Christmas Eyes 11-1-12

My mama was a loving spouse who did her very best

to keep my father happy and she never did protest -

to what my father said and did to add to her abuse -

and all the things I saw him do.  There wasn't an excuse.

My father was a spiteful man who argued quite a lot

and it had hurt my mama so that she became distraught..

I pulled weeds from her garden and I chopped a lot of wood

that heated up our cooking stove.  I helped her all I could.

As we prepared for Christmas Day and all that was in store,

enjoyed, I did, those special times with mama even more.

Yes, more than any other month could ever even boast,

December was that special time that we enjoyed the most.

One cold December morning came when father went to find,

a full and perfect Norway Spruce.  (I tagged along behind).

The woods were vast.  There must have been a million evergreen

which held a billion snowflakes out in sparkling winter scene.

Reflective sunlight shimmered bright which made my eyelids squint

so I looked down and found that all my footsteps made a print -

in snow so fun to walk through as it crushed beneath my feet -

(although at times the drifts caused me to detour or retreat).

That made me pause and catch a glimpse of smoke from fireplace

meandering above our house so wanting to embrace -

a family fraught with nervous fears and silent times 'to boot' -

as father, with his ego big, had muffled mama mute.

But fragrance from the many pine had found my little nose -

and tiny snowflakes glistened while they settled on our clothes -

reminding me that all is well despite my parents quarrels

and I could choose a better life with character and morals -

to live a life, not crooked, as we trekked from place to place -

to find that perfect tree to decorate our living space.

We trampled each direction and at last he gave a sigh.

We finally found that perfect spruce - my father, saw and I.

The night was strangely silent as we sat around our tree
when mom's love and compassion had been proven true to me.

Out through the corner of my eye, I viewed dejected years -

and though she tried to hold them back, I saw her lonely tears.

Throughout that night the light escaped reflecting off the floor,

and whispered prayers were carried out from underneath her door...
But light no longer flickers from the candles flaming tips

and silenced too, are verses that I heard from mama's lips.
I know that father long regrets his former wicked ways -
but through my tears, I won't forget those special Christmas days
with scenes of the Nativity and tree exactly right,

with memories of mama and the truth that came to light.

Yes, this was many years ago that father and I spied -

then cut that perfect Norway Spruce the day before she died.

I heard his weeping through the door - such deep, repentant cries -

but now he sees as mama did... through humble Christmas eyes.

©2012 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

-------

Romans 10 (NASB)
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”
—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,
and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness,
and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Over, Under & On 1-30-10

Over temptations hellish flames,
over my selfish, foolish games,
over my ego, over my pride,
and over all evil desire inside,

Over my wants and over my needs,
over my endless, selfish greeds,
over the impulse of this land,
for something, somewhere, I must stand.

Over my wasted days and years,
over my sad and futile tears,
over possessions and over my shoes,
over my travels, I must choose.

Under the stars, the sun, the moon,
under the clouds of midday, noon,
under the clouds which turned to gray,
I saw in the sand, for me, the way.

Under the message, I could sing,
under the crown of thorns, my King,
under the face of endless love,
I was fully unworthy of.

Under temptations people stray,
under Barabbas, come what may,
under both nails that pierced His hands,
noticed my purpose in the sands.

Under the sword that pierced his side,
over the grave and grace inside,
under the feet, securely nailed,
over all clearly - I had failed.

Under excuses that I'd built,
over depressions from my guilt,
under the cross, my Lord's upon,
there lay His sandals, I put on.

On with compassion so humbly found,
on with a purpose completely sound,
on, despite others who might be appaulled,
on to a mission for which I was called.

Remember those in need in Haiti
and others in true need around the world.

©2010 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
http://www.ganderpoems.org/

-------

Matthew 25:31-46 (KJV)

31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;

36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?

38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

39 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'

40 "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;

43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'

44 "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'

45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."