The Place of Wellness; Question Marked series - Tim and Kristy Knipp (John 5:1-9)

Shadows flicker upon the waters,
tattered beggars linger near;
broken, blind and injured
are drawn here -
it's become a daily ritual.
They are known to one another
and familiar 
with the rough-hewn walls,
the water's gurgle,
the slant of sun.

Jesus asks us
are we ready to move on,
and we offer a panoply
of well-worn excuses
like pocketed stones
daily thumbed into 
a slick shine.

Get up,
He says.
Take action. 
Do something
to participate in the 
healing forces
you so desire.
It's not enough to wallow
in the shallows.
Take a deep breath
and.get.up.
daily.

Pick up your mat,
worn-edged and
comforting.
Bring it with you
to demonstrate
how far you've come.
Shake out the dust
and fold it 
over your trembling arm.
Never forget the "before" -
the day on day
and year on year
of desolated waiting.
Juxtapose it
with the wholeness of now,
the lightness of being,
the spring in your stride.

And if you still sit frozen,
invisible among the crowd,
ask yourself if you dare
to travel to the place
of wellness.
To get up may mean
to reach out,
to open up,
to try something new
and terrifying.
The place of wellness
is unfamiliar
and your equilibrium
may falter,
but don't forget 
that Jesus also
calls us (after 
rising and dusting
off our mat) to
follow (and lean
on)
Him.