Woodsmoke and Cardamom

Wait Upon the Lord

by Lucy M. Young

Dear Father, grant me patience
 While I'm waiting to be healed
And faith to keep believing
 That to weakness I won't yield.

Grant me strength and courage
 As I cope with daily pain.
Let not my heart grow faint, dear Lord,
 And let me not complain;

For I know you're with me always,
 And when the time is right,
You'll heal me, free my pain-scarred soul
 To soar like a bird in flight.

For if I wait upon you, Lord,
 My strength shall be renewed,
I shall mount up with wings as eagles,
 All the waiting will be understood.

I shall run and not be weary;
 I shall walk and never faint;
For your goodness knows no limit.
 And your love knows no restraint.


Based on Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run and not be weary; And they shall walk and not faint."

Memories of Christmas

by Lucy M. Young

There was snow, always snow -
Crisp and creaky underfoot,
Gleaming silver in the moonlight,
Sparkling like crystals in the sun.

I recall the utter stillness of the night,
The vast star-studded sky,
And every year the Christmas star
Aglow above the eastern mountain
Just as it shone o'er Bethlehem so long ago.

I see my mother busy in the kitchen,
Christmas baking perfuming the air;
My father reading in the mellow lamplight
Beside a crackling fire;
My sisters whispering Christmas secrets,
So eagerly anticipating Christmas day.

Most of all I feel the steadfast love
That bound us all together;
The warm security of loving parents,
The peace and harmony and deep contentment
That filled our hearts with everlasting joy.



photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

My Mother’s Bible

by Lucy M. Young

Alone, she sits in her cluttered home,
   Alone with her memories and dreams;
Waiting in vain for someone to call,
   But nobody cares, it seems.

Lonely and sad by the window she sits,
   Remembering days gone by
When her home was a busy, happy place,
   Filled with laughter and love and "small fry,"

Her children and grandchildren live nearby,
   All busy with their own affairs;
Not realizing how much it would mean to her
   To know that somebody cares.

Forgotten before her a cup of tea
   Grows cold as the shadows fall,
As cold as she feels in her empty house -
   Forgotten, rejected by all.

But wait, there is comfort close at hand
   And she clasps it close to her heart -
Her Bible, her constant companion and friend,
   A friend who will never depart.

As she reads the marked pages, her favorite lines,
   Peace enters her soul again;
And she knows in her heart she is never alone -
   Jesus walks with her to the end.

Now that Bible is mine. Although tattered and torn,
   Its message is very clear;
And it seems I can hear her quietly say,
   "Be happy, the Lord is near."



photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Forgive

by Lucy M. Young

So you were hurt by something someone did
Or didn't do?
By something someone said
Or didn't say?
Is that sufficient reason to divide a family,
Or break up a friendship?

Forgive -
For that is what our Saviour taught,
Forgive, and let the poison of bitterness and anger drain away.
Forgive -
And be released to freely live and love again.

We MUST forgive,
For only by forgiving can we ever hope to be ourselves forgiven.
Forgive the one who hurt you,
And let the sweetness of the Master's love flow through you,
Cleansing and refreshing heart and soul and mind,
And brightening every corner of your life.


photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash

October

by Lucy M. Young

What a lovely peaceful time of year -
The hot and sultry days of summer gone,
A subtle crispness in the morning air;
Crickets chirping cheerful music through the night;
Apples ripening on the trees,
Grapevines heavy with their load of luscious fruit;
The tantalizing scent of autumn in the air;
Fluffy plumes of goldenrod
Beckoning from every field and roadside;
Cornfields rustling in the autumn breeze -
Stripped now of their golden harvest -
Whispering predictions of the coming winter cold;
Incredibly blue sky spread over all.
October,
The ultimate fulfillment of Springtime's golden promise.



photo by Kayla Spracklin on Unsplash

Rain in the Night

by Lucy M. Young

Soft and soothing,
Sleep-inducing -
   Quiet music in the night;
Window-spattering,
Softly pattering -
   Gentle showers in the night.

Ripping, tearing,
Lightning flaring,
   Causing sudden, chilling fright;
Heavy downpour,
Deafening roar,
   Thundershowers in the night.

Softer, glaring,
Soothing, scaring,
   No matter how the rain may fall;
Tame or wild,
Rough or mild,
   Earth gratefully absorbs it all.

Sun and rain,
Joy and pain,
   Into each life some rain must fall;
The Lord of love,
High above,
   Guides us gently through it all.


photo by Valentin Muller on Unsplash

I Wonder

by Lucy M. Young

When Christ was born in Bethlehem,
Born in a bare and lowly stall,
The angels caroled joyously,
Wise men and shepherds heard their call.
I wonder, do they still?

The sky was filled with radiance,
The bright star showed the way to Him;
Glory shown around the stable,
Cattle knelt in awe of Him.
I wonder, do they still?

The night awoke to heavenly singing,
People came from near and far
With love and hope to worship Him,
Guided by the wondrous star.
I wonder, do they still?

We reverently await His coming,
Surrounded by a troubled earth;
Naught can shake our faith in Jesus,
Or the wonder of His birth.
Oh, yes, we love Him still.

No more wondering, no more doubting,
God's great love surrounds us all;
And the star will ever guide us
To that lowly Bethlehem stall.
We know He loves us still.

photo by Batang Latagaw on Unsplash

The First Robins

by Lucy M. Young

Today I saw two robins on the lawn.
I watched them as they searched for food,
Their keen ears picking up the sound of worms beneath the sod.
How tired and hungry they must be
After their long, long journey from the South.

Dear Lord, watch over them, I pray.
Keep them safe and warm throughout the cold and darkness of the night.
Tomorrow help them find a nesting place secure from predators.
Then let their happy songs be heard
To cheer our winter-weary souls
And tell us Spring is here.


photo by Avery Lutkenhoff on Unsplash

The Cycle

by Lucy M. Young

One day the trees were clad in gorgeous garments, red and gold,
A radiant display that filled my heart with joy;
Then came the storm.
The rain exploded in a torrent of sound upon the roof;
The wind tore shrieking holes in saturated air.
The next day when I looked the trees were bare -
Brown lacy etchings hung against a ragged sky -
But now the ground was carpeted in emerald, crimson, gold,
Autumn's last defiant fling ere winter's bleakness.

How fleeting is our time on earth!
How fickle blow the storms of life
To change our days from joy to despair;
But may our autumns bloom in colors splendid -
The celebration of a life of usefulness and service -
Then peaceful sleep,
Awakening in the spring of life eternal
To start again the never-ending cycle.

photo by Daniel Kim on Unsplash