The words of my mom, Dona Witmer, from May 15th, 2001:
He is so strong this morning that I cannot not sleep in body. A canticle of sorts runs through me and I feel Him surround me in perfect love. I had to get up and write of my love for Him and His for me.
He holds me in the wings of His being
He is within and without, I feel Him surround me in love
He covers me with His righteousness
He illumines my soul with His radiance
He clothes me with purity of light
I am one with Him and He is one with me
I am His but am not consumed
He owns me but I am free to do His will
He sets me upon high places
He walks with me in the stillness of waters
He is my comfort in this place of death
He is my fortress in this place of living waters
I will forever live in His temple
For He is the temple, the well and the source of the life
To die is to live and to live is to die
Time has no beginning and no end
I meet that part of myself who lives in eternity
I live with him forever
I go home to be with Him, whom I love
I can go no further until the appointed time
I am already beyond the veil
The butterfly is still a cocoon on earth
Soon the butterfly will fly home
In dying I will live and drink from His bosom for all time
Time ceases in this place, a second is an hour
It is a wondrous thing to dwell in the House of the Lord
To have His name written on my heart
To have my name carved on the palm of His hand
Oh how sweet the water tastes, how fragrant is His breath
My soul wants to go home but He is with me forever
I am His bride and He is mine
Nothing can separate this love
It is sealed with sacrifice, in water and blood
It is everlasting, from the beginning until the end
Sometimes I do not know where I begin and end
Sometimes I do not know where He begins and ends
There is no end and no beginning
I am me and He is in me
He is Lord and I rest in Him
We are the same but He is Lord and I am His
He is mine and I am His child bride
Together we unite but do not lose ourselves
I am not Him and He is not me
But where do I end and He begins, I do not know
It is not a small thing to dwell with the Lord
He chooses to make His habitation with mortals
He lowers himself to live in earthen vessels
He lifts me up to live in heavenly places
I am a temple of the Living God
I will dwell in His Temple forever
He will refresh my soul from the waters that flow from His breasts
He promises to be with me forever
He will never forsake or abandon His beloved
I ache for you my Lord; there is no comfort on earth
My only comfort is within my secret being
For only there are we one
I await You; You have prepared a place for me
I await You; You have prepared my soul for You
I welcome You in my inmost being
You sing a new song; it is from of old
My soul flies on its wings to be in Your heart
Goodness and mercy have found Me
In my brokenness You came and healed me
I thought You had abandoned me
I writhed and screamed in pain
You showed me I lay dying in Your hand
Your spear pierced my inmost being
You prepared my soul as a blood sacrifice
Just as Your Son had to die, so did I
It is our mingling of blood that cleansed and set me free
Only His blood can cleanse of all unrighteousness
So that I can dwell in Your House forever
I was broken at Your hands
I am finally whole since You set this captive free
You gave me a new name; a name prepared for me
I am not worthy but I am Yours
I am delighted to be called Your child
I am here to do Your will
There is no other joy save pleasing You
Use me as You please
You created a new creature from a lump of clay
You purged my inmost being with the light of darkness
I could not see You through the covering of Your veil
In faith, I walked with You toward the darkness
Your light illumined my path through the valley of death
Shadows hemmed me on all sides, I could not see
I am lost without You
You brought me forth to the still waters
I can see brightly through the darkness
I love me because You showed me the way
I love You because You first loved me
The waters breathe, they move with Your being
I can see forever through the mists of water
Sometimes they reflect my gaze
Today I can only drink from these waters
Someday I will cross to the other side and be with You forever
I am not afraid, because You have gone before me
You have prepared the way for me
You will lead and I will follow
I am chained to this world for a time
In my soul I am free to be with You
It is enough for now to walk with You beside still waters
My soul is at rest within You
