Psalm on Mean Street

LORD, you guide me into right pathways,  
chosen for me, leading me home. 
You said it. 
I believe it. 

But LORD, these are mean streets. 
The other travelers form cliques, 
gossip, 
unnerve me. 

And you mentioned level paths;
there are potholes here, jagged and deep.
They laugh 
when I fall.

Tell them off, LORD -- they are disgracing you.
You sent me here and I wear your name:
Christ-ian,
believer.


The hardest part for me to bear
is that they wear your name too:
Christ-ian,
believer.

The residents of these mean streets
throw dirt into the holes, meaning well.
Temporary.
Useless.

Rain falls and torrents scoop away
the cover-ups.  The pits remain.
We move on
still at risk.

So now, LORD, where am I to go?
I am exhausted and afraid.
It’s dark here
and lonely.

I thought I was a distance runner
With a long, graceful stride.
I’m crawling,
on my knees.

This paradox is too much for me.
I want clean streets, neatly paved,
the company
of friends.


Dear one, I have the map in my hands
but you can’t see it in the dark.
Trust me.
I can see.

This is the one way to get from
here to there, a mean street full of holes
but chosen,
you in mind.

My love hovers, a shelter from storms.
My love covers, protecting from pot shots.
I breathe strength
into your body.

I move your knees (your best feature!)
to worship as they crawl, growing
stronger,
surer.

And just around the corner is relief.
Almost there -- keep pushing on ahead!
It will thrill
your eyes.

So don’t give up! I know it’s hard
But I have plans you won’t want to miss.
These mean streets
are history.

What “mean street” are you on? Suffering comes with life in this broken world: loss, conflict, threats, chaos, disease, pain. The list goes on.

When I wrote this psalm of lament 12 years ago, I was undergoing personal attacks and misunderstandings. I desperately needed my Lord’s sustaining strength. Here are some truths that carried me through that rough journey. Looking back I see that his plans actually were accomplished, in his way and his timing. This increases my energy for navigating this current “mean street.”

When we are working hard to live a life pleasing to Jesus, we need his empowerment. As Paul said, he was actually experiencing joy in the middle of suffering (Col 1:24), just because he was living his life for Christ, accomplishing the mission given him. He was sent to encourage and strengthen the church. So his counsel to the church is essential to all of us who are a part of Christ’s body, the church! His prayers for that community show us what we must pray for ourselves and for our church.

For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects– bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of all patience and steadfastness, joyfully ¹² giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. (Col. 1:9-12 NET)

When we unpack that, what we need to navigate the potholes and walk straight includes these key things:

• knowing God’s will with spiritual wisdom and understanding
• then walking in a way that honors our Lord
• producing good results through right actions
• knowing God himself more personally, increasingly
• gaining patience and perseverance through God’s work in us
• strengthened by him, not our own efforts
• joyfully thanking him for all he offers us, now and forever

How is it possible to live like this? By unlocking our focus on the problems that surround us and looking up, eyes fixed on him!

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, ³ for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  (Col. 3:1-3 NET)

Remember that he is the one who knows what is now and what lies ahead—not only in this life, but he is preparing a perfect world for our forever-life with him! That is our assurance, that he guides us and protects us now, and that he has great plans.  And he is “at the right hand of God,” the place of powerful action. When we our lives are “hidden with Christ in God,” we are surrounded by total goodness and sovereign direction.

Life is no longer about ME; it is about HIM: his person, purpose, work, love for me and others.

The road is rough, so we need endurance and patience. He gives us all we need, eyes fixed on him! Converse with him as a way of life, listening for direction and wisdom. He will accomplish his purpose in you and through you!

Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. (Col. 4:2 NET)