flesh and dwell among us.
We are, mama. We’re best friends.
Pilgrim, perceiver, and feminist-poet-mama, Suzannah Paul writes love letters to the broken, beautiful Church at the smitten word. Home is (and isn’t) a western Pennsylvania summer camp where she lives the life bucolic and dreams of cityscapes.
News on God and Suffering series: next week will be the last ‘God and Suffering’ post for a while, though it will hopefully return in September. It has been amazing to host it, and I’m looking forward to hearing more stories in the future. But for now, I’ll be taking a break.
Over to you:

• What things do you need to speak like prophecy over your life?

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