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(page four)
Remember me
when I am gone away.
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand.
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me: you
understand
It will be late
to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had.
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than you should remember and be sad.
Christina
Rossetti
Footprints
One
night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:
one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the
last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the
footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one
set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in
his life.
This really
bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:
"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me
all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in
my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."
The LORD
replied:
"My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During
your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of
footprints, it was then that I carried you."
God's Lent
Child
I’ll
lend you for a little while, a child of mine, God said
For you to love the while he lives and mourn for when he’s dead.
It may be six or seven years, or forty-two or three
But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me?
He’ll bring his charms to gladden you and should his stay be brief
You’ll always have his memories as a solace in your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return,
But there are lessons taught below I want this child to learn.
I’ve looked this whole world over in my search for teachers true
And from the folk that crowd Life’s lane I have chosen you.
Now will you give him all your love and not think the labour vain,
Nor hate me when I come to take this lent child back again?
I fancy that I heard them say “Dear God, thy will be done.
For all the joys this child will bring the risk of grief we’ll run.
We will shelter him with tenderness, we’ll love him while we may
And for all the happiness we’ve ever known, we’ll ever grateful stay.
But should the angels call him much sooner than we’d planned
We will brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand.”
If
you find these "Thoughts" comforting,
please consider
purchasing Beyond The Rainbow from our online store.
It is a
beautiful and thought-provoking book containing an anthology of poetry
and prose written by patients, carers, staff at the Hospice and more
well-known and not so well-known writers. The poems have been compiled
by the Hospice's Complementary Therapist Bridget Purser.
All profits from
the sale of this book will go to the Hospice.
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