Need To

 

 

Is anybody familiar with Need To,

That distant cousin of Done It

That is often mentioned in speeches

That come across as sacred edicts?

 

Try counting the “need to”

Then compare them with the “done it”

And you will discover, as I have,

“Need to” has “done it” eclipsed.

 

So many decisions are taken

On what we need to do

But there are fewer and fewer “done it”

That ever become true.

 

We need to fix this

And we need to address that,

And the “need to” list gets longer and longer-

And of “done it” there is lack.

 

 .

Can someone tell me

When “need to” will morph into “done it”?

Concerning the things that should be fixed,

“Need to” is a disconcerting habit.

 

For sure, we know the things

That we need to do

But it takes an inordinately long time

For “done it” to come true.

 

We need to do this

And we need to do that

And everything we need to do

Is a commonly known fact.

 

Yet the account is the same

Every time we report,

The “need to” idea remains in the pipeline-

And done it comes up short.

 

I leave you, the reader,

To compile your own “need to” list,

No doubt you would discover some

That I would certainly miss.

 

Yes, there are many “need to”

And relatively few “done it”,

Therefore, I would really love to see

The two become a habit.

 

So that one would follow the other

Very closely behind

And the “need to” aims and objectives

Would reflect “done it” every time.

 

“Need to” spells responsibility:

It is what needs to be done

While “done it” speaks to accountability

From which we should not run.

 

“Need To” is like the promise

That needs to be fulfilled,

While “Done It” is the implementation-

An act of the will.

 

These two walk hand in hand

Like as in matrimony,

The former without the latter

Breeds acrimony.

 

Stewart Russell © August 10, 2023

 

 

Two Sad Travellers!

 

 

They travelled alone

They were deep in their thoughts,

The events of the weekend

Had left them distraught.

 

It was a seven-mile journey

All they could do was walk,

None of our modern conveniences

And as they walked they talked.

 

They talked about the past

That had quelled their fears,

They talked about the present

And how it all disappeared.

 

They talked about the future

And its foreboding forecast,

They were lifted then dropped!

They were so downcast.

 

Their hearts were smitten

They were sorely depressed,

They merely trudged forward

With their chin on their chest.

 

Two sad travellers

Overwhelmed and despondent,

Losing all they had cherished

Through an unfortunate event.

 

As they walked and they talked

A stranger drew near,

And enquired about their sadness

And their obvious despair.

 

They were puzzled by his question

A stranger, perhaps,

For only such a person

Would be unaware of the facts.

 

The fact that a man

Was unjustly put to death,

A man upon whom

Hung all their desires and their quests.

 

He would have to be a stranger

Not to have heard the news

About a man who was crucified

For simply airing his views.

 

“What news?” the stranger asked

And they filled him in…

Or, so they thought,

For they didn’t know it was him.

 

“He was a prophet,” they said,

Hence, now deemed deceased,

And like all of his disciples

They too were lacking belief.

 

“He was to be Israel’s redeemer.”

Or so they thought,

“And now it is three days since

And nothing has been wrought.

 

Some women of our company

Said that he had risen

And this, according to a message

Which angels had given.

 

And some that were with us

Also went to his tomb

But none of them saw him,”

Hence the reason for their gloom.

 

“O fools and slow of heart,”

He said unto them,

Since they had not believed

What the prophets had spoken.

 

Christ spoke of his suffering

And following that, his glory

But his disciples had ignored this

And languished in misery.

 

Their sadness resulted

From not believing the Word

And obsessed by their agenda

They heard yet not heard.

 

It did not register with them

So they forgot what he said,

Even the promise

About rising from the dead.

 

The promise was realized

He had risen as he said,

He was with them in the flesh

He was no longer dead.

 

What a change he had brought!

No longer distraught,

The salvation they all sought

With his blood he had bought.

 

From sadness to gladness

From despondency to hope,

Though he must leave them again

Through the Spirit they will cope.

 

On their way they walked

And the Saviour walked beside them,

And he walks with you and me

As he does with all his children.

 

Stewart Russell © October 2019

 

A Welcomed Sound

 

He’d been with them a while

But said he must go away,

They became apprehensive

And had had much to say.

He had promised much

And had only partly delivered,

That’s why at his crucifixion

They not only coward but shivered.

Their hopes were raised again

When he came back from the dead,

They hoped he would remain

But he left again instead.

 

But this time he left a promise

To send the Comforter soon

And instructed them to tarry

In the upper room.

In the upper room, they waited

For the fulfilment of that promise,

Certain in their obedience

That nothing they would miss.

Unlike the Jews of old

They believed the word they heard,

Unlike the Jews of old

They knew Jesus kept his word.

 

He had risen from the dead,

Before then they hadn’t believe

But since then they were sure

The Spirit they would receive.

They waited as instructed

For the Holy Spirit’s coming,

Together in one accord

Together in faith believing.

Seven days after Jesus ascended

There was a peculiar sound,

It filled the room where they were

In that room, it was all around.

  

It was not a sound of victory

Or the cry of the vanquished,

Rather, it was like a rushing wind

Bearing the news they all wished.

 

O this was the sound of Pentecost

The coming of the Holy Ghost,

And soon the sound would spread

Beyond Judea’s coasts.

The Holy Spirit had come

And He filled the room therein

And later in Jerusalem,

There would be a tremendous din.

This was not the golden calf

That the Jews before had worshipped,

This was the return of Jesus Christ

In the person of the Holy Spirit.

This was the sound of promise

The sound of the Comforter,

The sound that one like Jesus

Had come as our Deliverer.

What a sound of distinction!

The sound of a soul set free,

The sound that speaks to the victory

Over our archenemy.

Not a sound of rebellion,

Where thousands upon thousands died

But a sound of glorious triumph

For all who in Jesus abide.

This sound can fill our hearts

Just like it filled the room back then

When God on that Pentecost

The Holy Spirit did send.

 

Promised in the Old Testament

It was delivered in the New,

The glorious sound of the redeemed

Not only for me but for you.

Stewart Russell © May 2018

A Welcomed Sound

He’d been with them a while

But said he must go away,

They became apprehensive

And had had much to say.

He had promised much

And had only partly delivered,

That’s why at his crucifixion

They not only coward but shivered.

Their hopes were raised again

When he came back from the dead,

They had hoped he would remain

But he left again instead.

But this time he left a promise

To send the Comforter soon

And instructed them to tarry

In the upper room.

In the upper room they waited

For the fulfilment of that promise

Certain in their obedience

Nothing they would miss.

Unlike the Jews of old

They believed the word they heard,

Unlike the Jews of old

They knew Jesus kept his word.

He had risen from the dead

Before then they did not believe

But since then they were sure

The Spirit they would receive.

They waited as instructed

For the Holy Spirit’s coming,

Together in one accord

Together in faith believing.

Seven days after Jesus ascended

There was a peculiar sound,

It filled the room where they were

In that room it was all around.

  

It was not a sound of victory

Or the cry of the vanquished,

Rather it was like a rushing wind

Bearing the news they all wished.

O this was the sound of Pentecost

The coming of the Holy Ghost

And soon the sound would spread

Beyond Judea’s coasts.

The Holy Spirit had come

And He filled the room therein,

And later in Jerusalem

There would be a tremendous din.

This was not the golden calf

That the Jews before had worshipped,

This was the return of Jesus Christ

In the person of the Holy Spirit.

This was the sound of promise

The sound of the Comforter,

The sound that one like Jesus

Had come as our Deliverer.

What a sound of distinction!

The sound of a soul set free,

The sound that speaks to the victory

Over our archenemy.

Not a sound of rebellion

Where thousands upon thousands died

But a sound of glorious triumph

For all who in Jesus abide.

This sound can fill our hearts

Just like it filled the room back then

When God on that Pentecost

The Holy Spirit did send.

Promised in the Old Testament

It was delivered in the New

The glorious sound of the redeemed

Not only for me but also you.

Stewart Russell © May 2018