by Mark Weinrich

Until I was 31, I bore
a parachute everywhere.
It was carefully crafted
from incomplete surrenders,
things I could submit and
those that needed strings attached.

“Casting all your cares…” seemed
too violent to me, so I yielded some
and tied strings to others.
My parachute was meant
for gentle landings, at least
avoiding a crash, but I must admit
the landings were much harder 
than I planned. I consoled myself 
by blaming others, my dysfunctional family,
my poor problem-solving tools.
And with my parachute
it was such a relief to claim I tried.

At last, I realized
there were parts of me I hated, 
those tangled up and prickly 
through self-protection. 
Those I didn’t want in truth
to take responsibility for.
If I wanted lasting change,
it meant yielding all, casting 
all without conditions
and knowing what I threw
upon the Lord, He launched
as far as the East is from the West,
never entering His mind again.

He gave me a clean slate,
a fresh snow field without a track.
Trust me, it is easier to follow
with no strings attached.

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Mark Weinrich lives a creative life as a writer, photographer, musician, and artist—all wrapped together in an outdoorsman. He is a retired pastor and nine-year cancer survivor. His writing and photography have appeared in over 139 news stand, inspirational, and literary publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.