The poem below shows Don and me as the authors, but in reality it should be credited to the Holy Spirit. If you have read all of our nursing home information, you are aware that everyone who knew Dad felt as his friend, Mr. Rissel, so beautifully stated, "God was on his lips and in his fingers, and in his heart." A few days before Dad died, we awoke to find the particulars of the poem, "Tribute To Father," written down on a paper on our dining room table. My husband never wrote a poem in his life, and he rarely dreams. When I asked him about it, he said he vaguely remembered getting up and writing it, but couldn't recall what it was about. I made some minor grammatical changes and put it into verse, but the message was just as Don had written. He's convinced that he did not write any of it, although he agreed with everything that it says. Since we gave this poem to my Mother and put it in our "Poems From The Heart" book we have had numerous requests to have it personalized and read at memorial services and/or presented to those who have lost loved ones. We know Dad was close to the Lord while he lived on this earth, and is with the Lord now. We believe Dad is pleased that this message is being shared.
Children of God, smile and rejoice,
a loved one has gone to
heaven.
Listen carefully with your hearts,
let's give God praise and
thanksgiving.
This parting is a celebration,
sorrow now is all past.
The suffering is
done, the victory's won,
his reward has come at last.
He chose Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord,
he repented and asked
forgiveness.
As people came and went through his life
he did what he could
to bear witness.
Now he is reaping his reward
just as Jesus' promise was given:
"Be
happy and glad, for a great
reward is kept for you in Heaven."
He has become a part of that great cloud
of witnesses cheering us
on.
He wants us to smile, just as he does now
that his victory in Christ
has been won.
He prayed to the Lord morning and night
and read his Bible each day.
He
needed the strength he received from God's Word
to help him along the way.
He used his God-given talents and gifts
and worked daily to be a good
steward.
His message to you right now would be
"do your best for your
Savior and Lord."
"Don't weep for me, dry up your tears,
I'm in the midst of great
glory.
Remember...weeping endureth for a night,
but joy cometh in the
morning."
