Chasing Shadows

So both after a day looking through poems for Palm Sunday, and perhaps too many days doing stuff that didn't seem terribly important, I wrote the piece below. I am not a poet, but it seemed more concise that trying to capture this more narratively.

The metaphor of chasing shadows was brought forward by my Facebook feed, on which I posted the photo above (of my youngest daughter Mary) a couple years ago.

Some days I chase shadows. As if I and the world are blissfully unaware of the reality of it all.

Some days I find myself focused on the fleeting. The less-than-real. The reflections. The stuff.

Other times the importance of it all is impressive. Sometimes I am even foolishly impressed with myself.

Then I remember my to do list.

All the things I have not done. May not ever get to. For a while. Or ever.

All the things that, as important as they seem, don’t need me. Maybe don’t even actually need to be done.

Shadows.

Some days I have a hard time figuring out what are shadows and what are not.

What is junk. A waste.

And what is not.

Some days I choose poorly.

So I chase shadows.

Then I am tempted to think it is all shadows.

Empty words.

Rote actions.

The results of too many days chasing shadows.

Then the words that had become so routine take on new meaning.

Because today they speak not to a shadow.

But to a truth.

A deep truth.

A truth which needed to be saluted. Honored.

Some days the shadows fly away.

Quite in spite of themselves.

And in spite of myself.

Some days the shadows are gone.

In the light of how God can use us.

Can even use me.

Those days chase the shadows away.