Is not a magic trick
It is more like an elaborate bath
That takes place repeatedly
Time and again
Taking steps towards redemption
Learning over and over
That self-salvation
Is no salvation at all
And that the best parts of our existence
Are gifts from a gracious God.
Pushing down the urges towards
Self destruction
Reminding ourselves
Why we no longer
Do the things we used to do,
Why our feet walk paths
Of righteousness
Why the promises of compromise
Are always false
Always empty
Always less than
Advertised.
Walking away
From who we once were
Is not a denial of our past,
A grand sweeping under the rug-
But rather a resolve
To make better decisions
One step at a time.