Love in the Shadowlands

by Kim Butler

LOVE IN THE SHADOWLANDS

“For love must share with others or die. It must give to others all that it received or it cannot remain love. Love can only live in your heart as it propagates itself by sharing.”

- Hannah Hurnard, Mountain of Spices

In my coming,

I cry out to you.

You provide my daily bread.

Going before and behind,

you lovingly lead,

allowing the stripping

of my scales and shadows.

Where suffering leads me to you,

I will endure.

I climb for the moment on the mountain.

I run to finish the race.

I wander in the desert to reach the promised land.

I die to live again.

Where my suffering leads others to you,

I will persevere.

I have been to the mountaintop,

seen you face-to-face.

Reflecting your light,

I receive and return

to share love in the shadowlands.

In my going,

you are with me.

KIM BUTLER

Kim Butler is a writer in Smyrna, GA. She writes poems to meet you where you are and remind you that you are not alone. For years, Kim has been a coach to creatives and is now learning to own the creative within herself. Through a series of unexpected events, she stumbled into writing poetry, and it has captured her heart. When Kim is not at work or writing, you can find her at Chick-fil-A, a Braves game, or spending time with her family and friends. Kim loves Jesus, people, and Diet Dr. Pepper.

Kim’s work has been published in The Way Back to Ourselves and Vessels of Light. You can connect with her on Instagram and Substack.