love – Woodsmoke and Cardamom

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 no longer may 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.

Just for You

Just for you, my friend, the sun is shining;
Just for you no clouds are in the sky.
The springtime flowers bloom in all their glory;
Just for you the birds are flying high.

Just for you my prayers rise to the Father
For quick recovery from your long travail;
For peace of mind and happiness and confidence
That pain and sadness cannot long prevail.

Just for you the birds are singing sweetly;
Their happy songs, 'though old seem ever new;
They sing of hope and love, of faith and gladness,
And lift their hearts in glad song just for you.

Remembering My Mother

by Lucy M. Young

Lucy (right) with her mother, Lula G. Edmunds

She loved the Lord and sang His praises daily.
She taught us with her songs to love Him too.
Praying at her knee each night a bedtime,
We knew He'd keep us safe the whole night through.

The hymns she taught us are a precious legacy.
I still can hear her singing "Rock of Ages."
Her tattered Bible is my dearest treasure,
Remembering her I slowly turn the pages

And read marked passages that brought her comfort.
And strength and joy to raise her voice in song,
To lift the spirits of all those around her,
Until her voice was cracked with age and gone.

But now I'm sure she's singing with the angels
All those old and lovely hymns her memory stored;
I know her voice rises clear and joyous
As she once more sings her praises to her Lord.

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.

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.

So Much Love

by Lucy M. Young

I never knew the joy of bearing children.
For reasons known to God alone
It was denied me.
'Twas said that I'm not fit to be a mother;
I can't believe it's true, but then again
It may be.

I do not understand
Why all the mother love I feel
Should have to be repressed.
The love I would bestow upon my own
Was always freely given to other people's children.

I've so much love -
The more I give the more I have to give.
I pray the Father in His tender mercy
Will help me find a way to use this love;
And grant me courage to defy
Any who'd keep me from experiencing the joy of giving love
To all the children of my lonely heart.

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