before I journeyed here
my heart was full
ideas
skills
techniques
strategies
now I sojourn
far from home
emptied of all I once knew
nameless
voiceless
useless?
afraid that before I find
my voice in this culture
I will have nothing left to say
what was profound and meaningful before
now seems
out-of-touch
foreign
irrelevant
unneeded
so, Lord, I sit here
empty
like the jars at Cana lacking wine
thirsty for You to fill me again
with your living water
so I can again pour
into the lives You've gathered
around me
Come, Lord Jesus,
do your miracle in me.
(from my journal March 7, 2004)
About Me
- Carmen Imes
- Dr. Carmen Imes is the Associate Professor of Old Testament at Biola University in La Mirada, CA, and serves the broader church through teaching, speaking, writing, and creating YouTube videos. She earned a PhD in Biblical Theology (Old Testament) from Wheaton College under Dr. Daniel Block, an MA in Biblical Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Charlotte), and a BA in Bible and Theology from Multnomah University. She and her husband, Daniel, served as missionaries with SIM 15 years. They have three children: Ana, Emma, and Easton.