Becoming One

It’s in becoming one,
Where we will learn to willingly surrender,
That which God will one day require of us.

It’s in becoming one,
We learn that submission and selflessness,
Are far superior to selfishness that the world inspires.

It’s in becoming one,
That we learn the eternal immeasurable value,
Of people and relationships over things.

It’s in becoming one,
We learn transparency and loving communication,
Choosing vulnerability and risking wounds from a faithful friend.

Oh Lord, may we realize,
That in avoiding selfless surrender,
We will only delay...even increase pain inherent in the inevitable.

Lord, may You bless and reward,
The fruits of our labor to become one,
Enable and strengthen us as we draw close to You!

By Susan Bunts
June 30, 2008

Dedicated to my love...Chris Wachtel...whom I will become one with on October 4^th, 2008.

As we prepare ourselves to wed...we are not only amazed at how much work it is to get married but are becoming aware of just how painful that “becoming one” can be. Goodness knows that the sacrifices are many but the rewards are well worth it.

We contemplate the painful parting with things we once treasured and now find ourselves moving beyond our former lives. Forging ahead into “us” instead of “me”.

While at times it’s really hard...a reflection on the losses that so many people have experienced in recent days and weeks with the flooding in the Midwest serves as a timely reminder that which we may attempt to hold onto God may one day require of us. Will He have to pry it out of our tightly closed hands? How much better to come to Him with open hands and willingly surrender that which He has entrusted to us for a season.

In doing so...it is our prayer that God will reward and bless our willingly surrender to Him and His plan for our lives.

Concurrently Providential

When I see you,
I can perfectly see God’s presence in my life.

His mercy and grace,
Poured out in abundance to one so undeserving.

His sovereign plan,
That brought us together...in His perfect timing.

How He spent a lifetime,
Fitting us and forming two broken pieces for one another.

Yet...He left surprises,
In which we can delight and discover as we grow together.

I see His providence,
Because He went before me and prepared me for you.

I can testify to His concurrence,
As He worked a “good bad” in order to bring me to you.

Before you...He brought men into my life,
That made me desire...even long for a good man who loves the Lord.

Yet...He has given even more,
Deep blue eyes and warm smile...that melt my heart.

Chris...until “That Day”...and beyond,
May He continually, concurrently, providentially work His sovereign plan in us!

By Susan Bunts
May 21, 2008

Dedicated to Chris...the one I love

This poem was inspired by a sermon by Pastor Philip De Courcy that taught us about the sovereignty of God through His providence and concurrence in our lives. That sermon was providentially timed and has caused me to reflect and appreciate even more what God is doing in Chris and my life...and in our relationship.

Hard Work

“Relationships are really hard work!” he said.
Indeed they are,
But I’m glad to be doing that work with you.

When we step back...we clearly see,
God’s hand in bringing us together.
It’s very evident…plain for all to see.

As perfectly as He fitted us for one another,
We are being challenged,
By some of the differences we see.

He is the Potter…we are the clay,
We are continually being remolded,
Made into what He would have us be.

He’s bringing together,
A man and a woman,
With personalities that had nearly 50 years to set.

That “bringing together” is bound to hurt.
But thankfully,
It’s with someone I trust and respect.

May I never cease to marvel,
Even be amazed,
At how God has brought us together.

May we trust Him!
Eagerly anticipate what He is going to do,
With two souls yielded to the skillful Potter’s hands.

By Susan Bunts
May 19, 2008

Dedicated to Chris Wachtel...the one I love.

Both Chris and I marvel at how God has brought us together. We shake our heads in amazement that it’s only been two and a half months since we started dating. God turbo charged our relationship through the sickness and death of my mother...just a little over a month into our relationship. God used those circumstances to reveal Chris’ character...his emotional and spiritual maturity.

I’ve been speculating and teasing Chris that one day we are going to have our first argument. He tells me I’m a worry wart and it will be fine. Recently we both concluded that relationships are very hard work. But even with the work....it’s worth it.

It’s quite interesting bringing two people together that have been alone for close to 50 years. There’s the men/women difference and the personality differences. But I’ve got to say...while challenging...it sure helps when the person that’s meeting those challenges with me is someone whom I respect and trust. It’s a whole different ball game when it’s with a man who love the Lord and seeks to do God’s will before his own. Now that’s not only someone I can trust...but love.

I’m not the only one who’s happy Chris has come along. My kitty Rudy...loves Chris and is certain God brought Chris just for him.

The Key

Carrying a burden
You did not ask me to carry

Holding on
To that which you bid me to let go

Unforgiveness has locked me in
Forgiveness the key which will set me free

By Susan Bunts
October 30, 2007

May I Never

I took me 49 years to find you,
May I never take you for granted.

Pastor Chuck used to say he had the blessing of cancer,
We have the experience of a lifetime of being alone.

May we never forget how blessed we are,
To have found each other...even at this late stage.

We don’t know how many days God will grant us,
Or how long before our health will fail.

May I never take it for granted,
That I have my hand in yours.

May I never take for granted,
Your sweet kisses that I’ve come to love.

May I never take for granted,
Instead...always remember how it feels to be held in your arms.

May I always appreciate your thoughtfulness,
Considerate, kind and caring...that’s you!

May I take joy,
In the laughter you bring.

I don’t want to miss one more day without you,
Or assume we will have a lifetime together.

You are my first thought in the morning,
My last thought at night.

I don’t want to miss one more kiss,
Or spend another day without looking into your eyes.

I spent a lifetime finding you,
Now I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know you.

To Chris...the one I love!

Susan Bunts
April 14,2008

Ebbing Away

I walked in,
My first thought...
My Mom’s going to die here.

That smell hits my nose,
An odor of death surrounds me,
Makes me want to vomit...turn and run.

What little abilities she had,
Are quickly fading away,
There’s her body...but where’s the person I love?

The few words that used to be uttered,
Her occasional sentence is now all but gone,
In its stead...silence.

Her eyes that once would light up,
Along with a mischievous smile,
Has been replaced by a blank unresponsive stare.

Before she would grip my hand,
Now try as I might,
There’s nothing but a limp hand.

Tales of escape to Vegas,
Or climbing out of bed,
Have been taken over by one...who just wants to die.

Music that once inspired tapping toes,
As a knowing smile crossed her lips,
Can not even elicit a bob of her head.

She’s fading,
Her life is ebbing away,
She’s given up...I fear she will soon die.

Will it be with me by her side?
Or in the cold dark of night,
Alone?

Makes me want to vomit and run away,
But this sick feeling in my stomach,
Just will not go away.

Peace evades me as I question her salvation,
Please Lord...may her name be written,
In the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Your word assures me,
You desire that none would perish,
May she even now repent and receive Christ.

Even with a mind that may not comprehend,
You God...are able to reach in,
I beg You...may she please be saved.

In desperation,
By her bedside,
I told her about Jesus.

I pray,
That nod...barely noticeable,
Is confirmation my Mother is now my sister in Christ.

As I walked out the door tonight,
I wondered,
Will I ever see her alive again?

By Susan Bunts
April 9, 2008

In the Ordinary

Was it just a few short weeks ago,
That we met,
And I fell deeply in like with you?
Then you began to wow me in ordinary!

It’s in the simple,
Ordinary,
Everyday life,
That you take my breath away.

That’s where life is lived,
Not among the stars,
But do tell...my heart beats a little bit faster,
And the moon shines a little bit brighter because of you.

When I close my eyes,
I can see your face,
Feel as if I’m looking into your deep blue eyes,
Your smile...I just can’t get it out my mind.

Is this what falling in love feels like?
When it feels just right...to be in your arms,
Is that where I began to love you,
In the ordinary...everyday life?

Dedicated to him...who makes even the ordinary special. Are you my Sam?

Susan Bunts
April 6, 2008

Where Have You Been?

Where have you been all my life?
I know, I know...God has been shaping you,
Into the man who would one day touch my heart.

A warm smile,
Graces your face,
As a playful, teasing laugh escapes your lips.

Deep blue eyes,
And penetrating gaze,
At times...I must turn away.

Tendered heart and kind,
Caring...even for the least of these,
Bear witness to a heart transformed by his Savior.

No word goes unnoticed,
Our conversations so deep,
I could spend a lifetime getting to know you.

You treat me like a princess,
Like no man ever has,
Only time will tell...if this will have a fairytale end.

Susan Bunts
March 29, 2008

The Clock is Ticking

The clock on the wall is ticking,
In between the tick, tick, tick,
Only silence fills the room.

Before me lies one,
For whom I have prayed untold times,
Seeking his salvation before the throne of God.

His breathing is now labored,
Consciousness is fading,
Dare I plead one more time Lord?

Only You oh Lord,
Know the day and the hour,
When the beating of his heart will cease.

That moment when his fate will be sealed,
When the time to repent will have passed,
Entering that place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But Lord, You tell me,
That today is the day of salvation,
That You desire for all to come to repentance.

So I pray oh Lord,
That You might move in his heart,
Enable him, even now...to hear the Gospel and respond.

Give me the words,
To tell him,
That all have sinned and fallen short.

That our sin debt,
Was paid in full,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That if he will confess with his mouth,
Believe in his heart,
That Jesus Christ is Lord...he will be saved.

Before the night is over,
I pray that his name will be written,
In the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Susan Bunts
March 16, 2008

This poem is dedicated to those who bear the heavy burden of unsaved loved ones. Keep praying! Our hope is in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Level Ground

If the cross were ever before me,
How would it affect my choices,
Would I willfully, so easily step into sin,
Or see sin’s true cost and flee?

If only I could see His nail pierced hands,
Know the agony and pain He endured,
That He willingly, with full knowledge,
Took upon Himself so that I might be freed.

If only I could know of God’s righteous anger,
His wrath poured out upon my sin,
If only I could comprehend His great love,
That by grace He provided a way that I might be saved.

If only I could see,
That it was His precious blood,
Flowing abundant and free,
That has cleansed me and made me whole.

Oh....that I would be mindful,
That at the foot of the cross all ground is level,
There I stand no better than the other sinner,
Who was saved...just like me.

The same blood,
Shed by the same Savior,
Covers our sins,
Saving us from the same eternity spent in hell.

By Susan Bunts
March 15, 2008

This is dedicated to a certain someone. May you never believe the lies of enemy...but instead be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might. Praise God...we have been freed from the power of sin. May we loudly proclaim...we are free at last!

As a Christian...it is important that I be mindful that my salvation was based on Jesus Christ and His righteousness. That He willing took my sins...upon Himself and paid the penalty of God’s wrath for my sin...so that I might be saved. He died so that I might be clothed in His righteousness and have eternal life.

While no one likes to admit they are a sinner it seems that there are certain sins that are more acceptable than other...sins that are ubiquitous. Then there are other sins that are anathema.

But it’s important that I remember that my sins would have put in me in hell...that at the foot of the cross...the ground is level. That Jesus blood was shed for me...and necessary to cleanse me and make whole again. It took the same blood to save me as the greatest sinner.

I have no place bragging expect in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Stingy Grace

How do you respond to someone,
Who is unforgiving...stingy with their grace?

What do you say to someone,
Who refuses to acknowledge their own sin?

At what point to you give up,
Walk away, and never look back?

They can not give,
What they have never received, can they?

What does my Savior require,
When forgiveness is rejected, set aside, torn asunder?

Forgive again…
Will you dare to be generous with your grace?

February 28, 2008
Susan Bunts

What do you do when you reach out with olive branch…only to have that branch broken and returned you?

I could tell that God has been working on me. His transforming power was evident in my response. After the tears had stopped…and I realized my heart would live to see another day…and dare to even love again…I knew what I had to do. As clear as God’s leading was to reach out initially…His leading now was to forgive the offense immediately.

“But God…he was stingy with his grace…he was hard hearted…unkind and uncaring. You want me to forgive that?”

Well…I should have known better than to ask God that question. The answer was a resounding, “Yes! Susan…he can not give…that which he has not received. You know My grace...you know My forgiveness. I forgave you Susan…when you were still dead in your sin. But it wasn’t until you received My forgiveness…offered to you though My grace…that you were able to forgive. Susan, I bind up brokenhearted and heal bruised and battered lives…I will care for you. But you must obey Me. Forgive! Today…right now…without delay. Be generous with your grace Susan…be generous as I am with you.”

“Okay God…I forgive!”

“Atta-girl Susan…you keep obeying and following Me. Now you might want to even be praying for him. What do you think?”

“Yes Lord.”

Not Promised Tomorrow

I go along content,
So certain of tomorrow,
Making plans of what I will do…one day.

Oh there’s that call I’ll make,
To a long lost friend,
Make amends, mend fences and restore.

I promise…I’ll finally get to that letter,
Write of my love,
Tell you what you’ve meant to me.

It all seems so sure,
Each day dawns and the sun still sets right on time,
Every day seems to go on…just as I’d planned.

Then one day…news,
An accident, disease, a sudden death,
My plans unalterably changed.

Words of forgiveness will go unspoken,
The words “I love you”,
Will not be heard by the one I love.

I will not know this side of eternity,
Did you know I had forgiven…so long ago?
Did you feel the love deep in my heart…but never uttered from my lips?

Oh Lord forgive me,
For I have presumed…I did not know,
We are not promised tomorrow.

By Susan Bunts
February 23, 2008

It seems with the passing of each day…there is news someone’s grave illness or death. Sometimes drawn out over time…sometimes in the blink of an eye they are gone. I can only pray that during that time…they reach out make amends, say I love you, and leave nothing unspoken.

I know full well the peril in not taking the time to ask questions and work through issues. My mom has Alzheimer’s…and the answers to questions I might have asked are securely locked up in her mind and will remain a mystery this side of heaven.

More importantly is the choice that each of us must make. Will I confess Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior…will I bend my knee this side of heaven? The Bible assures us that one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord…to the glory of God forever.

One of the concerns I have is the uncertainty of my mother’s salvation. She went to church…and lived a decent and good life. Not perfect…but good. She didn’t talk of spiritual matters too often. Bible reading and prayer were not something that were part of our daily life. Her church going was in her youth…and after my father died. When she remarried we went to church weekly. She was in church…but I can’t tell you for sure if she is in Christ. That is why I talk to her about Jesus…and how to be saved. But because she can’t clearly express herself anymore I don’t know if she was saved at moment in time. I don’t know if she has the ability to make that choice now.

If I am hard hearted, willful, refuse to obey God’s leading, unkind, uncaring and stingy in my grace…then I will live a life of regrets. If I think I’m getting into heaven because I go to church, say a prayer, or live a life that’s better than the average guy…then I will be shocked when I hear Jesus say, “Away from me, I never knew you.” I will be protesting all the way to hell.

God’s word tells us that “Today is the day of salvation”. Today…I can make that choice. To refuse to do so…is presuming upon tomorrow. God may not give me tomorrow. When I lay my head on the pillow tonight…I don’t know if I will draw my last breath. The question is…when I awake in eternity…will I be in heaven or hell?

Broken

Am I broken,
Over churches who compromise,
Fail to teach the Word of God?

Am I grieved,
When churches aim to please seekers,
Instead of feeding the flock?

Do I cry,
When my Savior,
Has been made a mockery to an unbelieving world?

Do I sorrow,
Over pastors who seek to entertain,
With feel good messages?

Do I question,
Pastors who desire to grow numbers,
Rather than grow character?

Do I turn off,
Not even listen,
To pastors who dare not utter the word “sinner”?

Am I appalled,
When a pastor changes a hymn,
From “wretch”, to “saved a soul like me”?

Do I tolerate,
The pastor who embraces a Muslim,
And proclaims we that worship the same God?

Do I confront heresy,
When those in the pulpit,
Deny the trinity, the virgin birth, even Jesus Christ our Lord?

Am I embarrassed,
By those who claim to be a “man of God”,
Yet are ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Or do I diligently seek,
Listen attentively,
For the Bible, the inerrant Word of God?

Is the Bible my measure,
To discern,
If one is truly in the faith?

Do I thank God,
Fall upon my knees,
For the uncompromised preaching of the Word of God?

Do I allow,
The full counsel of His Word,
To rebuke, correct, instruct me in righteousness?

Am I overcome,
With gratitude…do I loudly proclaim,
I am a sinner, saved by grace, not of works, least I boast?

By Susan Bunts
February 17, 2008