Something Better Instead

Is there something you’ve counted as a loss?
Something you don’t want to further toss?
You do well to think like that,
Life is all about clearing the clutter,
And letting go of all that doesn’t matter.

But you must not be like many woeful folks,
Who often jump out the life-threatening yorks,
And yet move around empty and unfulfilled,
It is okay to walk out of the gutter,
But only worth instilling something better.

Many a man says no to the pipe,
And sit relaxed expecting to face no hipe,
But the wounds and pains of emptiness tell the tale,
That we need to find real butter,
And have no more space to mutter.

For all the misdeeds we relinquish,
We need something better instead,
For all the vices we put on hold,
We need something virtuous to live for,
For all the nonsense we bid goodbye,
Something a lot more sensible should be given a chance,
It is only worthwhile if you do an exchange and grab something better instead!

Otherwise,
Empty, distracted, bored, discomfited, sad, disturbed,
You will get back to your favourite highway to failure and loss,
And it will require much more to secure your emancipation.
Instead of stopping, find something better and die for it,
If you think of the Hero of the Cross,
You are in line for the best.

Whatever Christ asks us to renounce, He offers in its stead something better.

—The Faith I Live By  P.  237.2