Isn’t it funny how the same words can mean one thing if read from top to bottom and mean the opposite if read from bottom to top?
That’s the magic of reversible poetry, which has been my favorite puzzle recently. For reference, here is an example I wrote last night:
This is where your journey lies
Restarting here
Washed-up dreams,
Lonely crevices
Emptiness and despair
You no longer know
Audacious hope,
This joy inside
It abandons you.
Don’t ever believe
Inspiration will find you.
Rather disparaging, until read like this…
Inspiration will find you
Don’t ever believe
It abandons you.
This joy inside
Audacious hope,
You no longer know
Emptiness and despair
Lonely crevices
Washed-up dreams,
Restarting here
Is where your journey lies.
Sometimes, our self-talk sounds a bit like the first poem. It may beat us down, telling us that there is no hope, and that all the problems around us are a result of God abandoning us. However, God’s voice says the opposite.
While the world constantly tells us that we are alone, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, reminding us over and over through peace that we are never alone. When we see others who live out our dreams and fantasies, the inner critic prompts us to compare ourselves in shame. But God reminds us that we are chosen and created on purpose. Our stories are still being written. We have reason to be hopeful.
The frustrating part is that our inner critic, often the voice of the enemy, shouts and screams while the voice of God tends to be gentler. We have to listen for it. But the good news is that the enemy is not very creative. Often, he merely reverses the promises of God into lies that make us feel betrayed and abandoned.
Today, write out the frequent phrases or words that spin around in your head and cause you grief or anxiety. Then, write the reverse of them.
For example, my mind often tells me that I am forgotten. However, the truth is that I am remembered and predestined by God to do His amazing work.
Then, read through your Bible, or use an online Bible resource (such as Biblegateway) to look up the key words in your phrases and see what the Bible says specifically about your situation. More often than not, you will be able to slowly overcome these lies and realize that there is so much more ahead for you.
God’s got you in His hands. You are never alone. ❤
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Romans 8:27-29
The Will to Wake Up 