Following God

Following God
By Larry Linville
O, Abraham,
you are comfortable in Ur
with family, possessions and friends.
Security blesses all your life
and your prosperity never ends.
Interruption enters your life
and to an unknown land you must go.
To a place you’ve never heard of
and a destination God will show.

O Moses,
you’ve run away from your people
to a distant land you herd some sheep.
Your back is turned on your family
and there is no way you hear them weep.
Interruption enters your life
in the form of a bush that is strange.
Go back to Pharoah to speak for God
and follow Him now for a change.

O Fishermen,
you’ve spent all your life on the sea
just fishing and mending your nets.
You really don’t have a future
and your life will just end with regrets.
Interruption enters your life
as a kind looking man walks the shore
“Come fish for humans,” he calls to you
“and your life will be blessed to the core.”

O Christian,
you may be wandering through life
spending self on things that don’t last.
Your candle may be going out
as you’re trying to live in the past.
Interruption enters your life
as you get up and follow the Lord.
You find that in serving others
the fullness of your life is restored.

© Copyright 2007 Larry Linville (UN: larrylinville at Writing.Com).
All rights reserved. Larry Linville has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

The Majestic Heavens

The Majestic Heavens
By Larry Linville

I stood in my yard in the dark of night
through the darkness I saw the stars so bright.
They shined in the same place the were before
hanging in beauty for me to adore.

They were in the same place where David peered
--a sight that little shepherd boy revered.
He used the word “majestic” to express
deep feelings he felt compelled to profess.

The awesome sight displayed something so new
as the lights of a flying plane flew through
and I waited some more on that crisp night
as across the sky flew a satellite.

What are we humans that God cares for us
even though we seem to fight and to fuss?
You’ve made us a little lower than You
and accepted our imitations too.

“When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place-- What are humans that you are mindful of them, mere mortals that you care for them?” Psalm 8: 3-4


© Copyright 2007 Larry Linville (UN: larrylinville at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Larry Linville has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Old Gospel Singers

Old Gospel Singers
By Larry Linville

Watching gospel singers with smiles on every face
looking very happy-- singing at rapid pace.
The joy they sing about is not for us today
It is waiting for the day that we all pass away.

This world is not my home I’m just a passing through
My treasures and my hopes are all beyond the blue
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

I love gospel music it’s always served me well
But Jesus promised joy in this world where we dwell
God’s joy is for today for those who follow him
Serving others fills our cup clear up to the brim.

O Lord you know I have no friend like you
If Heaven’s not my home, then Lord what will I do?
The angels beckon me from Heaven’s open door
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.

This world is now my home I’m not just passing through
My treasures grow right here when I share God’s love with you.
Serving other people gives joy to us galore
And we can feel at home in this world all the more.

© Copyright 2007 Larry Linville (UN: larrylinville at Writing.Com).
All rights reserved. Larry Linville has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Never Too Old

Never Too Old
By Larry Linville

For most of my life I did all I could
to work for peace, for hope and brotherhood.
I gave every effort my very best
and tried to leave other’s lives fully blessed.
I believed, down deep, there would come a day
when my life had said all it had to say.
I could retire and take my needed rest
with contentment proudly filling my breast.

At this time God gave me a new thesis --
we’re never too old to work for Jesus.
As I prepared to just let my life coast
without any desire to brag and boast
about the successful things I had done
just trying to live as a loving son
God brought from my life an inactive seed
to write poetry for others to read.

Although my story may seem to be small
God plans to use it together with all
who also use their story to proclaim
by generous actions done in His name.
Though poetry was given late to me
I’ll spend it on others since it came free.

© Copyright 2007 Larry Linville (UN: larrylinville at Writing.Com).
All rights reserved. Larry Linville has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Pearl Harbor And Me

Pearl Harbor and Me
Larry Linville

Her young face had that special glow
She counted the days ‘til the birth.
Six months down and three more to go
As her stomach increased in girth.

Her twenty-first birthday was near
Their first baby was on the way
Shocking news was soon to occur
On that dreadful Pearl Harbor day.

Did her brother survive that day
The news was so slow to arrive
How long would it be ‘til she heard
The word that he was still alive?

Stress effects the body they say.
How did it make her body stir?
And how much did this stress impact
that little baby inside her?

That answer we may never know
And probably will never see
No matter what the answer is
It has placed its impact on me.

© Copyright 2007 Larry Linville (UN: larrylinville at Writing.Com).
All rights reserved. Larry Linville has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Wanting

Wanting
By Larry Linville

Wanting something too much
is the best way of losing it.

Your obsession with it
leads you to abusing it.

Check your motivation
in your choosing it.

Hanging on too tight
might cause your bruising it.

Your sense of values may
cause your confusing it.

“Those who try to make their life secure will lose it,
but those who lose their life will keep it.” Luke 17:33 (NRSV)

© Copyright 2007 Larry Linville (UN: larrylinville at Writing.Com).
All rights reserved. Larry Linville has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Hope Shattered

I have made a big announcement about getting a book published. After this announcement was made, I learned some things about the publisher which are not good. I'm searching for another publisher, so I still have hope. When I learned of the problems, I wrote the following poem.

Hope Shattered
By Larry Linville

I fell from a very high shelf last night
much higher than I've ever been before.
I started out under the bottom shelf
lying comfortably there on the floor.

My life was going along so plain
Then I wrote a poem six months ago.
It was about an old gray metal desk
I was surprised how the words seemed to flow

As a pastor I seldom wrote a verse
just some sermons for nearly fifty years.
They have heard a lot of prose as I preached
but no poem had touched on any ears.

One after one every reader approved
giving me more confidence in my self.
As the compliments began to amass
I would climb up to yet a higher shelf.

The view felt great as I looked from above.
A publisher’s mail brought me great delight.
They’d publish the book – how hard to believe!
As I weightlessly soared up to that height.

A helpful friend I have trusted so much
delivered the words I needed to hear
which brought me down from my roost on that shelf.
Things are not always the way they appear.

Today I stumble back down on the floor
I’ve tried my broken spirit to gather.
I’m not defeated and I won’t give in
I’m already in search for another.

© Copyright 2007 Larry Linville (UN: larrylinville at Writing.Com).
All rights reserved. Larry Linville has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.