11. Not Far Away
Not far away, in her small bed,
A baby fights to live.
Kind doctors seek to aid and cure,
And yet, they ask, can she endure
Once more the surgeon’s knife.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, a mother prays,
Her daughter’s life in doubt.
And just as close, a father kneels,
And with each heartbeat begs
God heal his newborn girl again.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, their friends abide
The spirit of the fast.
With tears they ask for mercy’s gift
And, trembling, pray that Father lift
This family from its fears.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, God’s angels watch
And join their prayers with ours.
At times the veil is very thin
And they can see and share within
The trials we must bear.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, our Savior bows
Before the Father’s throne.
For He who knew no sin still pleads
That Father answer all good needs
To make His children whole.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, a blessing waits
For those who seek God’s will.
For prayers and fasting for the right
Can bring to earth all heaven’s might
To heal our griefs and ills.
Not far, not far away at all.
(c) www.servingjesuspoetry.com
Unlimited non-commercial usage allowed.
Context
A newborn in our ward had a terribly dangerous birth defect--some of her internal organs were outside her body. The parents were told that the condition, while desperate, might be corrected by a series of surgeries; if the infant could survive them. The parents asked ward members to join with their extended family in fasting and prayer. Together, we sought Divine intervention in the life of this tiny girl. We were unified by the experience and made joyful by a great blessing. The child thrived. Blessings sought for the afflicted, resulted in blessings to our own souls. And all who participated learned, again, the great power of the fast.
Isaiah 58:1-14
1. "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2. "Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3. "Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4. "Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5. "Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6. "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7. "Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8. "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.
9. "Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10. "And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
11. "And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12. "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13. "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14. "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
Doctrine & Covenants 45:3-5 [Jesus speaks to the Saints of our day.]
"3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him--
4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life."
Not far away, in her small bed,
A baby fights to live.
Kind doctors seek to aid and cure,
And yet, they ask, can she endure
Once more the surgeon’s knife.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, a mother prays,
Her daughter’s life in doubt.
And just as close, a father kneels,
And with each heartbeat begs
God heal his newborn girl again.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, their friends abide
The spirit of the fast.
With tears they ask for mercy’s gift
And, trembling, pray that Father lift
This family from its fears.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, God’s angels watch
And join their prayers with ours.
At times the veil is very thin
And they can see and share within
The trials we must bear.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, our Savior bows
Before the Father’s throne.
For He who knew no sin still pleads
That Father answer all good needs
To make His children whole.
Not far, not far away at all.
Not far away, a blessing waits
For those who seek God’s will.
For prayers and fasting for the right
Can bring to earth all heaven’s might
To heal our griefs and ills.
Not far, not far away at all.
(c) www.servingjesuspoetry.com
Unlimited non-commercial usage allowed.
Context
A newborn in our ward had a terribly dangerous birth defect--some of her internal organs were outside her body. The parents were told that the condition, while desperate, might be corrected by a series of surgeries; if the infant could survive them. The parents asked ward members to join with their extended family in fasting and prayer. Together, we sought Divine intervention in the life of this tiny girl. We were unified by the experience and made joyful by a great blessing. The child thrived. Blessings sought for the afflicted, resulted in blessings to our own souls. And all who participated learned, again, the great power of the fast.
Isaiah 58:1-14
1. "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2. "Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3. "Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4. "Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5. "Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
6. "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7. "Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8. "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward.
9. "Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10. "And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
11. "And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12. "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13. "If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14. "Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
Doctrine & Covenants 45:3-5 [Jesus speaks to the Saints of our day.]
"3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him--
4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life."