I recently attended the funeral of a friend who lived a life filled with giving unconditionally to those in need, often in desperate situations. His family found many copies of this poem in his home. I had never heard it before and found its message piercing, moving, powerful. It offers a perspective on the value of life’s struggles that I’m not sure I’ve heard more elegantly described. I suspect he loved this poem because it helped him understand what he was to do with the ‘as is’ that life presented to him. Maybe it will speak to you as well. – Bruce M.
You, Too, Must Weep
Let me not live a life that’s free
From the things that draw me close to You—
For how can I ever hope to heal
The wounds of others I do not feel—
If my eyes are dry and I never weep,
How do I know when the hurt is deep—
If my heart is cold and it never bleeds,
How can I tell what my brother needs—
For when ears are deaf to the beggar’s plea
And we close our eyes and refuse to see,
And we steel our hearts and harden our mind,
And we count it a weakness whenever we’re kind,
We are no longer following The Father’s Way
Or seeking His guidance from day to day…
For, without “crosses to carry” and “burdens to bear,”
We dance through a life that is frothy and fair,
And “chasing the rainbow” we have no desire
For “roads that are rough” and “realms that are higher”—
So spare me no heartache or sorrow, dear Lord,
For the heart that is hurt reaps the richest reward,
And God enters the heart that is broken with sorrow
As he opens the door to a Brighter Tomorrow,
For only through tears can we recognize
The suffering that lies in another’s eyes.
– Author Unknown