By His Grace

If it were not for the grace of God in my life

If it were not for His strong and unseen hand

then long ago my days would have parted from the living

and come quickly into the valley of darkness and its ready end.

For I have seen so much evil and I have looked it straight in the eye,

I have ignored the sound and honest advice of others

only to find myself in a dire most horrid straight getting ready to die.

I have stood in the darkest of corners and have seen the evils of life.

I have in true ignorance danced to hell’s music with the devil by my side.

Yet by supplications of others to a merciful God on my unworthy behalf,

I was able to cheat the hand of death many times over and find a peace unsurpassed.

For He in His mercy, for He in his eternal love,

extended unto me the number of my days.

He allowed me to partake in life’s beauty by the sure wholeness of His grace.

Therefore as I look back over these troubled and numbered years,

I can see how my wayward life had for many brought scores of tears.

I repent now the sadness to others that I surly did bring,

and I prayed many times over for their forgiveness,

 though they now rest where the angels sing.

Alas though, redemption is as is… whole and complete,

The past is just that, a history through wisdom not to repeat.

And as it is with each new stone unturned,

we find new lessons of life in which to learn.

And if there is but one thing of this journey that I truly do see…

It is what He has done in this life for me.

Therefore stand tall and of your own hidden past do not grieve, for what He can do for others, He can do for thee… If only by chance you dare but believe.

J. Allen Wilson © SIX 2006