80. Blessings for Beloved Servants
The veil that serves to blind our eyes,
Now hides us from a childhood sweet.
When, with Our Father, kind and wise,
In Heaven’s courts each day we’d meet.
To learn His plan and praise His name,
We spent our days in halls of light.
With youth’s rash pride we vowed the same--
To come to Earth and do the right.
How shallow now, in mortal life,
Our earlier confidence is seen.
Too few have learned to cope with strife,
So many speak of “might have been”.
Yet God knows well His valiant souls,
He sees you in your current plight.
When, having beaten virtue’s foes,
You fear your final mortal fight.
As Heaven’s servant in my years,
I pray God bless your worthy souls.
And as I sense your aching fears,
I ask the aid of He who knows
What it is like to live with pain,
Alone and friendless in the night.
My thoughts and prayers are in His name,
A gift of service in His sight:
Remember, please, your earlier days,
When you showed thousands how to love,
You taught us in Christ’s holy Way,
And bid us seek out God above--
To dedicate our lives to more,
Than lands or wealth or worldly fame,
You warned us that we not ignore
A brother’s plea in Jesus’ name.
Through all your lives, you’ve labored well,
Christ’s holy Kingdom to prepare.
Rejoice! In time, and by His will,
Your sorrows gone, you’ll meet Him there.
All pains relieved, all doubts dispelled,
Angelic hosts shall shout you Home,
Your holy works and faith we’ll tell,
And never more you’ll be alone.
(c) www.servingjesuspoetry.com
Unlimited non-commercial usage allowed.
Context
Decades ago, a former bishop and his wife served as outstanding role models to their college congregation. Seemingly by happenstance (but is there really such) I encountered them again much later--both stricken with mortal illnesses. I was asked to give them a message of hope and faith: Remember the good you have done, and continue to trust the Lord.
The veil that serves to blind our eyes,
Now hides us from a childhood sweet.
When, with Our Father, kind and wise,
In Heaven’s courts each day we’d meet.
To learn His plan and praise His name,
We spent our days in halls of light.
With youth’s rash pride we vowed the same--
To come to Earth and do the right.
How shallow now, in mortal life,
Our earlier confidence is seen.
Too few have learned to cope with strife,
So many speak of “might have been”.
Yet God knows well His valiant souls,
He sees you in your current plight.
When, having beaten virtue’s foes,
You fear your final mortal fight.
As Heaven’s servant in my years,
I pray God bless your worthy souls.
And as I sense your aching fears,
I ask the aid of He who knows
What it is like to live with pain,
Alone and friendless in the night.
My thoughts and prayers are in His name,
A gift of service in His sight:
Remember, please, your earlier days,
When you showed thousands how to love,
You taught us in Christ’s holy Way,
And bid us seek out God above--
To dedicate our lives to more,
Than lands or wealth or worldly fame,
You warned us that we not ignore
A brother’s plea in Jesus’ name.
Through all your lives, you’ve labored well,
Christ’s holy Kingdom to prepare.
Rejoice! In time, and by His will,
Your sorrows gone, you’ll meet Him there.
All pains relieved, all doubts dispelled,
Angelic hosts shall shout you Home,
Your holy works and faith we’ll tell,
And never more you’ll be alone.
(c) www.servingjesuspoetry.com
Unlimited non-commercial usage allowed.
Context
Decades ago, a former bishop and his wife served as outstanding role models to their college congregation. Seemingly by happenstance (but is there really such) I encountered them again much later--both stricken with mortal illnesses. I was asked to give them a message of hope and faith: Remember the good you have done, and continue to trust the Lord.