Bare Hearts / Bare Knuckles

Here beside you I stand firmly my brother,

for truly I cannot stand to lose another,

so I'm with you until one of us should fall in this fight,

or sadly give up and walk away, quietly into the night.

With every fiber and breath, together arm in arm,

I promise you, I will not allow to come to you any harm,

which I can stop, prevent or take myself in your place,

until we no longer fight, so there will be no more disgrace.

As a man, I bare my heart to one who is like me,

striving and struggling, aiming to achieve integrity,

by tearing from this very chest my own beating heart,

exposing it to prevent any other from feeling its part.

Bare heart, bleeding out its sorrow and pain,

in hope that it might prevent even one stain,

on the honor it is to serve my brothers in love,

and the glory and majesty of the One above.

Bare knuckles in this fight against sin,

together we can, we will, we must win,

for the glory of our Lord, Saviour, and Master,

to lose and defame Him would be disaster.

Bruised, battered, tattered, but not beaten,

bloody knuckles, dangling with the flesh eaten,

torn from the bone, as we have waged war,

but that is not all we are gathered together for.

We fight against something, this is true,

with bare hearts, once dead, now made new,

But we strive for something, more to claim,

in our broken hands, the banner of His Name.

I will warn you when your shield is low,

so none of the enemy's fiery arrows may go, 

into your heart, and cause you to fall,

in this battle waged by and for our call.

I will hold you steady when you are weak,

and help you find the strength to seek,

the one who gives us this great commission,

together, we are united in this, our mission.

I will be with you to the very end,

until we fall, or He should send,

us from this battle, weary and distressed,

to recover our souls within His quiet rest.

{inspired by a man whose bare heart and bare knuckles bleed-
 a man who reminds me of Christ in His struggle for our very souls
-this is the kind of man I long to be.}