Poetry

It was not by His Mighty Word

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment 
It was not by His mighty word
When He commanded light to shine
But by a gentle prayer of thanks
That He blessed bread and wine

And He who made the storm to sleep
Chose the price of sin to pay
He showed in His surrendering
 That He would not run away


Then when nails pierced hands and feet
And His fate on earth was sealed
We were not saved by mighty words
But By His wounds, we’re healed



Not By His Mighty Word
by Peter Caligiuri
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2026

Finding Wells in the Wilderness

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. Genesis 21:19 NIV

Yesterday a post by Hope over at Patientlyhopeful struck a chord with me. As caregivers for an elderly friend whose home was lost 18 months ago in a storm, we find that our entire life is stretched. There is time for prayer, meals and church, but everything else is a great challenge. Not only writing, but any sort of spontaneous parts of our lives have been on hold for a long time. Yes, there are little windows of refreshing and opportunities. But life in general feels like a long wander in the wilderness. Thank God that the wilderness is exactly the spot where God often comes to meet us. Where we find hidden wells, and new directions. Hope’s post reminded me a bit of Hagar’s situation, and this poem came slowly came to me overnight.

Twice Rejected
 

Though she wandered in the wilderness
Cast out and left alone
Her cry was heard by One who sees
At her farthest place from home

For no green pastures grew in that place
And no quiet waters flowed
She could not see the hidden well
Till God called and came and showed

This Castaway now twice rejected
Without hope or plan or plea
Found that God who watches sparrows
Will in deserts set us free


Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. Genesis 21:19 NIV

Photo by Frans van Heerden on Pexels.com

Sitting By The Pond

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39 NKJV

I always loved the poetry of Robert Frost, and as a fellow New Englander, deeply appreciate his use of the small details of its seasons. “Birches, The Mending Wall,” and “The Road Not Taken,” all reflect the scenes from my own childhood. Perhaps, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” is the best of all these. For Frost, that moment on a windy hillside gave him pause to think and inspiration to write of things beyond the snow and chill of the evening. But for me, having worked outdoors for forty winters, I am quite content to settle on a bench by our pond in Florida, to think and pray!

“Lord, I’m just tired” I said as the breeze pushed up tiny ripples on our pond. “You are in control.”

Though no answer came, contentment washed over me as I released the pain and exhaustion from my recent surgery to Him. “God, if this is as far as my road is to be, I’m okay with that Lord.”

As I sat, an Ibis, quietly swooped over the surface of the water and a squirrel raced across the branch of a slowly dying sycamore near my bench. Then His voice came, “You’re not finished yet. There are still miles to go.” Then it was silent again. Perhaps unlike us, God feels no urge to elongate His conversations. Just as after Jesus spoke, “Peace be still.” Perhaps He simply listened to the quiet lapping of waves as the disciples rowed. And in my own heart a peace settled in. I could hear only the rush of wings skimming over the waters of my heart and a still small voice saying, “Just a little further child.”