Gratitude – Woodsmoke and Cardamom

Needs

by Lucy M. Young

My wants and needs are few, dear Lord -
A little rain, a little sunshine,
Snow for Christmas,
Money enough to pay my bills and feed my pets and me,
Clothing to keep me warm in winter cool in summer,
Shelter from the cold and storms,
Health and happiness for my friends and family.

Dear Lord, I need the love of friends and family,
And love to share with those who need to know that someone cares;
But most of all I need Your love
To lift me up when I am down,
To blunt the sting of unkind words,
To strengthen me and keep me going through another day.

Helpful People

by Lucy M. Young

Father, I come to You today with gratitude for friendly, thoughtful people
           who help me on my way -
Opening doors for me and carrying packages,
Stopping traffic so that I may cross the street on my crutches;
Waiting patiently for me to make my clumsy way through crowded stores.

They smile,
And in their smiles I sense Your loving presence.

Lord, bless these good, considerate people.
Make smooth their way through life.
Ease their burdens, calm their fears,
Comfort them;
And guide them safely through each day.
Help them, Lord, as they have so unselfishly helped me.

Treasures

by Lucy M. Young

I have so many treasures, Lord,
I scarce know where to start to name them all.
I have the wide, blue sky, the stars and moon at night,
Sunrise and glowing sunset.
I have the fresh, clean air to breathe,
And water, pure and sweet, to quench my thirst;
Cooling breezes and refreshing rain,
The fragrance and the splendor of the flowers;
The shade and towering beauty of the trees;
The happy songs of birds;
The bounty of my garden;
The sweetness of the peaches in my little orchard;
The comfort of a kitten purring softly on my pillow;
And I have love -
The love of friends and family and gentle pets;
But best of all, Lord, Your eternal love which never fails.
It guides, upholds and strengthens me each day.
It is the greatest treasure of them all.

The Night Nurse

by Lucy M. Young

She comes into my room so quietly, I hardly know she's there.
Her cheery smile, her air of confidence allay my fears
And slow my racing pulse.
She comes on silent feet
With soothing words and gentle hands
To ease my pain with medication,
Or maybe help me to relax
With just a little friendly conversation.

All night she's near and I can rest
Knowing a simple touch upon the call bell
Will bring her quickly to my side.
May God be always with her
And bless her richly for her sympathy,
Her quiet strength and patient understanding
Throughout the long dark hours of what could be 
A sleepless pain-filled night without her.

Dear Little Mother

by Lucy M. Young

Lucy (right) with
her “little Mother”
Lula G. Edmunds

Dear little mother,
I am so glad that you are finally at rest
And happy with your Lord.
I'll miss you, oh so much,
But knowing you are free at last
From all the loneliness you knew on earth
Will help me bear the sorrow of your passing.

You worked so hard and had so little -
No luxuries and just the bare necessities of life;
But you were always grateful
For every little thing that came your way:
A home-made valentine,
A small plant from my garden,
A single rose,
The little tree we planted for you long ago
On Mother's Day.

You loved us,
And you sacrificed so much
That we might have a better life
Than you had ever known.
Selfishly, unthinkingly I took
And gave so little in return;
But Mother dear, I loved you,
And I am so very sorry for my thoughtlessness
And for my unforgivable neglect of you.

I know you're happy now;
No more loneliness or sorrow,
No more heartache, no more pain.
You're with the ones you loved and missed so much -
Your beloved mother and your precious grandson;
Your special daughter and your one true love.
God bless you, Mother dear;
And 'though I miss you more than I can say,
I'm glad you're with the Lord
And may He hold you safely in His arms forever.

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.

This Lovely Day

by Lucy M. Young

photo by Behzad Azandaryan Malayeri on Unsplash

Dear Lord, I thank You for this lovely day -
The azure sky, the golden sun,
The cooling breeze.

Lord, help me make the most of every moment
Let no disturbing thoughts
Or angry words
Disturb the tranquil beauty of each passing hour.

Let me think only of today,
Not looking back nor yet ahead.
The past is gone,
The future, yet to be, held safely in Your hands.

So, with Your help,
I'll treasure every moment;
Then when I lay me down to rest this night,
I'll thank You once again in quiet prayer
For this most lovely day.

Luxuries

by Lucy M. Young

Snuggling 'neath the covers on a cold November night
While the north wind whistles frostily without,
Or listening to the raindrops pelting 'gainst the windowpane
While warm and dry beside a crackling fire;

Savoring the creamy coldness of a strawberry ice cream soda
On a hot and steamy, torrid August day;
Or a sparkling drink of water from an icy mountain spring -
These are luxuries to me beyond compare.

You can have your yachts and Cadillacs, your emeralds and champagne,
They are cold and cheerless, comfortless indeed;
And I wouldn't trade my cherished luxuries, not even one -
For all the rich possessions 'neath the sun.