More Than These: A Book of Poems to Encourage and Inspire

By Desmond E. R. Ottley

These poems deal with how God, with tender love, powerful wisdom and patient invitation, intersects the lives of people, and how we may, if we wish, respond to such intervention. They touch on a variety of circumstances and influences that are the common experience of all, whether Christian or non-Christian: confusion, decision-making, defeat, disappointment, entanglement, forgiveness, marriage, national life, personal private devotion, prayer, resentment, success. It is hoped that the index of scriptural references will encourage the reader to build worthwhile bridges between scriptural truths and daily living; that the built-in metrical arrangements in the poems will encourage the singing of some of the poems as hymns, and that the content, convictions and connections expressed in each poem will, after the final poem is read, enable the reader to respond positively and sincerely to this powerful invitation from the triune God:

I kept the cruse of oil from running dry;
The loaves and fishes I did multiply;
I rescued Daniel from the lion's den;
I even gave my life for you. But then
Your doubts still hold you in captivity.
I'm in control, my child! Just trust in Me!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467043861

Desmond E. R. Ottley

Desmond Ottley discovered that teaching teenagers was his calling only after he started teaching at age 19. In his earlier years he wanted to be a minister, and felt particularly blessed to discover later that he could do both in a classroom. When his students began to include adults, and his Christian faith became strengthened and deepened by the conviction that faith was nourished by faithful living, he knew that he wanted to share his faith-feelings with others. This book is an attempt to do just that. Desmond lives in Toronto with Dolly, his wife of 54 years, and sets a high priority on keeping in close touch with his siblings, his grand-children, his great-grand children, and his many treasured friends around the world. He loves singing and playing chess, using both in ways that foster and enrich his relationships with others.

Book preview

Contents

THE SOURCE

Dedicated to

Foreword

Acknowledgements

SECTION 1

(1) THE BEAUTY OF GOD’S WORLD

(2) ROADBLOCKS

(3) WATER

(4) CONSIDER THE STARS

(5) SALT

SECTION 2

(6) THE CHILD FROM BETHLEHEM

(7) IT CHANGES EVERYTHING.

(8) NO ROOM

(9) THE KEY TO YOUR HEART

(10) EVEN IN A DREAM

SECTION 3

(11) QUESTIONS OF JESUS

(12) CLAIMS OF JESUS

(13) INVITATIONS OF JESUS

(14) WHAT MANNER OF MAN

(15) TO WHOM SHALL WE TURN?

(16) BY THE WAYSIDE

(17) HIS GARMENT’S HEM

(18) THE PITCHER OF WATER

(19) AS I

(20) THE AMAZING CHRIST

SECTION 4

(21) WHAT A FRIEND

(22) WATCH WITH ME

(23) THE DAY BETWEEN

(24) THE OTHER JOSEPH

(25) I WAS THERE

SECTION 5

(26) ON THE ROAD

(27) LIFE’S EARTHQUAKES

(28) STAY WITH US

(29) AND PETER

(30) FOLLOW ME

SECTION 6

(31) WE PRAISE YOUR NAME CREATOR

(32) YOU PROMISED LORD

(33) AFTER THE WEDDING

(34) PRAYER BEFORE BRUNCH

(35) TRUST IN GOD

(36) GOD’S LOVE, WISDOM AND POWER

(37) PRAYER FOR OUR NATION

(38) OVERCOMING

(39) BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

(40) NAMELESS ANGELS

(41) OBEDIENCE

(42) Immediately or Wait?

(43) Fruitful Habits

(44) Immediately

(45) Cut The Rope

(46) Drifting

(47) God’s Temple

(48) Not All Chains

(49) DECISIONS

(50) BEFORE DAYBREAK

(51) I THANK YOU SAVIOUR

(52) WHO ARE WE TO COMPLAIN?

(53) TWO MORE DAYS

(54) AS HE SAID

(55) LEAVING WATERPOTS BEHIND

(56) The Anchor

(57) PRAYER

(58) DRAW US BACK

(59) COME UNTO ME

INDEX of Meters, Titles and Scriptural References

Notes

THE SOURCE

The underlying Source that enables my poetry writing is contained in these words:

It is not that I think that I can do anything of lasting value by myself. My only power and success come from God.

(2 Corinthians 3:5—New Living Translation)

DO

YOU

LOVE

ME

MORE

THAN

THESE?

(John 21:15)

Dedicated to

DOLLY, MY DARLING WIFE of 54 years,

without whose loving care, support, patience,

and encouragement this book would not have

been possible;

and

MY FOUR GRANDCHILDREN,

Simone, Melyssa, Gavin Jnr and Desmond Jnr,

who have been a blessing to me;

and

MY THREE GREAT-GRAND CHILDREN,

Jahziyah, Jaelen and Channiah,

whose spoken and unspoken questions and responses never cease to amaze me.

May God continue to bless you all.

Foreword

I felt as if the only relief I could get would be to stop breathing. But how does one stop breathing just to keep living?

It was my second day home from hospital where I had my appendix removed about a week earlier. I began feeling a discomfort in my chest around midday, and as the day wore on the discomfort grew into a severe pain. It did not help that I was alone, my spouse having gone to work. Having a dear someone near at hand always seems to diminish pain and discomfort in some inexplicable way. When my pain grew to an unbearable level, Dolly and I decided I had to return to the hospital. With her at my side, I was admitted. I could see from the facial expressions and comments of the nurses and doctors around me that the situation was critical. The continuing pain in my chest also confirmed that.

Later in the evening when I found myself alone in my hospital room for the rest of the night, a feeling of foreboding came over me. It was the very first time in my life that I genuinely thought that I may not be alive to see the next day. That thought scared me no end, and I began to think of my family and my unfinished life. What will happen to my son and my spouse? What will happen to… ? What will happen when… . ? What will happen if… ? Then, as I was taught to do by my parents during my younger days, I did it. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? You pray and ask for divine guidance.

After I prayed, I suddenly saw things in a completely different light. It seemed so very clear to me that it did not matter what happened to me. Whether I lived to see the next dawn or not, everything was going to be alright with me and with my