THE PRAYER OF OUR LIVESEYS

 

 

Lord, give me a place in the world’s great fight,

The fight for the good and true;

A place where the wrong outrivals the right,

And there’s a soldiers work to do.

 

First, help me to stifle the things within,

That power and skill unnerve;

Make staunch my soul in the face of sin,

Nor suffer my will to swerve.

 

Then help me grapple this drink-caused wrong,

That baffles the good and true.

With a white-hot heart and a tireless soul,

And a far hope ever in view.

 

Hold fast my gaze to that gleaming height,

Lest urged by reproach of applause,

I battle more from lust of fight

Than love of a Christ-like cause.

 

Yet show me the worth of the next small hill,

As well as the distant peak;

Instruct me when to wait and be still,

And when to stand forth and speak.

 

Give patience, Lord, for a steady trudge

Through the league-long dust and hear;

And a dogged faith that will not budge,

Come victory or defeat.

 

Make strong my heart, and tender as strong,

Prayer-tempered and toned for the fight:

With love for the man who monstrous wrong

I loathe and must dare to smite.

 

And when with earth and its strife I’m through

Let me leave it a safer place,

With a clearer field for the good and the true,

And the Kingdom of Love and Grace

H H Barstow.

(This poem looks back to the Temperance Movement

and Teetotalism which had its beginnings in Preston)

 

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WINDY NIGHTS

 

Whenever the moon and stars are set,

Whenever the wind is high,

All night long in the dark and wet,

A man goes riding by.

Late in the night when the fires are out,

Why does he gallop and gallop about?

Whenever the tree are crying aloud,

And ships are tossed at sea,

By, on the highway, low and loud,

By at the gallop goes he

By at the gallop he goes, and the

By he comes back at the gallop again.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

 
 

THE CROSS IN MY POCKET

I carry a cross in my pocket,

A simple reminder to me

Of the fact that I am a Christian

No matter where I may be

 

This little cross is not magic,

Nor is it a good luck charm,

It isn’t meant to protect me

From every physical harm.

 

It’s not for identification

For all the world to see,

It’s simply an understanding

Between my Savour and me.

 

When I put my hand in my pocket

To bring out a coin or key,

The cross is there to remind me

Of the price He paid for me.

 

It reminds, me too, to be thankful

For my blessings day by day,

And to strive to serve Him better

In all that I do and say.

 

It’s also a daily reminder

Of the peace and comfort I share

With all who know my Master

And give themselves to His care.

 

So, I carry a cross in my pocket,

Reminding no one but me

That Jesus Christ is Lord of my like

If only I’ll let Him be.

Verna Mae Thomas

 

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90th Birthday Prayer

 

Today, Dear Lord, I’m 90, and there’s much I haven’t done.

I hope, Dear Lord, you’ll let me live until I’m 91.

But then, if I haven’t finished all I want to do,

Would you please let me stay awhile? Until I’m 92?

 

So many places I want to go, so very much to see

Do you think that you could manage to make it 93?

The world is changing very fast, there is so much in store

I’d like it very much to live until I’m 94.

 

And if by then I’m still alive, I’d like to stay ‘til 95.

More rockets and jets will be up in the air, so around I’d like to stick

and see what happens to the world, when I’m 96.

I know, Dear Lord, it’s much to ask, and it must be nice in heaven

but really Lord, I would like to stay until I’m 97.

 

I know, by then, I won’t be fast, and sometimes, will be late.

But, it would be so pleasant to be around until I’m 98.

I will have seen so many things, and had a wonderful time,

So, I’m not so sure that I’ll be willing to leave at 99.

 

I’m 100, Lord, my mind is sound, I like it here... I can still walk around.

My time is limited, this I know and someday, I will have to go.

I’m not real greedy or guided by fears,

but I want to see what happens in the next few years.

I’m sure you’ve heard this plea before

But, I promise to be packed at 104..............

maybe.........

Author unknown

* * * * * * * * * * * *

 

OLD AGE

 

Old age is golden, or so I’ve heard it said,

But sometimes I wonder, as I crawl into bed,
With my ears in a drawer, my teeth in a cup,

My glasses on the table until I get up.

As sleep dims my vision, I say to myself:

 

Is there anything else I should lay on the shelf ?
The reason I know my youth is all spent?

Is my get-up-and-go has got up and went!

But, in spite of it all, I’m able to grin
And think of the places my getup has been!

 
 

THE SATNAV

I have a little satnav, it sits there in my car.

A satnav is a driver’s friend, it tells you where you are.

I have a little satnav, I’ve had it all my life.

It’s better than the normal ones, my satnav is my wife.

 

It gives me full instructions, especially how to drive.

"It’s thirty miles an hour", it says, "you’re doing thirty five."

It tells me when to stop and start and when to use the brake

And tells me that it’s never ever safe to overtake.

 

It tells me when a light is red and when it goes to green.

It seems to know instinctively just when to intervene.

It lists the vehicles just in front and all those to the rear

And taking this into account, it specifies my gear.

 

I’m sure no other driver has so helpful a device,

For when we leave and lock the car it still gives its advice.

It fills me up with counselling, each journey’s pretty fraught.

So why don’t I exchange it and get a quieter sort?

 

Ah well, you see, it cleans the house, makes sure I’m properly fed,

It washes all my shirts and things and keeps me warm in bed!

Despite all these advantages and my tendency to scoff,

I do wish that, once in a while, I could turn the flipping thing off.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * *
 

A Chinese Proverb

If there be righteousness in the heart

There will be beauty in the character.

If there is beauty in the character

There will be harmony in the home.

If there is harmony in the home

There will be order in the nation.

If there is order in the nation

There will be peace in the world.

If there is peace in the world

What a wonderful place this would be.