All Earth’s Joys

 

 

What is the greatest joy

You have experienced on earth?

Whatever that was

Must have brought great mirth.

 

Laughter and excitement

What lasting treasures!

And the unforgettable memories

That brought us pleasure.

 

But all of earth’s joys

Eventually come to an end

And that for all of us

Could be around the next bend.

 

Like our life, they are short lived

As is the withering grass

And regardless of status or position

We are all in that class.

 

 

All of earth’s joys

Are lined with sorrow

And for every event we enjoy

There is a pending horror.

 

So, what is your greatest joy?

Can you tell it to me?

For whatever it is I can tell you this

Its sorrow lining you will see.

 

Is it a happy marriage?

It will be marred by death,

Did you win the lottery?

Well, you will leave that wealth.

 

Of course, we do understand

It could be the other way around,

The joys set us up

But the sorrow brings us down.

 

 

Death is the lining of sorrow

That shadows life

In the same way that earthly peace

Is shattered by strife.

 

So whatever earthly joy we seek

After that joy comes the bleak,

Just like the summer and the winter

These changes come even as we speak.

 

It is not so in heaven, though

Whenever that time shall be,

Then will be an eternity of untinged joy

When our Saviour, Jesus we see.

 

Stewart Russell © January 31, 2021

 

He’s Changing Me

 

 

One day at a time

The Lord is changing me,

One day at a time

That’s all the change I see.

 

Moment by moment

He takes me along,

For the trial in the present

He makes me strong.

 

I am stronger today

Than I was yesterday,

My spirit is thriving

Though my body decays.

 

I gaze in the distance

But I cannot see far

And the little that I see

Appears somewhat marred.

 

But He oft assures me

Worry not of tomorrow,

Today all by itself

Is enough of sorrow.

 

Yes! He is changing me

One day at a time,

And he does it from within

Capturing my mind.

 

Bringing me to understand

That whatever betide,

By His Holy Spirit

He lives on the inside.

 

You may be puzzled

As you analyze me,

And you may not be satisfied

With what you see.

 

That is only because

My increments are small

And just one day at a time

 It looks like I’ve stalled.

 

That is true sometimes

But I will never turn back,

Jesus is my only hope!

At least, I have learnt that.

 

My journey is dotted

With defeats here and there

But God is holding me up

And faith displaces fear.

 

I am His

And He is mine,

And I have absolutely no doubt

It will be so even after time.

 

 

So, one day at a time

Is all you will get to see,

That God is changing me

Is my reality.

 

Judge me if you wish

Though, ill-advisedly so,

God is doing far more for me

Than time will ever show.

 

But eternity will tell

When all time is gone,

And my change will be complete

When eternity dawns.

 

One dawn it will be,

No more day, no more night,

And my change you will see

For then all will be right!

 

Stewart Russell © February 17, 2022

 

Two Days to Forget

 

 

 

Forget yesterday

It does not remember you,

Worry not about tomorrow

For you haven’t a clue.

 

Today is your day

Since yesterday surely is not

And tomorrow is no guarantee

Concerning your lot.

 

Two days to forget:

Yesterday and tomorrow

For from neither, I dare say,

Not a minute you can borrow.

 

Neither the twain exists

I can assure you of that,

Yesterday has already gone

And tomorrow’s never a fact.

 

Yesterday may be a track record

You’d want to consider

But it’s better to forget it

If it brings you a shiver.

 

Tomorrow on the other hand

Is all in the mind

And has never eclipsed today

At any given time.

 

 

None can fix yesterday;

That’s an impossible feat

And tomorrow doesn’t come

So today is never complete.

 

Plan all you can

For the prospect of tomorrow

But bear in mind, my friend,

It is today that you sow.

 

Regret all you must

About yesterday’s mistakes

But there is nothing you can do

For yesterday is too late.

 

Two days to forget:

Yesterday and tomorrow

But neither the twain do we

Whether of joy or sorrow.

 

Stewart Russell © June 4, 2022

 

The Saint’s Graduation

 

Death should be a time of rejoicing

For saints, if you know what I mean,

The graduation from all of earth’s troubles

And prepared for the heavenly scene.

 

It is like any course of study,

At the end, we look forward to graduation

And for all the successful participants,

There is a culminating celebration.

 

This earth is the saint’s testing ground

It is a mixed bag of joy and sorrow,

We deal with today’s examinations

 But anticipate some more tomorrow.

 

Some of them are particularly fiery

Some, especially long and drawn out,

 Some leave us so down and distraught

That we are even inclined to doubt.

 

Yet when the death angel interrupts

We are disappointed and suffer sore,

Almost as if of life’s troubles

It would be good to suffer some more.

 

Seldom do we release our loved ones

And we gripe when they finally go,

And we treat to their home going event

As though death was their greatest foe.

 

For some the graduation exercise

Is all about doom and gloom,

And even in the case of longevity

We still say they have gone too soon.

 

Death is treated to as a monster

Even though it was the death of a saint,

And sometimes this is so overwhelming

That at the ceremony some will faint.

 

 

Death ought to be a time of rejoicing

Especially in the case of a saint

But suffice it to say I am guilty

Even though a cheerful picture I paint.

 

We sorrow at the death of a saint

And rejoice at the birth of a child,

The former is escaping earth’s troubles

While the latter, the opposite is applied.

 

Some believe it should be reversed

Given all that is really to follow,

But the vast majority, and so am I,

Find that too difficult to swallow.

 

We ought not to sorrow, the Bible says,

As those who have no hope,

For the dead in Christ will precede us

And that should help us to cope.

 

Death is the saint’s graduation

Amidst our sorrow, we should rejoice

In recognition of our loved ones’ destiny

Having made Jesus their choice.

 

Yes, sorrow for the lost affection

And be sad for the physical separation,

But rejoice that on account of redemption

We can celebrate a saint’s graduation.

 

Stewart Russell (c) September 2019