"Our Preacher, Bill"
 by Raye Mcdonald 

 


We have a dear and precious friend
whose life is slipping away,
His mind is keen, his body weak,
His life could end today.

This is a man who preaches and
whose voice, his wife provides,
She stands up in the pulpit
and our congregation cries.

His illness is progressing and
we see this every day.
It hurts to see him suffer,
but we'll go with him all the way.

His views are so inspiring and
his words are daily bread.
We write them upon our memories,
For soon, he will be dead.

He tells us, "please don't worry as I
travel toward the end",
He calls this his "adventure"
and we call it "losing our friend".

Someday we'll stand beside him
as his spirit takes its flight,
and understand his final words,
"I'm safely in His Light".

****
this poem was written about an ordained minister who has ALS disease.  He
writes his weekly sermons and his wife delivers them for him.  He has asked
his congregation to take his hand and walk through the darkness with him.


 


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September 1, 1999