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My Greatest Gift

by Lucy M. Young

God gave me a loving family
  And many friends who care
Good neighbors that I might not be alone
  And lots of love to share.

He gave me a home in the country
  And pure fresh country air
Cool green trees that touch the sky
  The music of birds in the air.

He gave me sunshine and gentle rain
  Sweet flowers kissed with dew
But I didn't realize how blest I am
  Until He gave me you.

Lucy wrote, "For Ruth after she did so much work on my house, cleaning, painting. I can never thank her enough."  I hope she knew that this poem was way more thanks than I deserved. Love you, Auntie

In Memoriam

by Lucy M. Young

Today I visited the cemetery
And walked among the gray memorial stones.
It was so peaceful there -
The sun shone brightly through the new green leaves,
Flowers blossomed around the stones
And birds sang softly, joyously
In praise of springtime's resurrection.

I paused beside the grave of my beloved nephew
To pray and to remember all the joy he'd brought into my life.
I could almost see his happy smile,
The mischief in his twinkling eyes
And hear again his clever witticisms
As he managed to find humor in misfortune.

Our country's flag waved proudly o'er his plaque,
A tribute to his service in Vietnam.
Who knows what horrors he encountered there,
What pain and mental anguish he endured,
The helpless grief to see his buddies fall,
And the depth of loneliness so far from home and family?

But now he is at rest,
His earthly tasks completed.
No longer must he suffer pain or sorrow.
Happiness and peace are his forever
As he rests within the gentle arms of Jesus.

photo: Kenneth W. Burrell - beloved nephew, son, husband, father, brother

March Snowstorm

by Lucy M. Young

All winter long we wished for snow,
  We children of the North;
Hopefully we scanned the skies,
  Perused the weather report.
The weather men predicted snow,
  But rain was what we got -
Dismal, dreary, icy rain,
  Our wishes were for naught.

Now it is March, the winter's gone,
  Spring flowers bloom everywhere;
And what is this I see without?
  Gay snowflakes fill the air!
The brown, bare ground has disappeared
  Beneath a soft, white spread;
The trees are dressed in fluffy lace,
  White icing decks my homestead.

I thank the Lord with all my heart
  For sending this late snowstorm
To hide the bleak, bare countryside,
  The brown earth to transform.
'Twill not last long, the sun will shine,
  The flowers will reappear;
The robins' songs will fill the air
  To tell us Spring is here.

A Message of Cheer

by Lucy M. Young

There's a light behind every shadow,
  In back of each cloud there's the sun;
God's in His Heaven above us
  Showering blessings on everyone.

There's a rainbow in every raindrop
  Sparkling jewels in every snowflake;
God's promise in every sunrise -
  A promise He'll never forsake.

Bright daylight follows night's darkness.
  Sweet release comes after pain;
A smile will replace a teardrop
  Just as sunshine follows rain.

So seek the Lord and His Mercy
  Trust the Master Plan sublime
And look for a better tomorrow
  Living one day at a time.



photo by David Brooke Martin on Unsplash

Words

by Lucy M. Young

"Sticks and stones may break my bones"
  But words can break my heart;
No hurt is worse than that inflicted
  By a verbal dart.

A broken bone will heal in time
  And leave no lingering pain;
The memory of a bruise will fade,
  No soreness will remain;

But a careless word or a vicious taunt
  Leaves pain too deep to heal;
And an angry cruel word once said
  Can never be repealed.

One day we all must give account
  For every spoken word
As we bow in final judgement
  Before our risen Lord.
  


photo by Samuel Martins on Unsplash

Age Is Relative

by Lucy M. Young

They say that age is relative
  And I wonder what that means
As the days and years go flying by
  In an ever-changing scene.

My sight grows dim, my hearing dulls,
  My legs refuse to run;
I can no longer dance and ski,
  Or gambol in the sun.

Those days are gone forever;
  But deep inside of me
The happy memories linger on,
  My soul is young and free.

In fantasy I roam the woods,
  I dance the night away
With joyous abandon
  To the songs of a bygone day.

Yes, I guess that age is relative
  And I think I know now what it means:
'Though I may be approaching the century mark
  My heart is still in its teens.

photo by Joel Valve

Call on the Lord

by Lucy M. Young

When you feel all alone with no one to care,
Reach out to the Lord - He will always be there.
He's as far away as the most distant star,
Yet as close as a whisper, wherever you are.

Put your trust in Him, put your life in His hands -
He's the only one who understands.
If you call to Him with a sincere heart,
He will come to you and He'll never depart.

You can always depend on His loving care
To hold you and shield you from pain and despair;
So if you will call, let your need be known,
You will never again feel all alone.



photo by Lukasz Szmigiell on Unsplash

The Christmas Star

by Lucy M. Young

The Christmas star is shining in the East.
Its pure and radiant light has never ceased
To guide the faithful with its steady glow,
Just as it led the Wise Men long ago
To a lowly manger in a stable bare
Where lay the Christ Child with his mother fair.

Oh Christmas star, may your pure holy light
Fill every heart with peace and joy tonight;
And may your beams encompass all the earth
Remind all nations of the holy birth
Of the Babe who came that war and suffering cease;
And bring to all the world good will and peace.

May the Christmas star fill your hearts with love and joy today and always



photo by Frantzou Fleurine on Unsplash

Counting My Blessings

by Lucy M. Young
Counting my blessings, one by one,
Thanking my Lord for every one.
There are so many I fall asleep,
Relaxed and resting in slumber deep.

I'm blessed with a family, loving and caring,
Friends and neighbors willingly sharing
Their love and their time with me any day,
Whenever I need them come what may.

I thank you, God, for clean fresh air,
For the beauties of nature everywhere;
For food and clothing, shelter and then
I thank you and praise you all over again.

So what if my car is dented and rusty?
It starts when I need it, my faithful old "trusty;"
And what if my coat is four years old?
It's warm and it shields me from winter's cold.

And what if my steps are faltering and slow
And I need a crutch wherever I go?
I can walk, and that's the important thing.
So I'm thanking you, God, with the praises I sing.

Maybe my ears aren't as sharp as they were?
I can hear a bird's song and a kitten's soft purr.
If my eyes tend to blur when I use them too long,
I can see your fair world, glorious sunsets and dawn.

So I count my blessings and fall asleep,
Knowing my Saviour a vigil will keep
'Til I wake to a bright, new, rosy dawn
With a soul at peace and a heart full of song.



photo by Mohammed Nohassi on Unsplash

Never Alone

by Lucy M. Young

Once I wandered alone and lonely,
 My heart was empty and cold;
There seemed to be nothing to live for,
 Nothing to which I could hold.

Then one day He spoke to me softly,
 I didn't hear Him at first;
But slowly and gently He entered my heart,
 My soul was no longer accursed

With emptiness, bitterness, sadness -
 They'd been driven out by His love.
I rejoiced in my new-found freedom
 Given me by my Father above.

Lord, I come to you now in thanksgiving
 For the many blessings you've given;
I am never alone, for I walk each day
 With my wonderful Father in Heaven.



photo by Sebastian Unrau on Unsplash