Tonight we bid you Godspeed, not farewell
Our dear children, Trista, Cherice and
Maachelle
For farewell connotes we might wait for you
in vain
But Godspeed implies you will come to us
again.
With great admiration we have watched you
grow,
And now with mixed feelings we must let you
go,
’Tis God Who decides the path you must take
And no doubt has directed the choice you must
make.
Life is filled with occasions like these
Tonight’s not just one but they’re going in
threes
And what can we do but simply resign
To the will of the Father and not to ours
incline?
’Twas only but yesterday you were babes in
arms
No thought of leaving us, oh, no such alarms
But today has come with mighty great haste
Thank God your lives have not been a waste.
For hitherto hath the Lord helped you
In His unfailing way as only He can do,
Not one of you would He ever cast aside
He will always be your Saviour, Lord and
Guide.
These words I have written to bring us cheer
That rescues the yearning heart from despair,
No doubt we will miss you each and every day
But you will be etched in our hearts ever
there to stay.
Maachelle, we will miss your singing and
piano skills,
Cherice, what will we do without your
dramatic thrills?
Trista, no more chocolates and sweets for a
while to come
Now we’ll have to pull our pockets if ever we
need some.
The Sunday school will miss you and so too
the youth
This writer will miss you and that is the
truth,
Your households will miss you greatest of all
But all appreciate that this is God’s call.
Remember this injunction? It was "Taylor-made"
Recently from Lodge Road platform this was
the grade
That education without God is not His design
For if He is not in it then it is a waste of
time.
So Cherice, Maachelle and Trista
Your names are like music, “nuff respect to
yuh”,
Endure to the end and reap your reward
Success is certain as long as Jehovah is your
Lord.
Daddies and Mummies, sisters and brothers
too,
Relatives and friends this is for all of you,
Here’s a little truth I want you to
understand
That all we love we ought to hold loosely in
our hand.
The reason sooner or later to us will be
That life is lived forward not backwards you
see,
These three are not little ones any longer,
please note
They are now ready to put to sea their canoe
or boat.
So this penultimate verse you must certainly
hear
‘Cause the last verse to be written is really
a prayer,
I remind you three, we bid you not farewell
But Godspeed to you: Cherice, Trista and
Maachelle.
Dear God and Father of Trista, Maachelle and
Cherice
Assure them always of your mercy and peace,
Dwell in their hearts, be manifest in their
life
Shield and protect them from envy and strife.
Wherever you go, however long you be
This is not farewell but Godspeed.
Stewart Russell © 2006
