Mountain Peaks and Foothills

We may speak of hills and valleys
in the routine of this life.
Some hills may seem more like mountains
as to glory and/or strife.
And one valley may be fertile
where we reap some joys sublime,
while another deep and dismal
as a canyon carved by time.

Mountains loom out in the distance--
highest peaks first meet our gaze;
yet the foothills are much nearer,
hardly noticed in the haze.
But in progress, as we scale them,
we invariably lose sight
of the higher mounts envisioned,
hidden by the foothills' height.

Soon we learn that climbing foothills 
calls for more than feeble strength;
and our patience, all too often,
is quite strained by journey's length.
But it still is gratifying
that the dream has been fulfilled
and we thrill in retrospection
when the mountain we have scaled.

Marriage is much like a foothill
where we climb by prayer and plan;
worthy venture--quite mysterious,
so ordained by God's own hand.
But a summit in the distance
beckons on to lofty goals,
spanning yet a few more valleys,
challenging the best of souls.

We may travel toward the summit
in companionship sublime;
but the journey's far from over,
there may be great tests, in time.
And the Captain of Salvation
bids us all His power employ,
there to hear His "Well done!" spoken,
and review our trek with joy.

fpn/Sept 1979



Photo by Aaron Benson on Unsplash

The Hilltop Perspective

Things just look a little different
when you think you soon may die;
you begin to shift attention 
to the land beyond the sky.

When you can’t keep up with doing,
and you don’t need what you’ve got,
then the big dreams you once cherished
somehow do not mean a lot.

If you know the Lord, you’ll manage
still to keep a steady chin
and not spend your time in worrying
over things that might have been.

If you’ve come to know the Savior
and to His Word you really hold,
you will look into the future
with excitement, staying bold.

Some may speak about “the valley;”
that’s not how it has to be.
Think of it as the last hill top, 
where God’s glory you will see.

Now’s the time to sing of mercy
God supplies from day to day,
and the joy of His salvation
as you pause to read and pray.

Why not spend some time in singing
the old songs that bless the soul?
And keep telling that sweet story
of the Christ who made you whole.

fpn 5/83



Picture: depositphotos.com #36983703, standard license

Seeing the Other Side

It’s easy to render snap judgments
and be guilty of gossip—you know!
So often we’ll see only one side,
while sizing folks up in life’s flow.

There’s always a chance some are hurting
or handicapped—body or mind.
It’s best to hold back our opinions;
they can turn out so wrong or unkind.

I passed by a homestead one morning
and I saw what I’d never seen done—
sitting down on the ground in his garden
was a man pulling weeds, one by one.

I had heard of people so lazy—
you could hardly get them to move;
and I figured this fellow could be one;
that I was dead wrong, time would prove.

In the days of the horse and the buggy,
perhaps I’d have stopped for a chat;
but of course in this day of great progress,
we seem to have lost time for that.

But somehow, I kept on a-thinking—
couldn’t get that man out of my mind;
pulling weeds, sitting down in the garden.
“Lazy-bones” is the name for his kind.

When I had transacted my business—
came back in two hours, I’d say,
there, still on the ground, in the garden,
was “Lazy-bones,” working away.

As the warm summer sun was a shining,
quite a patch of the weeds he had pulled;
but I’ll say that I wasn’t quite ready
for the sight I was about to behold.

Determined to make his own living,
(others like him, sell pencils, or beg)
he was tending his crop with his own hands;
for you see, he had but one leg!

Friend of mine, there’ve been times I was hurting;
and I really don’t want to complain;
from the looks of some folks that went by me,
the message came through clear and plain.

How I wished—oh, I wished I could tell them,
and explain—but there was simply no way;
so I went on just tending my business,
pretending that all was okay.

So, I think that I’ve learned a great lesson:
no matter what wells up inside,
I’m going to hold back my opinion,
till I look at a man’s other side!

fpn 11/80



Picture: Free Wallpaper download from quotefancy.com, accessed July 26, 2017

Who Made Whom?

For the rest of the week, we will feature poems related to parenting. Join us through Father's Day for Pastor Nickel's perspective on the stages and challenges of fatherhood. 







When we were small, our parents dear
up in their arms would take us.
The general idea was that they
great noble souls would make us.

But now we learn, it works both ways
so nice, they don’t forsake us;
as we look back, it really seems,
it’s our own kids that make us.

There were those times when dad or mom
“over the coals would rake us,”
but now we know it pained them when
“to the woodshed” they would take us.

We might have thought we “knew it all;”
now know, our minds betrayed us
and humbly we must now admit,
it was our kids that made us!

fpn / undated



Picture: depositphotos.com #43252573, standard license

My Heavenly Perspective

There are some who criticize.
Oh, yes, they say that I
am sporting a philosophy
of pie up in the sky.
They say that I don’t care enough
about the here and now.
They say I’m square and I don’t fit
when they have their powwow.

Well, I’ve got heaven on my mind.
By faith, I’m going there.
How great it is to think about
that world beyond compare.
I just can’t feel at home down here,
there’s sorrow everywhere.
Content with less than heaven? No thanks!
I’ve staked my claim up there.

fpn / undated

Photo Credit: Deposit Photos #6308831, standard license