Woodsmoke and Cardamom

God Grant Me Patience

by Lucy M. Young

God, grant me patience
Throughout the days and nights
Of waiting for my broken bone to heal.
Relieve the inner turmoil,
The frustration with the awkwardness
Of struggling with these infernal crutches.

God, grant me patience
With those around me who can't understand
Why I must rest so often.
Slow me down and keep me walking
When I want so much to run.

God grant me serenity, tranquility;
Relieve my feverish anxiety.
Speak quietly to me and calm my jangled nerves.
I know that I must crawl before I walk,
And walk before I run,
But oh, it is so difficult to wait;
So please, Lord, grant me patience yet awhile

Your Plan for Me

by Lucy M. Young

Dear Lord, what do You have in mind for me to do?
What menial task,
What act of love or sacrifice is in Your plan for me?
I'm tired of the daily round of meaningless activities.
I need a reason for existence.
A goal to strive for.
Give me, Lord, a dream,
And strength to work toward it to completion.
It need not be a great earth-shattering project -
Just help me feel my life is not in vain.
If nothing else, Lord, let me be a good example
Of usefulness in spite of handicap;
And cheerfulness despite whatever pain
May fill my waking hours;
Then when at night my body cries for rest,
I pray that you may feel I've done my best
Your purpose to fulfill;
And then, Lord, grant me peaceful sleep
And quiet, happy dreams throughout the night.

When Love Has Gone

by Lucy M. Young

What do you do when love has gone,
And your life seems barren and cold;
When the plans you made and the dreams you shared
Your heart may no longer hold;

When hope and joy have been cast aside,
And despair is your constant companion;
When it seems there is nothing worth living for,
And you long for a quiet communion

With someone who really can sympathize,
Who can quietly understand;
And fill up the void where love once dwelt
with the warmth of a friendly hand?

Well, you hold up your head and you put on a smile
And you walk with your shoulders thrown back;
Just whistle a tune, and before very long
You'll be feeling the warmth you now lack.

You'll find it, you know, if you really try,
God never meant us to be sad.
With a smile on your face and a song in your heart
That is real, soon your heart will be glad.

To Help A Lonely Man

by Lucy M. Young

He's temperamental, hard to please,
Unreasonable and cranky;
He's always on the lookout for
Some form of hanky-panky.
Trusts no one, judges harshly,
Believes the worst of all,
His views are warped, his vision short,
His bitterness a wall
Around his sadly barren heart.
He does not understand
The joy of unselfish love,
Nor want a helping hand.

Dear Lord, watch over him I pray,
Forgive him, soothe and heal
His cold heart, his suspicious mind.
And teach him how to feel
Compassion and forgiveness.
Please show him how to love
And trust his friends and family,
And believe in Heaven above.
Then show me how to help him.
With You to lead the way,
We'll both find greater happiness
As You guide us day by day.

The Day Nurse

by Lucy M. Young

Tall, petite, chubby, slim,
Blonde, brunette or redhead;
Gentle fingers, soothing hands
On many a fevered forehead.

Eyes of blue or gray or brown,
Pleasantly beguiling;
Never frowning 'though displeased,
Always sweetly smiling.

Bringing trays, making beds,
Changing soiled linen;
Answering the many calls
Of restless men and women.

Always finding things to do
To bring the patients pleasure;
Comfort, ease and confidence
She gives beyond all measure.

Gracious God, bless her now
And never cease to guide her;
Hold her up and give her strength
And ever walk beside her.

I Thank You, Lord

by Lucy M. Young

I thank You, Lord, that I can see
The deep blue sky, the restless sea;
The stars at night, the sun by day
The flowers that bloom along my way.

I thank You, Lord, that I can hear
The sound of things that I hold dear -
The songs of birds, a glad refrain,
The symphony of wind and rain.

I thank You, Lord, that I can touch
And feel the things that mean so much -
A friendly hand, a gentle shower,
The velvet petals of a flower.

I thank You, Lord, that I can savor,
Not only food of every flavor,
But life as well, and love and gladness,
Seasoned with a touch of sadness.

For joy and pain go hand in hand,
And 'though we may not understand
Why this must be, I thank You for
These things, and will not ask for more.

A Real Gift

by Lucy M. Young

photo by Filipe de Rodrigues on Unsplash

A gift is not a real gift
Unless it hurts to give it,
And we can't find true joy in life
'Less it hurts a bit to live it.
To give away a useless thing
Or something we don't need
Is like throwing trash in the fire
Or pulling up a weed.
If we give away a lovely thing
We care about and treasure,
Our small amount of sacrifice
Makes giving it a pleasure.

Could we really see the beauty 
Of a lovely sunny day,
If skies were always bright and blue
And never a stormy gray?
Could we enjoy a bright today
And never dread tomorrow
If we have not experienced
A bit of grief and sorrow?
So we must live with joy and pain,
And share our choicest treasure
To ever know true happiness
And love in boundless measure.

A Prayer for Many

Lucy M. Young

Dear Lord, there are so many people
In my thoughts tonight:
The little girl who's losing weight
For no apparent reason;
The little boy who can't retain his food;
The lovely lady,
Lying on her bed of pain,
Ravaged by cancer;
The dear young man whose body, filled with tumors,
Struggles to continue functioning;
The brother fighting for each breath
Despite the spreading cancer in his lungs;
The lonely little mother,
Hard of hearing, nearly blind,
Waiting patiently for someone, anyone
To show a little love and tenderness.

Dear Lord, be with these people.
Place Your healing hand upon them.
Hold them in Your everlasting arms.
Comfort them and love them.
Let them know 
That they are not alone,
And that Your love and strength
Will hold them fast
Forever.

If You Really Love Me

Lucy M. Young

If you really love me let me go.
Let me be free to think and feel
And be my own unique and special person.
Hold me not so tightly
That my hopes and dreams are smothered
By your possessive love.

Set me free.
If I do not return to you
'Twas never meant to be;
But if I do,
Love me deeply, trustingly,
And I will rest forever
Close to your heart.