Jeremy and Joe

Jeremy Camp asked me tonight:

"Would you take the place of this Man? Would you take the nails from His hands?"

Each one of his strums pressed the questions deeper into my mind

My reply?

No.

And it's because of a man I met once

A man named Joe.

We sat with Joe on a cold day

on cold hard stone steps

that contrasted the softness of his heart

his heart that was broken and beaten

and on the verge of bleeding

knowing that it needs healing

but not asking for it cuz he'd feel he's wasting his breath

when all he feels he can ask for is a good death

He spoke his thoughts in few words

words as heavy as all the tears he's never cried

They all sunk into my pores

saturating me with his Joe-brokenness

that I was willing to carry even if just for that moment

so that he could feel light in what he shared

knowing that somebody cared

He got up and left

leaving me with a piece of his heavy heart

that weighed soundly on my shoulders, back and chest

My friends cried the tears I couldn't seem to find

and I wondered how he's been living his life

with all of what I was feeling kept inside

Joe, I thought, Please know, you're not alone

Joe please know I'll remember your life the rest of mine

Please see the tears they cry

that neither you nor I can seem to find

and I hope you can look the sky one morning

and know that a good death has already taken place

so that you can have a full life

What I experienced for one

This Man experienced for millions

in one day

I honestly wonder how He didn't go insane

so No, I wouldn't take His place or His nails

but I'll take the rest prevailed in His death

and I hope you do the same