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Daniel, favored servant of King Darius the Mede,
First among three presidents, and over one hundred twenty princes he did lead.

A man of excellent spirit, and chosen above many to serve the kingdom,
Those who served beneath him were jealous, and devised a way to take more than his freedom.

The presidents and princes developed a sinister plan,
So devious that it was sure to entangle this beloved man.

They went before King Darius with a plot disguised as a decree,
Knowing he served the Lord, who would one day die for us at Calvary.

Their scheme charged that no man could make petition for thirty days,
Not unto man, or God, knowing very well about Daniel’s faithful ways.

For defying this order would be as a sin,
And that individual would be thrown into the lion’s den.

By the law of the Medes and Persians, this was impossible to break.
The presidents and princes knew the law, but didn’t realize they were making a big mistake.

They watched and they waited for Daniel to pray,
He didn’t disappoint them when he did it in front of the window, three times in a day.

And just like that, their trap had been sprung,
Straight to the king they went as their accusations rung.

Now King Darius quickly realized what had transpired,
The plot against Daniel that the evil men desired.

His heart must’ve felt like it had completely broken,
Over the words against Daniel that were spoken.

The command was issued to cast Daniel into the lion’s den,
King Darius spoke to Daniel with confidence that his God would deliver him from the plot of the evil men.

A stone was placed, ensuring there was no way to leave,
But in times like this., God just wants His children to believe.

The king wept and fasted all through the night,
Then straight to the lion’s den at first light.

He called to Daniel to see if God had delivered him,
Daniel assured the king he was fine, still intact with every limb.

You see, God sent an angel to shut the mouth of every lion,
Even if they wanted to eat him, there would have been no use tryin’.

And just like that, King Darius ordered Daniel out of the lion’s den,
He was soon to be replaced by the corrupt and evil men.

Not only that, their families were thrown in too,
The starving lions soon had plenty on which to chew.

Their bones were broken and the lions did devour,
But most importantly, Daniel was saved by God’s amazing power.

After all that had happened, a new degree was made,
The Living God was exalted, and so was his servant Daniel who prayed.

Let this be a reminder that God has a plan,
Nobody can stop it, neither lion nor man.

Daniel 6:26-27 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

I beheld her long ago in a dream,
Her presence flowed through me like a shimmering stream.

I didn’t want to wake, but I had no choice,
I could have dreamt for eternity, listening to her voice.

That’s how I felt, as my body rested still,
The thought of her gave my heart a thrill.

It beat steady, happily, and true,
With her presence, it could never turn blue.

The night had ended, as I heard the clock’s alarm,
My eyes opened, and I stretched out each arm.

As I stood upon my feet,
I realized I could hear my heart beat.

It wasn’t a sound I had ever heard before.
This time; this morning, it was so much more.

It felt like a cage filled with doves suddenly set free,
It felt like dolphins overcoming the current of a raging sea.

I knew I had to find her, but I had to find myself first,
If I didn’t get control, the pressure would make my heart burst.

It would take time, change, and much prayer,
But with hope in God, I would eventually get there.

Even though I have not found her heart yet,
The Lord of My Life has my path set.

I just have to walk down that path laid out for me,
Step-by-step, following what God can already see.

It will take faith and diligence to stay in my lane,
It may even bring forth trials of agonizing pain,

It it fine though and it will be worth it in the end,
When I am close to her, and she becomes my best friend.

A worthy journey can sometimes challenge our heart,
But in truth, it was already strong enough from the start.

It just has to learn to use its beautiful strength,
Pumping and beating merrily, no matter the length.

Closer and closer to the finish line,
Soon we will be together and her heart will meet mine.

My heart will joyfully sing a beautiful song,
May my time with her be meaningful and long.

I want to hold her tightly and close to my side,
Together in Jesus, we shall together abide.

Our hearts will grow as one, like a tall, unwavering tree,
No wind will break us, or take away from our glee.

The things of this world shall have no power over our love,
They have no claim over that which has been ordained from above.

Alas, I have just a little further to go,
The closer I get, the more I can feel my heart glow.

It is Jesus in me, walking with me down the path,
Taking each step with me, victoriously guiding me beyond God’s wrath.

Together we shall soon arrive at her heart,
Even though Jesus has been there from the start.

He will join us together, as the three of us meet,
As one in Jesus, shall together our hearts beat.

The time has come. The end of the year.
A season of joy and great cheer.

However, much is lost when people forget this…
That for some it isn’t a time of great bliss.

There are people who have no home,
In boxes they live and in alleys they roam.

There are many who can’t afford their child a gift,
And selfish people that can cause a rift.

There are animals at the shelter with only days to live,
A wonderful home they wish someone would give.

But the saddest part of it all,
Is that too many people see these things so small.

They go on their way passing over the weak and the lost,
In their hearts they don’t understand the cost.

So this is my message to all who read,
Reach out to a person or an animal in need.

Sometimes what is little to us is everything to them,
Even a brief smile may make their day not seem so dim.

Now I’m not trying to make you feel guilt or despair,
I’m just trying to encourage you to share.

You see, sometimes the greatest gift you can receive,
Is that knowing you took someone’s doubt and made them believe.

You’ve given them hope in a world they fear,
And given them a reason to smile and cheer.

But the most important lesson of the holiday season,
Is that we don’t need holidays as a reason.

You can give your heart all year long,
And in others hearts you will create a song.

With that all being said, I will end this way,
Even though there is much more I could say.

No matter how big or small the deed,
Give with your heart and you will plant a seed.

That individual you helped may have been at the end of the line,
But tomorrow, who knows… They might be doing just fine.

We never know what lurks in the dark places,
But light will always win for away darkness it chases.

Maybe the holiday season bring you great cheer,
And wishing you the best through all of next year.

(Foreword about the poem: I wrote this from a woman’s perspective, and shared what I know to be true about domestic abuse through my experience in social work. Please be aware that it does have some violent material in it, but it is for realism and to get the point across to those who may be experiencing a similar situation.)

It seemed like an almost endless week to him, as he slowly walked through the door,
I tried to comfort his stress and his sadness, because I missed the smile he once bore.

He used to be the happiest person I ever did meet,
But this time, with a smile, he did not greet.

I tried to do everything in my power to set him at ease,
But the harder I tried, the more he became impossible to appease.

I took off his shoes and cooked him his favorite dish,
But nothing I did could please him, and this was my only wish.

I tried to compliment him with each and every word I spoke,
Soon he became red, put his hands around my neck, and started to choke,

We fell to the floor and he slapped me across the face,
The tears streamed down, and I tried to take my mind to a different place.

I didn’t even try to fight back,
I knew if I did, his anger would only stack.

It wasn’t very long until he decided to quit,
I then walked to my room, and on the bed I did sit.

I thought about what had happened and tried to understand,
How could someone who loved me belittle me with his hand?

The tears streamed down and my makeup ran, making a mess,
But there is something that I must confess.

I love him even though he hurt me,
Because I know who he used to be.

The next day he brought me flowers and candy,
I thought maybe what he did was a fluke and that everything would be just dandy.

It has now been seven days and I have had time to recover,
But an awful truth I was about to discover.

Once again, he came through the same door,
The same scenario, and once again I was on the floor.

This time I went to ponder what I should do,
I quickly packed my bags, and out the door I flew.

I realized something that many do not get,
A man who hits once, will continue to hit.

I walked away from a bad circumstance,
I knew he would do it again if I gave him the chance.

It is now one year later and I am doing well,
He has a new wife, but she is living in a cell.

You see, what could’ve been me is now her,
His anger rages, but he pulls her back in with his lure.

So this is my message to all those who read,
Understand that those who are violent will usually not concede.

It is a cycle that goes round and round,
And for many help will never be found.

If this scenario sounds familiar to you,
Understand that many others are experiencing it too.

Pack your bags and go to a safe place to dwell,
You might have to rebuild, but you will not fail.

You will lift yourself where you belong,
You will recover, and your life will sing a new song.

Never let others treat you like dirt,
Just hope for him, because in them is much hurt.

There is one last point that I need to make clear,
Sometimes the roles are reversed, and it is in the man that there should be fear.

But whoever you are, and whatever your circumstances may be,
Don’t let anyone abuse you, or you will never be truly free.

Break the grip!