Before Jesus

"What happened at your friends house?"

My eyes fell lower still.

I felt inadequate to say

The things we’d talked about that day -

No gauges helped me - (just a child

Who’d been protected all this while.)

I felt so bad, because, well...I laughed...not knowing what to do -

And Mother, I just couldn’t say a thing like that to you.

You said, ‘Be careful what you see -

Be careful what you hear -

Be careful of the paths you take;

The Lord is always near.’"

As I look back on yesteryear and those two solemn faces,

I think of all the time that’s passed,

The many traveled places!

I did not know that time would etch

This scene upon my mem’ry -

That I would pull it up again

After more than half a century.

It gives me clues of what we were-

A day of gentler living.

A day so different from this time -

Days of caring - giving.

Neighbors worried about neighbors

And took their cares to God,

Then put the muscle in their prayer

And helped them turn the sod.

A day when innocence was held

As if some hoarded treasure;

And everyone could comprehend

Its loss was beyond measure.

It can’t be given back again -

The damage won’t erase -

It was a thing you’d like to hold inside

Till you see Jesus’ face.

"Before Jesus" ... How will it be?

For nations, creeds, humanity?

When nothing’s hidden, shadows gone,

Illumination exposes wrong -

And..we’ll be glad, remembering

The prayers we said to straighten things;

The guard we put before our way

Because we pledged again that day.

"Be ye holy, for I am holy "