An analogy of a child seeking a better land
FIRST PART
Am I a child of innocent ways, traveling to a promised land I cannot see?
Things are confusing to me! Why this place here on earth is such a frightful place.
I wonder why You don’t stop the suffering of the people on earth. Sometimes I get
angry, but then that is scary, I know You know it is there and the world is in Your
hands. Still it is hard to understand.
Some people think You are mean and sometimes I do too. Could that be because I
have a picture in my head that isn’t really You? I would like to see Your face, to
see what You look like, but when I look to the left and then to the right and
behind, You are not there. Do You sometimes hide? Well, I guess it is up to me to
climb to Your lofty throne in the sky. I’m not sure I can do it alone, many times I have
tried. There is a stairway I see at the foot of a mountain reaching to the sky, I will
give that a try. It looks pretty slippery, and I’m not sure of my steps. You have
promised You won’t let me stumble, no, nor the earth crumble beneath my feet.
My clothes are tattered and torn and my shoes are worn. My feet burn and this
stone in my shoe really hurts, no matter where I turn. I really want to look my
best when I meet You in Heaven. I am almost there, but not quite, I have a little
bit more to go before I can rest. It is starting to get hot, I really need that shade
You have promised. It seems to get hotter and hotter and in this land there is
no water. Oh I wish I could talk to You, maybe You would understand. Every step
I take, I am sure this is the way, but You seem further and further away. With
trembling knees and arms that are weak, I can barely speak. And all there is, is silence!
Well God, I didn’t make it. I had hoped I would, but when I came close, all I could see
was consuming flames of fire and devouring smoke. In my despair, the stairs I had hoped
would get me there are gone. I’ll just go back one more time before I turn around. But
wait! I see a small thread of hope, a weaving of cloth in the distance. A silhouette of a
Man who tells a story!
“The desert is forsaken and the days are grueling, for this multitude of people, as they
leave a land of bondage. I once dwelt a long time ago with my people, in a desert of
mountainous sand. My presence was felt and they knew I cared. Take My hand, we’ll go
to that land – one that has a lesson for mothers and fathers and children like you.”
“Oh, there is a little child behind, can we invite her to come along too? And just
a minute, I must take shoes and clothes for my travels.” “No child, don’t worry,
clothes and shoes will be provided.” The way they travel shows clearly the right way to
go, and the child is excited!
From a poem written several years ago
Donna's Poetry Blog 