"Our
hearts are restless 'till they find their rest in thee",
Said
my soul to my heart and my heart to my head.
In
one accord agreed we then
To
love and labor till he win.
Or
better still, till gladdening eyes
And
quicker, running, lengthened strides
I
chase through life, one goal apart
Of
whom has my soul, my mind, my heart.
"My
soul," said I "wait thou only upon God
For
His expectation gives days their joy".
And
once again, there gathered three,
My
head, my heart, my soul, and me
And
all we talked of what imparts
In
how we rest in head, in heart.
"To
trust!” said one. "No need to fear!
We
know that Christ draws ever near
And
one day comes; twill ever be
A
bliss! A perfect harmony".
Again,
we nodded in one accord
And
Heart, the weak, stepped meekly forward.
"I
know this faltering flesh and tongue
Are
quick to relinquish internal resolve,
But
could it be a bit unjust to place expectation and think it trust?"
Again,
we pondered all the words
And
settled them into our heart
Lest
we forget to remember,
Or
remember to forget,
The
fears that come with weaker parts.
And
then rose up my fiery soul
Who
addressed my fickle head and heart.
"And who are we to be
unjust, or foolish
Or days of Him robust with
internal grief
And fickle strife, are there
not more
Days given Life?
For truly we must count our
days
To give them best to
wisdom."
And
At that thought we glowed to red.
Ne’er
forgetting how we’d lost our head
And
heart and soul had felt the pain
Of
allowing weakness to cause us shame
And
mar the Goodness that we loved most.
Shy
then, again, and well abashed
At
thoughts of how the past gives back
The fruit
in which we’d laboured –
We
put our thoughts in circle three:
My
head, my heart, my soul, and me.
Decided we then to wait and pray
And
see what’d come, what will, what may.
Lest
we talk without thoughts
Or
act without shame
At
things that might ‘ere have a day.
And
then, the voice came and startled us three:
My
head, my heart, my soul, and me.
The booming
voice so whispery,
Filled
us. Awed and quivering.
“Let us then be up and doing!
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving
Still pursuing
Learn to labor, and to wait.”
“Truth!”
said my head. “This thought I all along!”
“Yes!”
said my heart. “’Tis a fair morn song”.
“Right!”
said my soul. “Let us labor just
For
what God has called us to – we will and must”.
So my
head, my heart, my soul, and me
Decided
then God’s face to seek.
Whether
day by day, or week by week.
Tis
his goodness we longed for. His promise we seek.
And
‘ere we forget how fickle we be,
My
God gave my head, my soul, and me
A
heart to complete us, and make us three.
That
in all our weakness, his strength could complete.
“Let us then be up and doing!
With a heart for any fate,
Still achieving
Still pursuing
Learn to labor, and to wait.”
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
