God's Work of Art

A ferocious warrior, a soft spoken sage,

No other man could be both in any era or age,

A servant so humble, an emperor so great,

Never has a man possessed both traits so innate,
The father of orphans, the prince of a nation,
Two faces in this world which have no relation,
And yet, my Master, you were all of these things,
Everything and more, your virtues gushing like springs,
A man has only one heart, so how were you, you?
How are you everything, how can you be true?
I sat at the gate of my heart just as you sat at yours,
And He showed me how all this in your heart flows.

For if a man sits as watchful as you of his heart,
And no iota of doubt can take it apart,
Then that man is not certain, but certainty itself,
And if he defeats the whole of disbelief alone,
Then that man is not faithful, but the very faith itself,
And if you lifted the gate which forty men couldn't,
Then you are not strong but rather strength itself,
And if you demonstrate the impossible,
Then surely you are the hand of God Himself,
And I have no words to describe your words,
Suffice to say you are the word of God itself.

An eternity could pass yet your mystery will always be,
You are the blinding light that allows us to see,
The deafening truth that allows us to hear,
The saint whom we call in any worry or fear,
No words can describe you and no mind can perceive,
Your justice no judge or wise man can achieve,
And your lineage...where can I even begin?
Divinity and godliness and cures are found therein,
And why not, when their mother is their mother,
The radiant soul, and there will never be another,
And your light is the light of God's most adored,
The messenger you guarded with your life and your sword,

You are Ali- elevated in every way,
Second to none no matter what they say,
The spark that ignites every beat of my heart,
The beauty of both worlds- God's own work of art,
The victor in battle and of the hearts of the pure,
Your allegiance is the promise of a future secure,
Your name is my cure in affliction and pain,
And I will call out to you again and again,
Let them mock and deny and say what they please,
I'll smile as you rescue me from hardship to ease.

Tonight and always, my heart overflows,
Your love is infinite and within me it grows,
The more I know you, the less I can contain,
Abu Thar was in love- he wasn't insane,
A badge of honour and a mark of pride,
He couldn't conceal it even if he tried,
You are the wealth which can't be taken away,
And so we will praise you all night and all day,
Judgement will come and still we won't finish,
Your virtue and glory will never diminish.

So I ask one last time, how are you, you?
A sage and a lion, how can both be true?
How can these virtues fit in one heart?
And I have only one answer- you are God's work of art.

Motherhood

 I think the title of this blog post should explain why I haven't posted in so long haha! By the grace of the Almighty, I have been blessed with the the honour of motherhood this year- a massive silver lining in a year that has otherwise been filled with fear, anxiety, loss and grief. I'm only 3 months into this amazing journey but my God, it can only be described as the steepest learning curve I've ever experienced. I just wanted to share a few thoughts and tips (I am far from an expert) that I've picked up over the last few months.

1. DO NOT COMPARE YOUR EXPERIENCE TO ANYONE ELSE'S!

This is for all first time mums. I have to admit, it's a lot easier said than done, and I still find myself sometimes going down the self-deprecating road of, "but that person's child is sleeping 6 hours already...what am I doing wrong?". Don't get me wrong, it doesn't help when someone asks you how you're doing and you try to be honest, only to be faced with the followup of, "But is she a good sleeper? Does she feed well? Does she still cry a lot?". It's hard to ignore, but if you can...you will set yourself free. 

2. GET SOME GOOD READING MATERIAL

Other than Google, I mean. The number of times a day I type in, "is it normal when a baby..." is ridiculous. I've come to realise that reading a book or listening to a podcast or basically anything fruitful is way more calming and relaxing, especially when breastfeeding. Keep it ready in an easy to access place- fussy babies are a ticking time bomb to the ultimate meltdown, as we all know. 

3. TRUST YOUR GUT

This one, I am really, really passionate about. Far too often, a first time mum will get the "first time mum treatment" when she raises concerns about things she might notice and worry about. Or maybe it was just me. What I have come to realise in the last 3 months is that my instincts have not once let me down so far- so go with yours. Nobody knows your baby better than you, even if it is your first one, so be persistent if you have any concerns. 

4. LET LOOSE A LITTLE

Before I gave birth, I imagined myself to lose the baby weight, be going for serene daily walks with my little one, find time for some light exercise, cook as usual and still have a social life. I look back and wonder how much I must have paid for those drugs. Don't get me wrong, for some people it does pan out that way. For me and a lot of others, it doesn't. And that's just life. I used to think I must have been doing something terribly wrong or that there was something wrong with my daughter for me not to manage all the activities and lifestyle of my fellow mothers, but actually...it's just the hand I've been dealt. Have low expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised. 

That's all for now. There are lots more but...my newest boss needs me!