THE JOURNEY OF LIFE
Life is a journey that rolls along
Through times of troubles and times of song.
Through valleys and mountains and forests of trees
And prairies of grass and rivers and seas.
There are deserts of sand that are hot and dry
’Neath a blazing sun in a cloudless sky.
God made them all as part of His plan
To provide a variety of experiences for man.
We need problems and struggle to give us strength
And patience and courage and wisdom at length.
Earning a living, all the problems of man
Demand that we gain all the knowledge we can.
Families and work and play all have place,
And religion and beauty in challenges we face.
Music and poetry, drama and art
And literature and history all play their part.
To help us succeed God revealed instruction
To provide for our welfare and avoid destruction.
The restraining commandments avoid suffering and pain.
Through love and service, happiness we gain.
There are times when we suffer from cruelty,
Injustice and unkind actions:
But worse than the torment inflicted by them
Is the resentment we suffer through our own reactions.
God’s teachings tell you “Forgive and forget”.
Don’t relive painful insults or slights.
Replace them with happy memories
Of enjoyable thoughts and sights.
There are times when negative emotions,
Anger, tension, worry or stress
Can be relieved by vigorous, physical work
That alleviates our mental distress.
Good and bad experiences in the journey of life
We will have wherever we roam
But best of all are family and friends
And the love in “Home Sweet Home.”
–Ward Hicken
