Photo by Harrison Haines on Pexels.com

An elderly woman sits at her kitchen table

Wanting to stay warm today, if she is able

An Arctic blast from up North has arrived

Challenging her to survive and stay alive

Inside of the window, frosted over with ice

Wishing for a heated room, would be nice

Her few needs are quite simple at this time

Praying the thermostat will begin its climb

Ancient, unreliable space heater offers very little heat

Realizing now, she needs a blanket to cover her feet

She lives all alone without any other family close by

Losing hope, her faith seems ready to quit and cry

Suddenly, there is a knock at her frozen door

Opening it to discover the Lord brings more

A stranger with a fuel truck has finally arrived

Smiling, the woman begins to feel more alive

He fills her empty fuel tank until it’s almost full

Checking her boiler, it is working without a lull

A sense of inadequacy overwhelms the woman to tears

Feeling desperate, her pocketbook is empty she fears

The helpful man simply ignores her worries and leaves

Telling her that a shepherd will take care of her needs

The woman sits stunned and can’t understand what to see

Looking down an isolated road that is as empty as can be

Who paid to fill her empty fuel tank?  She has no idea at all

Feeling a tender hug from above, her loving Lord pays a call

Photo by Simon Matzinger on Pexels.com

I took a recent neighborhood walk, and the surroundings were definitely not the norm.  Quiet streets and hardly anyone outside on a gloomy, spring afternoon.  I crossed a busy road, without the usual volume of traffic.  The entire experience brought many thoughts to mind, some of which found their way into this poem.

Photo by Alexander Kovalev on Pexels.com

Morning rush traffic, missing in action

Downtown streets resemble empty ghost towns

All of this, most unusual for many

Life experiencing major breakdowns

Atmosphere of dark, winter gloom arrives

Quiet neighborhood lanes, filled with stillness

Sheltered-in-place covers the entire land

Fear and panic, with visions of illness

Households, overflowing with family

Quite unique for a midweek afternoon

Only essential employees at work

Life differs from a “Charlie Brown” cartoon

Spring’s portraits and sounds, arriving on schedule

Trees bud out, grass turning green, robins sing

God’s creation reminds us, He is near

His steadfast, faithful hope shall always ring

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

From Lamentations 3:21-23:  “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”