The Body Speaks
by Gina Butz
The knots in my shoulders
are where I store
all my secrets
all the unspoken emotions
the burdens I wouldn’t give
to someone else
They live there,
huddled together
weighing me down
If I could open them,
a flood of a thousand tears
would pour out
The unspoken grief of a lifetime
but those knots
do not easily give way
My body speaks to me
and I hush it
it whispers, “let’s be still”
while I race
the tightness tells me
it’s all too much
but I press on
I have fooled the world
with my strength
myself most of all
but my body keeps the score
and I’m tired of the fight
All this time I thought
It was my enemy
something to force into submission
and the right size pants
but now I see a friend
one who has held our sorrows
and fears so faithfully
All along she has tried
pleaded with me
to slow us down
asked us to just be
I think I’m finally ready
to listen
My body tells me
we need to rewrite the script
open the veins
loosen the tendons
let the tears flow
embrace our need
let ourselves be small
and there we will find rest
Gina Butz and her husband, Erik, have served in full-time ministry for 25 years, 13 of them in East Asia. They are currently raising their two third culture kids and an imported dog in Orlando, Florida, where Gina serves in leadership development at Cru headquarters. Her first book, Making Peace with Change: Navigating Life’s Messy Transitions with Honesty and Grace, released February 4th. She blogs at www.ginabutz.com and loves to connect on Twitter and Facebook.
Awake Our Hearts 