The poem below one I shared with my fellowship on my birthday last year, as stated in the blog entry 'Sharing As I Journey Through.' Be blessed!
Being Perfected
By Janice S Ramkissoon
24th October 2008
I needed to be perfect
I needed to be free
From all of the heartaches
That had a hold of me
I was on a journey
The end I couldn’t see
But each chapter I closed
I saw the hand of God on me
The story didn’t end
At the trials that came
For God gave me strength
And I’m here because, I overcame
Today, I’m still on that journey
I know there’ll be more heartaches
But I don’t need to worry
For my Lord knows the way
And if I follow His lead
Keep praising Him all the way
The end will be victory
So I needn’t wait to celebrate
© 2009 Janice S Ramkissoon
The poem below one I shared with my fellowship on my birthday last year, as stated in the blog entry 'Sharing As I Journey Through.' Be blessed!
TRIALS IGNITE THE PRAISE
Janice S Ramkissoon
The cloud’s no longer there!
I'm making good decisions!
How did I get here?
Doing things with precision?
Oh Yes! Your voice I hear:
Giving me clear directions.
Gone are all my fears,
You give me protection.
Why should I be afraid?
Why should the shadows reappear?
How can I have you always there—
Yet choose to live in fear?
How wrong it would be
Refusing to hear from thee—
Then crying: "Lord, hear my plea!
I really need to hear from Thee”
So today I choose to praise You;
Lifting up Your Holy name—
I will not let my trials
Keep me from giving you the praise.
©2007 Janice S Ramkissoon
It should’ve Been You
A father walked me down the aisle
But he wasn’t you.
A father supported me on my graduation day
But he wasn’t you.
A father proposed a toast on my wedding day
But he wasn’t you.
A father comforted me through my time of sorrow
But he wasn’t you.
A father gave me marital counselling
But he wasn’t you.
~
I have a father who prays with, and for me
But it should’ve been you.
I have a father who I can turn to for guidance
But it should’ve been you.
I have a father who calls to see how I’m doing
But it should’ve been you.
I have a father who embraces me as a daughter
But it should’ve been you.
Today I resent no more,
For my heavenly Father’s love is true.
He has erased resentment.
He’s given me a heart that’s renewed.
© J. S. Ramkissoon, 2009
I love you dad.
Happy Father’s Day!
© J. S. Ramkissoon, 2009
Father, Where Were You?
I had a father who was my care-giver
But that role was meant for you.
I need a father for so many things
That should be coming from you.
~
Your shoulder was never offered for comfort,
You abandoned me, so I cried.
Your arms were never there to embrace,
You didn’t see the pain or felt the hurt inside.
~
I loved you but you didn’t love me back.
My eyes are red from the many tears I cried.
I prayed for you and hoped you were praying too.
I felt unloved. It left a void deep down inside.
~
My mind confused, not knowing what to do,
But these feelings haunt me:
‘Unwanted’ ‘Unloved’ ‘The outsider’ An ‘Outcast’ too.
‘Will you love or despise me?’
~
Through all the midnight tears I cried.
Father, where were you?
When I needed you to understand,
Father, where were you?
© J. S. Ramkissoon, 2009.
Today I’m celebrating because I have learned to put my trust in God—totally submitting my all to Him and allowing Him to take full control of my life. I have overcome many obstacles because He leads the way and so I know that all the struggles I now face and will face in my life, I have already overcome. I pray that you will find encouragement for your journey through the pieces I’ll share with you tonight. My prayer is that these poems will minister to those who are hurting, in various ways, to recognise the need to get to the core of what causes their pain. Once the root of the problem is recognised, embrace James 5:16 and know that God is faithful and just to forgive not just the victim but also the perpetrator. Allow for the purification to take place so that you can love again from a true and pure heart, the place from where God accepts your offering of praise.
☺☺☺
Anger is a terrible thing! And that’s where my testimony stems from tonight. I found myself struggling with resentment, from parental neglect. Becoming aware of Ephesians 5:27, 31 & 32, I had to find a way to channel my anger.
Adultery is what started this chain of anger in my ancestral timeline and I have watched many relatives live less than fulfilled life, failing to let go of the hurt and being forgiving. Having recognised this I was able to see that parental neglect was just a by-product of this whole mess and not the main issue. It was a symptom but strong enough to cause me to sin. I craved the love of my mum and dad, and so I lived all my life with that void, stuck in a rut. I was suffering because of my parents wrong-doing and I couldn’t see pass the hurt from losing my childhood. Soon, anger turns to resentment and I was sinking deeper into sin.
***
Over the past two years, I have listened to sermons, exhortations, and testimonies which started to work on that area of my life. I wanted to live and so I took note of the words of encouragements, scriptures and testimonies. I was convicted by the following scriptures:
James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
1st John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
I started to share during the testimony sessions. I took notes of personal advice given during my time of sharing with the congregation. I read books, articles, listened to music and watched programs that helped me through the grieving process. It was a painful journey arriving to the place of acceptance. But when I got there I was able to embrace Psalm 27:10: “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.”
I was also able to recognise that God had His hand on me all through my struggle.
“The Lord watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.” (Psalm 146:9, NIV)
The Quotes and bible references below have helped to open my eyes to the truth. I pray that as you journey through, you’ll find comfort in these scriptures and embrace the life of fullness that God has in store for you.
|
Book |
Chapter(s) |
Verse(s) |
|
St. Matthew |
8 |
14-15 |
|
Mark |
8 |
22-26 |
|
Ephesians |
6 |
4 |
|
Colossians |
3 |
21 |
|
Psalm |
127 |
3 |
|
Psalm |
27 |
10 |
|
Psalm |
37 |
23 |
|
Psalm |
37 |
4 |
|
Psalm |
120 |
1 |
|
Deuteronomy |
6 |
6-9 |
|
Proverbs |
22 |
6 |
|
Numbers |
14 |
18 |
|
2nd Kings |
7 |
14 |
|
2nd Timothy |
1 |
7 |
|
Galatians |
6 |
1&5 |
|
2nd Corinthians |
12 |
9 |
|
Romans |
12 |
14-21 |
|
Romans |
8 |
28-37 |
|
Matthew |
25 |
1-13 |
|
St. John |
10 |
10 |
|
Genesis |
4 |
|
“Resentment I carried over the years.
A stumbling block in my life it became,
Crippled by thoughts of yesterday’s mistakes.”
Writing the above made me realise that I hadn’t accepted the gift of life that Christ had given to me. I wept knowing I had broken my vow to follow Christ and that repentance was the only way forward.
One morning in November 2008, a voice said to me: “Pain will reach every one of us.” This statement has helped me to accept the position in my natural family, as a neglected child, since Romans 6:5 confirms this: “For every man shall bear his own burden.” I figured if it wasn’t parental neglect it would be something else, so the sooner I accept this the quicker I can move forward. I started focusing on the positive things in my life and was able to look back and see how God had strategically placed me in positions where I always had parental guidance. I repented and determined in my heart to go through the process of grieving and healing so I could be delivered.
It’s been a painful journey but I have overcome. Break-through has taken place as I see my misfortunes evolve into stepping stones; being able to use my experience to help others. I now accept the new earthly family God has blessed me with and on my heart is written the words of Psalm 27:10.
It’s the tests that I’ve gone through that opened my eyes to discover who I am in Christ. I am now learning to recognise the potential I have in Christ.
I thank God for using this fellowship to help me overcome in this area of my life. He has spoken to me through sermons, exhortations, friendship, prophesies. He also used individuals to help me by being a listening ear, giving a compassionate hug, handshake or just a friendly smile.
Thank you for your continued prayers, for all the words of encouragement and your kindness. Thank you for taking me under your wings and for teaching me. I love you & I pray that God will continue to guide you.
God bless you!
Your sister in Christ
Sister Janice Ramkissoon
(C.O.G.I.C Community House)
[shared with my fellowship on the 5th of August 2009]
Entering the Enemy’s Camp
By Janice S Ramkissoon
23rd April 2010
Today I felt like crying, and did not know why. Then I realised I have had many things to deal with recently, so I sat on the sofa, thinking… I felt this way before when most of my friends and relatives go through the pain of separation/divorces. Others were frustrated because they could not seem to find suitable life partners. I had also lost a couple of friends through death. Thinking about the times I felt like this before, I recognised that it is a pattern. Over the last few months, I have been having one bad news after another. I am still in shock about more recent news I had earlier this week and my Mum called with another blaster yesterday. I feel somewhat helpless with some of these cases, knowing that being on the other side, I would want someone to help me in practical ways too.
When people hurt and I am aware of it, I feel the pain too. The Bible tells us to rejoice with those who do rejoice and weep with those who weep. Therefore, I know this is the will of God. However, I can feel the spirit of heaviness hovering around me and if I allow it to seep into my spirit that is dangerous because I would be entering the enemy’s camp un-armed for battle. When this thought came to me this morning, I remembered an entry I made in my diary a year ago. I found it and it reminded me of a few truths. It does seem like everyone around me is currently going through some form of crisis and so no one is there to help the other up. I decided to share it with you, hoping that it will be a reminder to you. Be blessed!
I do not keep a normal diary, I make notes in A4 lined books [sometimes I voice record them or type them straight away—it depends on where I am when I get the inspiration]. This means I generally have long entries. Hence, the reason I’ve had to break up the entry into smaller more reader-friendly versions.
To read these articles you can click on Janice Writes and follow the link. Alternatively you can go directly to, Entering The Enemy's Camp.
I Forgive You
J. S. Ramkissoon
21-02-09
You’ve hurt me…
In words and deeds
But I forgive you.
You’ve spread gossip about me,
Then give a smile that’s not real…
God says I must forgive you.
I see resentment in your eyes.
I hear pride in your voice.
I want to turn a blind eye;
Pretend it doesn’t hurt,
But the pain is real.
You say you love me in a song,
Then you turn and shake my hand.
Yet you watch me fall,
Without lending a helping hand.
I cried, Help!
But you ignored my cry.
I asked for help,
But you have other things
to which you need to attend.
Still, I forgive you.
I forgive you
Because I know I’m not perfect.
I forgive you
Because when I mess-up,
I want you to forgive me too.
And I want my heavenly Father
To forgive me of all the wrong I do.
You’ve hurt me but I forgive you.
If I’ve hurt you, I pray you’ll forgive me too.
May God bless you
As you journey through.
© J. S. Ramkissoon, 2010