Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The Journey

This past week has turned my heart towards Heaven. Sometimes it's hard to believe there is such an address, and yet other times it seems as close as my own heartbeat.

There is much treasure stored in Heaven for each of us. People we love, who we often miss on a warm summer night. Little ones that we didn't even get to say a proper hello to, and a Saviour who holds us in the palm of his hand.

A journey of saying goodbyes at the bend in the road, of saying hello at the next corner. Life is a continual flow of celebration and sorrow almost in the same mystic wisp of breath.

I came across a poem awhile ago which I thought beautifully expressed how close we are to that great mystery.

Death Is Nothing At All

Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other, we still are.

Call me by an old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way you always did.
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we enjoyed together
Play, smile, pray for me.

Let my name be forever the household word
Let it be spoken with effect
Life means all that it ever meant
There is absolutely unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because i'm out of sight?
I am but waiting for you
For an interval, somewhere very near
Just around the corner all is well
Nothing is hurt, nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
-Henry Scott Holland 1847-1918

Peace,
Ruth V.

8 comments:

  1. oh, this cuts to the quick today. thank you for posting this.

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  2. that is a beautiful poem, and i can't believe how "modern" it all sounds today, you know? our life is indeed so fleeting, a mere dot on a line...
    i have been well protected from death in my life, but my husband has not. i weep with him for all the loss he's seen and i know he will be happy to see loved ones and a savior again one day.

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  3. our time is short here...especially in light of eternity...there will come a day...until then we enjoy being a art of the journey with those we have been given...a beautiful poem...

    my imperfect prose

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  4. lovely. what a strange phenomenon, the goodbyes and hellos. continual cycle of renewal of life. very beautiful

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  5. i am crying hard.

    i am also sending this poem to my grandfather and father.

    you bless me so, friend. loved the mother teresa quote too--she is one of my heroes.

    as are you...

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  6. just beautiful! i have always believed heaven to be right here, among us. not way up yonder, across the universe. here, just a different realm that human eyes can't always see! that must have been what henry thought,too...

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  7. "Life is a continual flow of celebration and sorrow almost in the same mystic wisp of breath."

    How true, and you have expressed it well, here. And I love the poem. My cousin had it printed on my Irish aunt's memorial service program. It is one of my favorites.

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