POETRY
by
Greg Fothergill
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A CHRISTMAS CALLING
© by Greg Fothergill
" You can’t mean me Lord", I cried in protest,
" A missionary, me? Surely You jest! "
" I am the last one that You should choose! "
" Just think of the children You could loose!"
" Remember the way I failed before?
" And that wasn’t the first time,
there’s so many more."
" I can’t, I mustn’t, I’m just not able."
" You’ve had to carry me right from the cradle!"
" Do not fear, my son", I seemed to hear,
" It’s not your skill that counts, I will be near."
" You can do all things, through Me, your Guide.
" There’s no task too great, no mountain too high."
" But Lord ", I complained, " My job, my career ! "
" There’s the mortgage to pay, and my friends are here!"
" But none the less Lord, Here am I, send me, "
" If You think I can do it, then so let it be! "
Suddenly I felt like a five year old child,
I ran and I laughed, went totally wild!
A Joy sprang up, down deep in my heart,
I was so happy, couldn’t wait to start!
I jumped into my car and drove to the dealer,
I said, " This thing is for sale, go ahead and steal her!"
The house was sold in less than a week,
Amazing considering the market was bleak!
Then the day came to tell my boss,
I thought he would say that my mind I had lost,
But I didn’t care, with each passing day,
God was confirming, showing the Way!
What eluded me now was just where I was going,
Should I pack for the heat, or would it be snowing?
The excitement grew with rejoicing, until…
I found out His Plan , " Lord I could get killed!"
"Cambodia !", I said, That can’t be right, "
I prayed for confirming, and it came that night.
I expected He would tell me not to worry or fret,
That I would be safe, on that I could bet.
But,
Instead came a verse, coursing through my brain;
" … to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
" All right", I cried, " Let Your will be done ".
" Cambodia it is, Phnom Penh here I come! "
* * *
The other night I had a dream,
With four years in Cambodia,
and all that I’ve seen,
The meaning was clear and I’ll tell it
to you,
In case you also can see that it’s true.
I stood in a prison, great sadness within.
There was just darkness, no light could come in.
A bondage so great was holding me there,
No way to get out, only despair!
After a time the Warden came by,
He motioned to follow and I didn’t
ask why.
"You are free! " He declared, " Take nothing,
Just go. "
I could scarcely believe it! He meant it I know!
I started to walk, and soon I was running,
I looked behind me, Any guards coming?
To my amazement, no guards, gate, or bars,
Were there to be seen, not even closed doors!
I ran back to the others, who were in there with me,
" You can go! ", I screamed, " You’re not prisoners,
You’re free!"
But they just looked, with a blank vacant stare,
Shook their heads sadly, and said, " We don’t dare. "
" You see, there are payments to make, "
" And our friends are all here, "
" And then there’s our jobs, "
" We can’t leave our careers! "
So I turned and I walked, back into the Light.
I felt sorry for those, who were trapped in that plight.
The chains and the bars, we make for ourselves,
And when Jesus says, " Go ", we say,
" Send someone else. "
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