My Journey-Praise ye the Lord
A year ago, this very day, when Christmas gifts were new,
My father’s body laid to rest, his earthly life was through.
And, as I stood beside his grave, my tears fell on his stone,
I praised the Lord for daddy’s life, and the love that I had known.
What journey we had taken, over long and painful days,
Seeing God work in our lives, enlightened through the maze.
My story, I have written, and I’m so compelled to share,
the journey I have taken, that has led to ‘Everywhere.’
It started a few years ago, my father’s body drawn,
from pain and drastic weight loss, his life was all but gone.
The Doctors had no answers, and the tests they gave no clue,
I turned to God, as never before, and asked him what to do .
And so I made a desperate plea, for God to show the way.
On my knees, a newfound place, I prayed to him that day.
And this is how he answered, I would hear it many times,
Like a poem clanging, with a repetitious rhyme.
Take my hand and walk with me,
I’ll show you things you cannot see.
Oh, my child, be patient dear,
My mighty hand will guide you here.
And on that day, with fear immense,
I walked with God, on his offense.
Hours and hours I searched online,
praying to God, ‘there’s not much time!’
And with each ‘click,’ an answer to prayer,
a Doctor, a Clinic, he led me there.
So Monday morning early, with a phone and pen in hand,
I took that information, and with God, we made our stand.
But doors were closing once again, that Doctor had no time,
For months we’d have to wait for him, we’d have to wait in line.
‘I need help God, this is not enough!’
‘Why my child, do you make this so tough.’
But all that I attempted, just wouldn’t go my way,
All I knew to do again, was drop on knees and pray.
‘Help me God, we need our Dad,
and, oh my Mom, her heart is sad.’
More than 50 years they’ve known,
together they’d walk, but not alone.
‘So tell me God, what step to climb?’
And, then I heard that familiar rhyme.
Take my hand and walk with me,
I’ll show you things you cannot see.
Oh, my child, be patient dear,
My mighty hand will guide you here.
Then something told me, ‘Call once more,’
‘Appointment nurse? I’ve called before.’
She listened, she cared, an angel for me,
miles away she worked patiently.
The next 3 days, she searched for a way,
And then her call, on that glorious day.
‘Four weeks, we have an opening now,’
Heaven and Earth, she moved somehow.
And then she said, ‘hold on once more.’
I paced, I paced, across the floor.
But would this doctor find the cure?
And then I looked outside my door.
Upon the ground, through storm door glass,
A glowing cross, within my grass.
I tried my best to excuse it away,
with reflections and branches that could block the way.
But nothing, nothing would make it go,
even the photo would prove its show.
I knew just then, that God was near,
the words, the words, I longed to hear.
Take my hand and walk with me,
I’ll show you things you cannot see.
Oh, my child, be patient dear,
My mighty hand will guide you here.
Immersed in this great find I’d be,
when on the phone she said to me.
‘Ten days, can you be Cleveland bound?’
‘An opening there, I finally found.’
‘Martha,’ I said, ‘you’re an answer to prayer,’
and yes, the cross was still gleaming there.
Finally, that Doctor I saw online,
His chiseled eyes locked onto mine.
Took control, as I hoped he would.
Test after test, doing all that he could.
To find what no other Doctor could see.
His dedication showed faithfully.
I wondered if God whispered in his ear,
those words, those words, I now could hear.
Take my hand and walk with me,
I’ll show you things you cannot see.
Oh, my child, be patient dear,
My mighty hand will guide you here.
Then all our fears came face to face,
in what I thought, would be a healing place.
CANCER! CANCER! The prognosis was bleak,
All hopes were gone, we could not speak.
‘But God! The Cross! The Doctor online!
The words I heard so many times!’
‘You showed me this way, you brought me to here,
Why, oh God, is your purpose unclear?’
And so, with Dad, we arrived back home.
Together, a family, but all alone.
Those words I heard were now far away.
Terminal Cancer, were the words of today.
Three To Six Months, were all that we had.
He was drifting away, and the pain was so bad.
Treatment was offered, but the affect thought to be,
More pain for Dad, than dying would be.
But we spoke with Dad, and he desired to live,
‘Let’s seek some treatment, give it all we can give.’
So, once again, I went online,
searching for treatment, searching for time.
Then just as before, I couldn’t get past,
a treatment-same treatment, from first search to last.
‘Why not?’ said the Doctor, ‘Our options are few,’
‘That treatment is one, of many I do.’
Chemo and drugs and medicine galore,
The Doctor reminded, ‘no possible cure.’
The hell of those days, I’ll always remember.
But things slowly changed, from May to September.
Prayers were all over, and faith slowly grew,
Family and Friends and Love through & through.
We leaned on their shoulders, we stood not alone,
More love and support, we have never known.
Angels, sweet angels, he sent on our way,
along with those words, I hear every day.
Take my hand and walk with me,
I’ll show you things you cannot see.
Oh, my child, be patient dear,
My mighty hand will guide you here.
Dad began eating, his pain disappeared,
What joy we all had, old Daddy was here!
The Doctor was puzzled, some tests he must run.
‘No cure for this cancer, no healing’s been done.’
The first test-NO CANCER! but there would be more.
Remember, he said, ‘there’s no possible cure.’
And so, more procedures, more medical ground.
a more detailed test: STILL NO CANCER was found.
When met with our thanks, the Doctor did say,
Thanks be to God, I just helped on the way.
And so, our lives went on as before,
Fishing and laughing and daily chores.
The fear of the cancer erased from our minds,
Left our hearts wide open, for Christian finds.
We prayed and held hands and came together,
Only because of this stormy weather.
We spoke of our love and we looked to the past,
Reminiscing the years that flew by so fast.
I said all the things I needed to say,
We lived every moment, we loved every day.
I knew my father as never before,
Through this painful ordeal, God opened that door.
A man entered our lives, and became a dear friend,
Who knew of God’s plan, til the very end?
This friend was our rock, a support through and through,
Whatever our request, ‘I’ll be there for you!'
Then, something strange happened, on a typical day,
On knees, not praying, but cleaning floors, God would say,
On that floor, with rag in hand, God spoke to me so loud,
‘Little child, your daddy and I, we are especially proud.
You’ve fought the fight, you’ve tried so hard, to make your daddy well,
You’ve prayed, you’ve worked, you’ve honored him, the love we all could tell,
But, days ahead will be tearful, like none you’ve had before,
May these words give comfort, for the pain that lies in store.
In short time, my little child, your daddy will be with me,
Out of pain, and with his Lord, for the rest of Eternity.
Remember these words, when times are tough, they’ll comfort you for sure,
And, you will have the strength and faith, to prosper and endure.’
And, so these words, that came too soon, entered my heart that day,
My tears, they fell like raindrops, as God would tellingly say,
‘Your daddy and Father wait for you, in Heaven’s holy place,
Look to the Heaven’s when daddy’s gone, you’ll see our loving face.
Your daddy and Father wait for you, his time on earth is through,
But you, my little servant, you’ve got more work to do!’
‘Stop it God! Speak no more! My daddy is here with me,
He is not gone, so stop this verse!’ I shouted tearfully.
The verse continued on and on, the words they filled the air,
I raised up from the floor right then, and sat down in my chair.
‘Your daddy and Father wait for you, they’re watching you each day,
And, when you need some comfort child, they’re just a prayer away,
Your daddy and Father wait for you, no pain, no sorrow here,
Rejoice in his accomplishment and wipe away that tear.
Your daddy and Father wait for you, they’re singing in Heaven above,
Songs you cannot hear just yet, but songs you’ll someday love.
Your daddy and Father wait for you, it’s now your time to fly,
Make us proud, and live your life, you’ll flourish if you try.’
These words they were just haunting me, I knew what they did say,
‘Your daddy and Father wait for you,’ just wouldn’t go away!
Where were the words I heard before? I wanted them once more,
Scared and alone, I looked for them, and I heard them as never before.
Take my hand and walk with me,
I’ll show you things you cannot see.
Oh, my child be patient dear,
My mighty hand will guide you here.
No doubt, my Lord was showing me, the things I could not see,
I knew that very moment, that healing wasn’t meant to be.
And soon, the pain, it reappeared, and tests revealed again,
Cancer reared its ugly head, and raced until the end.
Our friend who stood beside us, through a year of pain and strife,
Said to my dear daddy, before the end of his earthly life,
Hours before Dad’s final breath, that friend compelled to say,
‘I’ll stand beside your family, let me take that worry away.
I’ll protect and guide them always, and I’ll be there til the end,’
God opened up a window, when he brought us that dear friend.
And Dad, his eyes, they softened, and he said with breathless care,
‘Thank you, thank you’, holding hands, in a moment of personal prayer.
Then just an hour before Daddy died, God strengthened our faith once more,
‘Let’s pray,’ my Mom said to us all, and we prayed like never before.
‘Our Father who art in Heaven,’ we held hands by Daddy’s side,
Dad mouthed the words, as there was no breath, though he fought so hard to try.
Then amazingly, the weakened man, who had no strength to bare,
Sat up in his bed and yelled, ‘In Heaven’ as said in the prayer.
He fell back down, his final words, we knew he saw the place,
Heaven was in his reach right then, God granting him his grace.
Mom held Dad tight, with his final breath, and soon his life was no more,
Me, I heard those words again, ‘what a welcoming you have in store.’
This journey I have taken, has changed my life so much,
Every day I hear his words, and long for his guiding touch,
We must see the signs in every day,
Remembering God is leading the way.
I long, I long, to learn much more.
As he opens some paths, and closes some doors.
That friend who came into our lives, he’s now my soul mate, too,
No, God did not forsake us. He said, ‘here’s my gift to you.’
It’s not for me to understand.
I could close my eyes, as he holds my hand.
Remembering words he taught to me,
trying my best to live faithfully.
As long as I live, his words I will hear,
They’re changing a bit, but their meaning is clear.
I pray, Dear God, when my time is through,
I hear, from Heaven, these words from you.
You took my hand and walked with me,
You opened your eyes, as a Christian to see,
The journey you needed to take, my dear.
My light, my love has guided you here.
And as I promised, when your time was through,
You’d find us all here, just waiting for you!
Kelley A. Allison
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