Woodsmoke and Cardamom

He’ll Be Waiting

by Lucy M. Young

Dear sister, mother of the son I never had,
I share with you the sadness and the emptiness
His passing leaves.
I cannot know the depth of sorrow that you feel
Because I did not bear him,
But I loved him
As I'm sure I would have loved him
Had he been my own.

We cannot wish him back to suffer as he did,
But neither can we keep from missing him.
We know he's with the Lord.
He's happier than he ever was on earth;
And when we go to meet our Saviour,
He'll be waiting also with that special smile
To greet us.
With joy we'll embrace him
And never have to part from him again.

He’s Leaving Us

by Lucy M. Young

He's leaving us and going home to You.
We'll miss him, Lord,
But he'll be so much better off with You -
No more suffering or sadness,
Or struggling for every shallow breath;
No more wakeful, pain-filled nights.
He'll rest in comfort close to You.

I know that You were with him at the end.
I felt Your presence, Lord.
You held his hand and led him gently
Through his final hours here on earth.
Love him, Lord.
Grant him the peace and joy
That only You can give.
Help us bear the lonely emptiness his passing leaves,
And let him rest forever in Your love.

Blessings

by Lucy M. Young

My mind is wandering this morning, Lord.
I want to talk to You
But my heart is troubled,
And random thoughts keep interfering
With what I want to say.

But I do want to thank You
For the many blessings You have showered upon me.
I thank you, Lord, that I can see and hear and feel
The beauties of Your world:
The stars and moon by night,
The sun by day;
For gentle showers,
Ripping, tearing thunder storms;
For sheltering trees and lovely fragrant flowers,
The songs of birds.
I thank You also for the love of friends and family,
But most of all for Your forgiving love
That makes it possible
For me to make a new beginning every day.

Whenever I'm depressed, dear Lord,
And nothing seems worthwhile,
I'll think about the many blessings You have given me
And know that I am fortunate indeed.

My Sister and My Friend

by Lucy M. Young

Dear Lord, I thank you for my sister,
My best and very special friend.
Her love and understanding
Have helped me through so many difficulties.
Her steadfast faith in me
Has forced me to become a better person
Than I ever dreamed I could be.

Her quiet courage and serene acceptance
Of everything life heaps upon her shoulders
Have ever been an inspiration to me;
But often she has been misunderstood,
For her tranquility when faced with tragedy
Has been misinterpreted as coldness;
But, Lord, You know the hidden tenderness and love
She feels for all her family and friends,

Dear Lord, watch over her, my sister and my friend.
Protect and comfort her,
And bless her with Your love.
Grant her the happiness she so deserves,
And hold her safely in Your loving arms.

Why Must He Die?

by Lucy M. Young

Why must he die, dear Lord?
He is so young.
He has so much to give,
So much to live for.
He never tried to hurt his fellow man;
Was always ready with a helping hand,
A cheerful word,
A smile.
He is not perfect and he made mistakes
As do we all;
But he was never cruel by design.
I must not question Your decision, Lord.
I must accept Your will;
But, Lord, forgive me when I ask once more,
Why must he die so young?

Teach Us to Forgive

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, teach us to forgive
For only by forgiving can we ever hope
To be forgiven,
Or find the peace of mind and heart we need
To go on living.
Only if we're able to forgive
Can we truly love each other as You asked.

I thank you, Lord,
For helping me forgive a friend
Who hurt me deeply long ago.
For many wasted years I bore ill will and anger.
It festered in my mind
And grew to such proportions
That my entire life was tainted and controlled
By bitterness and cynicism.

Then one glad day You softly spoke to me
And I forgave my friend.
A cruel weight was lifted from my heart.
My soul was flooded with such peace and joy
The world looked beautiful to me again.
My mind and heart and soul were cleansed
And I was free once more
To live and love and serve.

I thank you, Lord, for teaching me forgiveness.

The Family Doctor

by Lucy M. Young

He's more than just a doctor
He's a friend, a confidant,
To whom I can confide my deepest fears.
He will not laugh or put me down,
He'll understand and help.

Whistling a cheerful little tune
He ushers me into his office.
Anxiety and fear are dissipated and I'm sure
That whatever ailment I may have
He'll treat successfully.

He always has a little joke
Or interesting anecdote
To put me at my ease and cheer me up.

He is sincere, concerned and caring, understanding.
He lifts my spirits while he treats my body,
And I leave his office reassured
That all will soon be well.

He has a deep abiding faith in God
And I gladly put my life into his hands;
Knowing he is guided through his faith
By the great Physician, Jesus,
Lord and Saviour of us all.

Jessi

by Lucy M. Young

Six years ago she came into my life -
A little baby, full of joy and sparkle;
Loving, trusting,
Being loved and cared for tenderly
By everyone around her.
Her baby hands and captivating smile
Captured my heart and will forever hold it.

A snaggle-toothed first-grader now,
She has that wide-eyed innocence
Which fails to hide a healthy spark of mischief.
She is so many different things -
A little tomboy climbing trees,
A little mother playing with her dolls;
But always moving swiftly toward adulthood.

Lord, guide her on the long, hard road ahead.
Make smooth her path,
And let no harm befall
Nor human treachery distress her
As she hurries on with joyous anticipation
To meet her destiny.

Here I Am Again

by Lucy M. Young

Here I am again, Lord,
My worries clutched in my beseeching hands.
I have to pay the monthly bills
And there's so little money.
How do I divide and spread it out among them all?

How trivial my puny little troubles must appear
To You who must control the universe;
And yet I come to You each day for guidance,
Knowing Your gentle heart and loving arms
Will hold me,
Leading me with tender patience
Through the turmoil of my day,
Helping me to know what I must do.

No human difficulty is too insignificant
For Your attention;
And, busy as You are, You'll find the time
To solve whatever problems, great or small,
I bring to You.

I thank You, Lord,
For always being there for me;
And pray that I may keep from disappointing You
As I strive to know and do Your will each day.

Free Spirit

by Lucy M. Young

My body may be handicapped,
But my mind and heart are free;
And my spirit leads me outward
Where my heart most longs to be.

I soar with the astronauts
In weightless carefree joy;
The stars my sparkling neighbors,
The moon a bright new toy.

I roam through fields of clover
And drink from mountain streams,
Reality's so drab beside
The glory of my dreams.

They lead me through the velvet night
Where moonglow lights my way,
From the vivid glow of sunset
To the rosy dawn of day.

With the wind and rain for playmates,
My gypsy heart roams free;
From stately stands of virgin pine
To wind caves by the sea.

On the burning sands of the desert,
And the Northland's ice and snow,
In the rushing roar of the ocean
Great peace and joy I know.

But I must needs return to earth,
To my crutches and my pain;
'Til my spirit leads me outward
To freedom once again.