I often hear two voices—
The voice in my head
And the voice in my heart.  

The voice in my head
fills me with shame and doubt.
Tells me I’m flawed.
I don’t measure up.
It reminds me of
all the times I’ve failed.
“You’ll never win,” it scoffs.

The voice in my heart
tells me something different.
I’m God’s Beloved.
I’m perfectly human.
I’m good enough.
I’m love and loved.

The voice in my head is loud and brash.
I can’t trust it to tell me the truth.

The voice in my heart is patient and kind.
It listens first and whispers later.

To which voice do I listen?

I desire to follow
the voice of my heart
but the voice in my head
is relentless,
an untamed beast
that hounds me.

I stop,
quiet myself,
placing hands to chest

In the stillness
In the bridal chamber of my heart
I hear the Voice of Truth whisper,
“Do not be afraid.
I am with you.
You’re okay.
You can do this.”

A chorus of birds
sing Psalms
outside my den window
together
we praise the Voice of Truth.

—brian j plachta
brianplachta.net