“The Dawn At Last” [Reflections on Sun Tsu's Art Of War #13- general]

Lord,
I stand back as I now begin this Chapter Thirteen stuff,
I know I’m all excited, somewhat arrogant, enough –
To keep me from true listening through Sun Tsu’s words to You,
For “Info Chase” is one of the five great processes I’ve used.

I know the value data has, though numbers challenge me;
I know how best to hear folks out, so issues they can see;
I know how You and I work best with second-chair for sure
Reserved for me – first chair is Yours – with body-life’s allure.

But I am sensing in this text, “You don’t know nothing, kid,
So knock it off and settle down, of cocksure view be rid;
Because it’s here you’re messing up, for that’s not Eden’s way,
But twisted version, like the rest, where Satan’s demons play.

For quest-ions are so powerful – discernment’s better half;
You do it well, and yet you’ve found in novels you can laugh
At self and others as your mind goes chasing down some way;
Why, even in your poetry, you wander off and play.

“ ‘Art therapy’ is based on that – ‘just draw, and let it out;
Then listen to the art-effects to hear what you’re about’” ;
‘Not everyone can take a thought, flip it to photo form
But after seeing what you do with photos – it’s in the norm –

“ ‘For you – amazes me – for it’s not something I can do
I recognize it in your output – Spirit’s point of view;
So keep it up there, Stu, and let me see what you produce
In Christ, as I do speaking gigs – for we’ve both been reduced.”

Lord, what I’m hearing in his words are limiting effects
Which in both cases devil’s had a hand – has churches wrecked;
And yet just like that guy who taught the Nikon-photo school,
Stuck in the Maritimes that day – dug in – got pictures cool.

Is that a part of role for me? To go down deep within
The surface-beauty evil-one exploits for human sin,
And hear the Spirit’s viewpoint? Dust off battered, bruised, and worn,
The hopes and fears of all the years, from layered fabric torn?

So where does war with evil lie in all this photo-quest?
Is it not just beside the point in work like all the rest?
“Stu, think back to ‘Eight Hours A Day’, that poem you wrote out
It’s all within its verses – Spanish photo-Bible route.

“I told you, ‘No photography’, of service-type, that is,
No interest in your doing normal photographing biz;
I also told you to back off your language-project there,
So time and energy’s freed up – for final task prepare.

“Well, here we are – Sun Tsu, and Chapter Thirteen’s here at last;
So take your time and listen close, in it your die is cast;
For it’s the gamble of your life – “All in”, card-players say;
You’ll stake it all on this last round, beginning here, today.

“So listen closely through the text to what Sun Tsu says here;
Not obvious, but down beneath his words it’s there, quite clear;
So you must search within the words of eight translators’ work,
Just like First Nations questing-boy – where forest-demons lurk.

“Don’t to do this quest alone, my son, you’ll need your Spirit-guide,
For trickster’s out to mess your head – this is no time to hide;
But rather, like shrink-training which has psycho-therapy,
You’ll need some elder’s help it if you’ll my Spirit-Walker be.”

Lord, this is cool, like “Kingdom Quest” down at first Baptist church –
Please open up my heart, mind, to who could quench such thirst;
“Okay there Stuie babe, I will – just progress now through life,
And I’ll make clear who’s best for you – and best as well for wife.

“For this is complex – many layers – and yet it’s simple, too –
There’s photos, art, photography, and language points of view;
There’s all that wish-list stuff as well, beneath the surface crop,
As I bring truth from Matthew six, reveal the truth you’ve got.

For it’s all there – it’s infill-time, and that includes the best
You found out on your vision-quest for ‘It’– like all the rest –
You’ve surface seen, now we will go much deeper – down below –
That’s where your deep-work truly is – which Sun Tsu now will show.

When that is engineered back up to what I had in mind,
You’ll marvel at the treasure trove I made for humankind
Within a world more beautiful than any yet have seen;
It’s written in the pages of his final ‘Chap Thirteen’.”

Okay Lord, thanks for this.

Lord, strip away my surety that I might hear for real;
Help me to ponder through his words, Your Spirit-presence feel;
For this is tricky land for me as this comes into view;
Help me keep out of what You want me to avoid in You –

And enter fully where You ask I venture with no fear;
Alert to what You really mean, You’re wishing to make clear;
Protect me with Your precious blood, that cover I accept,
That as each day ahead of me winds up, I’m in Your rest.

Thanks Lord for this.

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