Poems by A.T. Alabi

The good deeds that I do
Are not what can save my soul.
That's not why I do them,
It should never be the goal.

I will never do enough.
For my failings, I can't atone.
All my righteousness is found
In Christ, the Lord alone.

He's made me brand new,
And all my sins, He did remove.
I do not need to act noble,
I've got nothing to prove.

Let me do them to produce
The one thing that really matters -
Not admiration for myself,
But a yearning for God in others.

So each time I try to do good,
Dear Lord, please take control.
With humility and purity of heart,
Help me remember the goal.

Hold my hand, dear Lord,
As I daily follow you.
This journey before me,
You alone can see me through.

The distractions emerging
Around, almost every day...
They're subtle and compelling,
I'm sometimes prone to stray.

There's much I don't know,
And the road ahead seems long.
All my hope is in you;
I confess I'm not strong.

I'll need your gentle tug,
When my focus seems to shift.
Grant me your healing word
When I need a happy lift.

Hold my hand, lead me, Lord
In that path straight and true.
Help me to fix my eyes
Always and only on you.

Amen

There are times to hurry.
Some things in life call for speed.
But more than ever, I'm learning
That pace is really what I need.

Sometimes I'll ask myself,
What the haste is all about?
When strength is easier maintained
Than regained after burnout.

There certainly will always be
That job that needs to get done.
New challenges will always rise,
So will the battles to be won.

It's healthier to make a plan,
To give to God each new day.
To appreciate the gift of life,
And spend some time to pray.

To rise and stride into the day,
With a goal clearly defined.
And give my best to whatever role
It is that I've been assigned.

To make the space to savour
The joy of a task complete
Before hopping on the next challenge,
To take the time to breathe.

To fit in little things that matter
Than how fast I'd move each day.
Like the lifted mind or grateful heart
I would leave along the way.

To break lofty intents into bits,
And take them one at a time.
To simply take each day as it comes,
And steadily enjoy the climb.

The sky speaks without words,
Messages that warm my heart.
It never ceases to amaze me,
Like a timeless work of art.

How it stretches far and wide,
With neither beginning nor end.
A fingerprint of the Creator,
Far more than I can comprehend.

It assures me of His blessings,
In its marvelous way of adorning
Each day with the sunrise -
That they're new every morning.

Happy times are understood
By the radiant hues in the sky.
Rain drops from darker shades convey
That sometimes it's okay to cry.

Now and then in broad daylight,
The beauty a rainbow will afford,
Affirms how great it is I'm loved,
By He who always keeps His word...

The One who sets the stars in space
And calls them each by name;
The One who set me here by design
And upholds me just the same.

What more is needed to show
The sovereignty of the Most High?
I find enough each time I spare
A lingering gaze at the sky.

It's sometimes hard to see
How close a virtue and vice can be,
Yet the borderline of the two
Should we respect in all we do.

Being frank without a little tact
Can turn to rudeness after the fact.
Being brave may be a step away
From foolhardiness any given day.

When suspicion becomes routine
Paranoia is sure to settle in.
And when making humility a show
Pride readily begins to grow.

Where gentleness lacks a bit of nerve
Weakness is what others observe.
And where self-confidence is found
Arrogance often lurks around.

It's a borderline hard to tread
And plunges tend to lie ahead,
But it's by heeding moderation's call
That we can safely avoid a fall.

Where my heart truly lies
Is in the beauty of a simple life,
In a little peace and quiet,
Slower pace and lesser strife.

Where I'd find time to walk
Leisurely down a winding road,
Strolling in the woods, savoring
Each unfolding scenic episode.

Where I'd find time to sit
And nestle by the almond tree,
Feeling its quiet windy whispers
As it gently cuddles me.

Where I'd find time to stand
Quietly behind the windowpane,
Cradling a mug, watching the world
Showered with a gentle rain.

Where I'd find time to catch
The sparkling poise of a firefly
And lounge in the serene canopy
Of a star-speckled velvet sky.

Just a little peace and quiet,
In between life's hectic pace...
And I find my soul better aligned,
Filled with sweet solace.

Each morning of this month
When you rise upon your bed,
May it be with renewed grace
To face the day ahead.

May favor and laughter
Be what this new month will bring.
May it give you breakthroughs
And plenty reasons to sing.

May God's peace, like a river
Overflow within your soul.
May His tender, gentle whispers
Always heal and make you whole.

May each passing week
Only make your beauty abound.
May you remain a source of joy
To all you have around.

May the Lord's loving hand
Guide you each and every day.
And may you shine bright for Him
As you go along your way.

Strive at work while you can.
God knows it's why you are a man,
But don't wait till the funds abound
Before you get to slow it down.

Give your calling all you've got.
Rewards to gain, they are a lot;
But don't lose loved ones you have around.
Create the time to slow it down.

Toil for things that you crave,
But how much gets taken to the grave?
As needs are met, the wants compound.
Take the time to slow it down.

Best things in life are from above.
The busy struggles are never enough,
And in this truth, peace can be found.
Find the time to slow it down.