Two Poems

I Asked God and He Said No

I asked God to take away my pride,
And God said, "NO."
He said it was not for Him to take away,
But for me to give up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole,
And God said, "NO."
He said her spirit is whole,
Her body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience,
And God said, "NO."
He said patience is a by-product of tribulation,
It isn't granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness,
And God said, "NO."
He said He gives blessings,
Happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain,
And God said, "NO."
He said, "Suffering draws you apart from
Worldly cares and bring you closer to Me."

I asked God to make my spirit grow,
And God said, "NO."
He said I must grow on my own,
But He will prune me to make it fruitful.

I asked God if He loved me,
And God said, "YES."
He gave me His only son, who died for me.
And I will be in Heaven someday
Because I believe.

I asked God to help me love others
As much as He loves me,
And God said,
"Ah finally, you have the idea."

Submitted by Rick Fortson to this site: Short Stories.

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Steps To Happiness

Everybody Knows:

You can't be all things to all people.
You can't do all things at once.
You can't do all things equally well.
You can't do all things better than everyone else.
Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's.

So:

You have to find out who you are, and be that.
You have to decide what comes first, and do that.
You have to discover your strengths, and use them.
You have to learn not to compete with others,
Because no one else is in the contest of *being you*.

Then:

You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.
You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.
You will have learned to live with your limitations.
You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.
And you'll be a most vital mortal.

Dare To Believe:

That you are a wonderful, unique person.
That you are a once-in-all-history event.
That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are.
That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.
And we'll be able to stay one up on what used to get us.

May God Bless you and keep you safe,

Father Pat