Wind Trails.

I sat in my garden,reclined,
sipped a glass of lemon-tea,
with a cap over my eyes
to shield them from the morning sun.
I relived my life,bits and pieces,
all consumed with my thoughts.
And soon I drifted into a dream.
"LORD,"I ask,"I'm seventy,
what shall I do
for the rest of my life?"
He ponders and then tells me,
"Do what's good,
Do what's righteous,
And do what's holy."
In contemplation I say,
"But I've already done what I can."
"Then do more,"He says.
"And come to me.
Lean on me.
Learn from me."
"Will that get me to heaven?"I ask.
The LORD smiles.
"It depends,"He answers ever so softly,
Then He looks at me,His tender eyes meeting mine.
"Only if you're in my grace,"He says.
"Am I?"I ask,not knowing what to expect.
"You'll know -
You'll know-
when the time comes for you to know."
"That's fine.That's fine,"I say,
as I submit to the will of the LORD.
"What about my grandchildren?
What shall I teach them?"
And He tells me,
"Teach them to love their parents,
as much as they love them.
Teach them to love one another,
and to love everyone else."
"That's a lot of love,"I remark.
"Not quite,"He says.
"Most of all,teach them to love me
just as I love them."
"What else should I teach them?"
"Teach them to read the Bible,"He says,
and learn the lessons of life."
"What lessons,LORD?"I ask.
"The lessons I weave
into the lives of the characters
in the Holy Book.
The lessons of grief,pain,faith and hope-
the ups and downs of life;
and how to live throught it all."
"And what if they do wrong?"I ask.
"Tell them to ask me for forgiveness.
And I'll forgive them."
"Always?"I wonder.
"Not always.
Only when they truly repent."
The LORD goes on,
"Teach them to forgive those
who wrong them,
even as I forgive them,
and to forgive themselves,too."
Just as I was about to wake up,
the LORD says,rather amused,
"Wait!One last word.
When they grow up
and run the rat race,
tell them don't have to be a rat,
toiling the grinds of the day
and forget
the simple joys of living."
I grinned.God knows us well.
Then I got up,
and walked towards my door.
On it there was a plaque:
"My dear son,
You live in a world
measured in time.
In My world there is no time;
for My time is eternity.
And we never have to say goodbye."
Eternity reigns;
and we would live - forever.
Yesterday's sorrow;tomorrow's joy.

Extracted from "Healing Moments"