I Am Somebody

Correcting your own mistakes

To be somebody is to correct your own mistakes

- mistakes long overlooked.

It is to look at yourself - with new eyes

- with new understanding,

To correct and improve yourself,

To become a more harmonious person,

Removing the small disturbances,

Deleting the imperfections expressed in your life.

 

To be somebody is to be able to see your own shortcomings

- and humble yourself to ask for grace and help

To overcome any obstacle,

That the divine image may become visible in you.

Seeking and finding

To be somebody is to seek and find
- to receive much more than expected.
I was seeking to hear the voice
- I found a person.
I was seeking guidance
- I found a Shepherd.
I was seeking the will of God
- I found friendship with the Son.
I was seeking understanding
- I found the life-giving Spirit.

To be somebody is seeking and finding God
- who is LOVE - Eternal and Boundless,

- who is the never failing spring of Life!

To be somebody is to rewrite your life

To be somebody is to rewrite your manuscript

Because you are able to see the value

Of the critique given by friends and professionals

Who only want the best for you.

In writing all anew you allow yourself to be buried

Under the judgements of others

To raise to new creativity and new expressions

Of the message of your rejected work.

To be somebody is to rewrite our life

According to our dreams

In spite of setbacks and disappointments

To deepen and enlarge yourself

And be somebody others will follow

In changing their life to enrich others.

Creating a new genre

To be somebody is to be creating a new genre

By your own simple artistic common sense,

Inventing a fresh way of poetic expression,

Making everyday life with God a special event,

To be enjoyed in all kinds of situations,

And made known in a new type of poem,

Free from traditional forms and norms,

But easily assessable to ordinary people!

(Written as a response to an encouragement from my friend Håvard Kjøllesdal who had written his first "To be somebody" poem. He sent it to me because I had created this new genre, in his opinion! I happily responded by writing these lines. Below I include his first poem in this genre!) 

To be somebody

Is to be holy to the Lord

To set my life apart for the King and his purposes.

To be somebody is to highly esteem the blood of Jesus

To know that I am bought with a precious price

Bought free from the slavery of the world, and called into a life in service of the Most High God

To be somebody is to separate from the desire to merely live for earthly pleasure

and to give myself as a seed in Gods hand

and be somebody

who can make a difference in my generation

To be somebody is to have one great desire in life

which means more to me then a big salary and a successful career

a desire which makes earthly pleasure look small and unattractive

which makes me want to give up everything else that calls for my attention

To be somebody is to desire to do great things for the Lord

To be somebody is to desire to see Jesus and the kingdom impact my society

To be somebody is to carry a dream

to see the young people in my neighborhood stretch out their hands to Jesus

and say no to the empty life of their ancestors.

So that they can run with Gods purposes to the nations of the earth.

Text: Håvard Kjøllesdal

Seeing glimpses of God

To be somebody is to see glimpses of God

at unexpected moments

in the song of a bird

in the sparkles of light on water

in the scent or the sight of the ocean

in the hint of springtime on a mild winter day

in the innocent smile of a baby

in the wrinkles in the face of your mother

in the enduring love of your wife

in the care of your neighbours

in the green sprout of a dandelion break through black tarmac

in an eagle soaring the sky

in an old fashioned postcard or a modern text message on the cell phone

Written after having read "The secret message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren

Longing for release

To be somebody is to long for release

-from mundane existence

-from confining walls of finitude

-from the slavery of mortality

-from entertainments and obsessions

from distractions of every sort

To be somebody is to long for

-a greater reality

-a greater beauty

-a purer presence of goodness

-a fuller enjoyment of God

Written after having read "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren

Being pure of heart

To be somebody is being pure of heart

-being free from self-interest

-being free from selfish ambitions

-being free from wrong reactions of mistrust and suspicion

When you are pure of heart

-you listen with understanding

-you listen with goodwill

-you are open to new ideas

-you are receptive and creative,

looking for the beautiful dream

springing forth from the innocent eyes of your neighbour

Being yourself

To be somebody is to be yourself,

Fully confident of whom you are,

Humbly fulfilling the purpose of your life,

Serving others in peace and harmony,

Living a holistic life,

Fully integrating meaning and purpose

In everything you do.

When you are accepting yourself

-         created in the image of the Creator

You will be yourself in a creative way,

Confidently exploring the talents given to you,

Blessing and serving your neighbours,

Releasing them to develop their own unique gifts.

When you dare to be yourself

You help others to be free

-         from the fear of men

-         from the tyranny of accepted opinions

When you dare to be yourself

You prove to yourself that you are somebody

And people around you will look up to you

Creating life

To be somebody is to create life

In dead material

- and among living persons

Giving dead material a new form that speaks.

Making imagination pregnant, exuberant, fruitful.

Generating new forms of life

By sowing dream-seeds and new thought patterns,

Releasing talents and empowering people.

To be somebody is to be full of life and joy

In such a way that you are contagious,

Rubbing of joy, optimism, faith and love

To all people you touch during the day.

When you live your dream you will create life

In people who is catching your joy

And starts dreaming their own dreams.

Refusing to abort a defect foetus.

To be somebody is to refuse abort a defect foetus

When all the medical experts

Advise you to end the life that you carry in your womb.

It is to choose to trust the Creator of life

To let the embryo develop its own way,

And not to interfere to end the life of the handicapped child.

In spite of all the medical facts you are confronted with,

You choose to give the foetus, the child in your womb, a chance.

To be somebody is to choose to give birth

To a child with severe defects,

To carry it for nine months under your heart,

Only to bring forth a stillborn baby.

To be somebody is to give thanks to God

With streams of tears from your eyes

When you suffer the terrible loss of a daughter:

Thank you God for being so merciful and good!

Thank you for creating our beautiful Natalie.

Thank you for taking her into your presence

Even before she ever felt any pain or worry.

Thank you for being my faithful Father,

For being my mighty comforter, helper and friend.

Thank you for raising a shelter around us

Of dear family and close covenant friends.

You are my peace, my life, my world,

My foundation, my all and everything.

Words cannot express,

Oh, how I love you!

This poem is written in the honour Nina and Per Filip Osland for their decision not to end the life of their defect daughter through abortion when the doctors put heavy pressure on them. When the child was stillborn after nine months of pregnancy, Per Filip wrote the most beautiful thanksgiving to God. I admire my two young friends. They are true heroes of faith. They are really somebody. I am proud of knowing precious people like Nina and Per Filip! They make this world a more beautiful place to live through their devotion to serve life only.

Standing on your own feet

To be somebody is to stand on your own feet,

Choosing your own way,

Breaking new ground,

As you keep to the straight and narrow path.

When you are standing upright

With your head lifted high,

While you receive scorn and mockery,

As token of distinction,

And marks of honour,

Then you are showing the inner strength

That makes you a real somebody!

Being remembered

To be somebody is being remembered

On a very ordinary birthday,

By wife, children and grandchildren,

By family and friends,

By people near and far away,

Through e-cards, phone calls and text messages.

Being remembered on a birthday,

Is a token of love and appreciation,

Making you feel you are somebody.

But really, it is the person who remembers another person

And care enough to express his or her love

Who is somebody!

To be somebody is to forget about oneself

To remember our neighbour

And think about our other people’s need

Praying for friends

To be somebody is to pray for your friends

when pain in your body keeps you awake

and don’t allow you to sleep

but your care, concern and love are overcoming the pain

and causing you to pray with such fervour and zeal

that you transcend the aching body.

When you are able to forget your own pain

because you care for your friends

and must lift them up to the Throne of Grace

you show yourselves to be A Great Somebody

able to deny your own needs to meet those of others!

A historic person

To be somebody is being a historic person

born into history by real parents

raised in a family of brothers or sisters

educated in a public school system

-but climbed above the average

-by becoming self taught

-in skills of life and spiritual wisdom

Being a historic person born into history

-not just to flow with the current trends

-but to create new trends

-set an example

To be somebody is to motivate change in people

-to change the course of history

-by many followers

Longing for God

To be somebody is longing for God

-above everything else

Longing for God is not longing for an experience

It is longing for a true relationship

It is not about having some knowledge of God

But it is about knowing him

-as a person

-as a friend

-as a confidant

-as a companion

Not to become high on him

But to be conformed to his image

Not to learn more, to increase knowledge

But to love him more

I am somebody when I realise

-I am created to be a God-lover

I am somebody when the very purpose of my life

-is to love God

I am somebody when I am longing for God

-only because of love

Life long learning

To be somebody is to learn as long as one live

-receiving new insight every moment

-gaining deeper appreciation

-going awake through life

-enjoying the present

-loving the people coming our way

To be somebody is actively taking part

-in life long learning

-in life long personal growth

-in life long corporate development

To be somebody is paying the prize

Of learning by personal change

-of attitude and actions

-of habits and motivation

Docta ignorantia

I am somebody because I understand

-how ignorant I really am

If I say I know the truth

-I only deceive myself and expose

-my own ignorance and pride

The more I know Him who is the Truth

-the more I realise how little I know

The better I know the truth

-the more I seek to know Him

The truth is always greater

-greater than all my images

-greater than my understanding

-greater than my faith

-greater than my knowledge

-greater than my experience

-greater than my explanation

-greater than my insight

-greater than my thoughts and mind

-greater than my heart

He who is the Truth is always greater!

Still this is my testimony:

I know Him and I love Him!

My life

Blessed be the Lord!

He is the music of my life

He is the song of my life

He is the melody of my life

He is the lyric of my life

He is the text of my life

He is the poem of my life

He is the word of my life

He is my life

I am somebody in Him

Being a poem

I am somebody because I am a poem

Everyday I can enter into human lives

-at the workplace and in the neighbourhood

With grace from God to bless

I can come as a poem

A poem that is touching the inner longings

-conjuring up dreaming melodies of the heart

-painting colourful images of the soul

A poem that is putting words on the sprouting faith

-calling forth cries for salvation

-giving birth to prayer for forgiveness

I am a poem written by God

I am a work of God

I am a masterpiece of God

I am God’s own masterpiece of art

I am somebody

I am born again

I am somebody because I am born again

I have been born twice

I have been born through my parents and by the Spirit

Humans can only reproduce human life

That which is human falls short of God’s glorious standard

That which is born of the Spirit is spirit

Only those born from above can enter the Kingdom of God

I am born again by the Holy Spirit

I am born into the family of God

I am a child of God, the Eternal Father

I belong to the Kingdom of God

I am a Kingdom person

I am a Spirit person

The invisible Spirit moves me

-through new life from heaven

I am somebody when I am moved by the Spirit

Seeing people

To be somebody is to see people

For what they are and love them

To see people is to care

It is taking interest in persons you never met before

When you see people you give them time and attention

Seeing people is to see the visible needs

and to do what you can to meet the invisible needs

Seeing people is to touch them with your hands,

as you silently pray for God's blessing upon them

Even though others will say that they only need a doctor

Seeing people is not treating them as patients

But touching them with care

And bestowing dignity on them

Valueing relationships

To be somebody is to value relationships

above politically correct opinions

or orthodox teology and right confession of belief

Living in a good relationship

with my Creator and my fellow man

make me a human person

Political opinions or religious theories

have a tendency to make me a political animal or a religious beast

Being a friend is more important

than having the best argument

When you care for people

by showing love through acts of mercy

you far exceed the greatest philosopher

in his clever definition of love

When you live in proper relationships

you are really somebody

even though you can't explain love

Because of my birth

I am somebody because of my birth

I am born into the most prestigious royal family

My father is the Sovereign Ruler

-of the entire universe

Because he is the almighty creator

-of everything that exist

My brother is the Redeemer

-of the human race

Because he conquered death,

The evil powers of darkness,

Selfishness and sin in all its fashions

My personal assistant is the Sustainer

-of the whole world

Because he is the eternal life-giving spirit

He assisted my father

-in bringing the world into being

He assisted my brother

-in bringing him back from the death

I am somebody because of my relationship

With the mysterious triune Being

Who loved me, chose me, and planned me

Even before the universe existed

Only because of his marvellous grace

I am born into the Kingdom of Love

Friendship with the Living One

Turns a nobody into a real Somebody

Knowing the Invisible

To be somebody is to know the Invisible

By living in a personal relationship

Through everyday life with him who walks with you

-when no one else is there for you.

You touch him

-even though you can’t feel him with your hands

You hear his tender voice of thunder

-even though your ear don’t register a sound

You see him clearly

-even though your eyes only see the natural world

By faith only you know the Invisible

-for faith is the art of hearing him

Through hope you cling on to the Invisible

-for hope is the art of believing him

Through love you get close to the Invisible

-for love is the art of trusting him

To be somebody is to hear, believe and trust

In him who no one can see

-even though he is ever present

-even though he constantly reveals himself

The Invisible can only be known in an intimate relationship

(Inspired by some phrases in Summoned to Lead by Leonard Sweet)

Seeing with eyes and heart

To be somebody is to see

That is what it is all about

Seeing with the eyes and the heart

Being present among our neighbours

Some have eyes but don’t see anything

Others have eyes that can’t see

But still they see more than the most

Seeing is discovering and perceiving

What people see, tells you

What kind of people they are

WATCHING A CATASTROPHE

To be somebody is watching a catastrophe take place

In distant areas of the globe

But being present through prayers and compassion

As you watch the horrible pictures on the screen

From your comfortable chair

In your warm and safe living room

Thousands of miles away

But still feeling the pain in your entire being

The pain of losing your dear ones

The pain of having your property destroyed

The pain of being left with nothing

The pain of not seeing any future

The pain of having no hope

The pain of watching the terrible effects

Of the earthquake tsunami in safe surrounding

Feeling out of place

Feeling inadequate

Feeling helpless

Not being able to help personally

But being out of touch

Your mind can’t grasp the magnitude of the catastrophe

Your heart can’t bear the sadness and the sorrow

But you are still watching and praying

-         and sending your donation to the relief organisation

But the pain is still there

Answering questions

To be somebody is answering questions

Taking time to think

Stopping up to let the imagination run wild

As you meditate on silly questions

Or the deep questions of existentially concern

When you answer questions

- No matter how deep or shallow they are

- No matter if they are questions of real life situations or hypothetical sophistry

- No matter which area they touch on

Then you show that you take people serious

And you care for what they are concerned about

Only because of love for that particular individual

When you answer questions

Only because of love for people

Then you really are somebody

In a world of efficiency and self interest

Seeing people through eyes of grace

To be somebody is looking for grace

And not be blinded by needs or shortcomings

It is to see God at work in people

Rejoicing in the small beginnings

Marvelling at the faith of the trembling steps into new grounds

Appreciating the budding potential

- in people longing, dreaming and believing

When you can flow with the grace of God

In whatever measure you find it in people

You will be able to help them grow

Bringing out the best in them

Stirring them to aspire for more

Provoking them to love and good works

You are somebody when you see people

Through the eyes of grace

Then you enable them to see themselves

Through the eyes of hope and faith

Ignoring the failures and dreaming of new adventures

As they rejoice in the incredible wealth of grace and kindness

Shown to them by God and their fellow man

I am getting feedback, therefore I am!

To be somebody is to express oneself and having feedback

- from those who read or listen to us

- from those who observe and touch us

To be somebody is to interact with others

- because you love people

It is to communicate because you care

And staying connected because of the worth you find in others

The joy of being read

- is the knowledge that others take time with you

The excitement of having comments

- is the feeling that others take you serious

The thrill of getting feedback

- is the sense of being connected

To be somebody is being intoxicated

- by feeling of being in touch with the World

- the feeling of crossing borders

- the joy of breaking down barriers

- the excitement of getting rid of your own limitations

Being enabled to communicate

To people close to you and those from far parts of the world

Releasing creativity

To be somebody is releasing creativity in people around you

Helping them to leave the boring life of status quo

Launching out to explore the exciting life of creative adventures

The adventure of expressing themselves

In words and motions

In dance and drama

In oral or written form

In black and white and sparkling colours

Using pens and brushes, hands and feet

To unleash the impulses of their inner being

When you help people to be themselves

And to dare to express what they feel on the inside

Helping them to tap into the limitless reservoir

Of creative ideas deep down in their own heart

Then you really are somebody

For you are helping people to become a creative somebody