THE YAWN
"Preach my word to all the land"
Says the master to his servant
And to obey the master he departs
with will unwavered and fervent
He goes to lands mysterious
where the master had in mind
Anxious to encounter what lies ahead
and longing for what he left behind
"What have I done?" he asks himself
"What am I doing here?
I've left my family and my friends
I won't see them for two years!"
But then remembers his master
the man he's serving for
the man who in agony fell on his face
and bled from every pore
The man who took the lashing whips
whose hand and feet nails were driven through
and yet he, on behalf of his abusers begged
"Father forgive them for they know not what they do"
The man who left it all to serve his master
His broken body his testament
"Into thy hands I commend my spirit"
His body had been spent
And so this servant, humbled now
Swore to give his all to his master
To invite as many as he could
into the shepherds pasture
He promised he would devote himself
and on his way he went
He'd give his all and like his master,
he'd go 'til he was spent
And as the days went, he never faltered
his walk did never slow
a day, a week, a couple months,
and it began to show
"I'm not tired," he'd tell himself,
"I'll go from dusk until dawn!"
And then it came, his biggest fear
the terrible, the dreaded, yawn
"A sign of weakness!" he was shocked
"I will just work right through it!"
But came another, then three and four
His body had taken a hit
Then came the time, the end of day
he crawled right into bed
Frustrated, then understanding why
and to himself he said
"How can I be tired already
My time is not nearly done?"
But as he thought it over more, he realized
"This means the battle has been won!
A chant of victory, a battle cry
like those of past ages
I have made my victory cry this day
In the war the adversary rages
I've done my best, fulfilled my purpose
the reason why I was sent
I have gone as far as I could today
My body has been spent"
And so went the months, flying by
he bringing many to the fold
But more than this the months did bring
his body was taking a toll
A year had passed, he'd hardly noticed
walking had become a chore
he'd never stopped, but then came the thought
"I don't know if I can take any more"
He'd look for rest, where ever he went
a chair, a bench, a tree
then one day he walked into his house
and collapsed upon his knees
"I'm done!" He thought, tears in his eyes
"I can't go any farther!"
With nothing more within himself
he pled unto the Father
"I know you've always protected us
I recognize your hand
I've given my all in your service,
my legs are too weak to stand
my body's spent, my feet are tired
my back is really sore
I struggle to walk, my mind can't think
I can't give any more!
I need your help, you're all I've got
I've emptied all my tanks
I've done all I could for your cause
when left to my own strength."
And so it ended, his pleading prayer
closing in "amen"
And as he closed his eyes for the day
his thoughts toward heaven did send
He dreamed of the Father, arms open wide
"Well done thou faithful servant
I'm pleased with you, you've done your best
your labors, diligent and fervent"
A warm embrace that seemed to make
all problems disappear
"I love you son, I'm always here," he exclaimed
as he wiped away the tears
"I know you're tired and want to quit,
but I know someone with a similar story"
Up walked a man he'd seen before,
with immortal fame and glory
"You're not alone," said the Savior
"I'm with you every day
when you can't go any farther,
I carry you every step of the way,
my legs were tired from the carrying the cross,
my feet were sore from the nails
my back was bloody, bruised and sore
from the wipings in the jails
my head hurt too when upon it
they placed a crown of thorns
and in Gethsemane my body hurt
when bleeding from every pore
All the things you're feeling now
I've felt them once before
So always know I'm there with you
when you feel you can't go any more"
Then he awoke, with commitment new
he set to give his all
His walk still tired, with little strength
but confident and tall
He had some extra help he knew
those whom with him did abide
A father watching watching over him
and a brother at his side
The days again turned into months
his time had come to an end
He'd given his all in the service of God
and noticed his eternal friend
with diligence and faith unfeigned
he'd learned to serve his master
"It took me two years," he thought
"But I have made it to His pasture!
I have learned for myself the meaning of
the sacred word 'atone',
yes it means a change, to become anew
but more than anything it means 'never alone'".
He boards the plane, its time to leave
the place and people he learned to love
But he knows that never leaving
is his father and brother up above
He closes his eyes and before he knows
he feels as the plane descends
It's been two years since he's seen
his family and closes friends
He runs off the plane and offers a prayer
"thanks again" is what he mutters
He seems his loved ones standing there
and runs without a stutter
He hugs his family one by one
this spiritual man of brawn
then he offers one last victory cry
a strong and faithful, yawn
I have never been into poems, never think I will be haha but I have noticed something out here more than anything else, the atonement is so very real. The strength we receive as missionaries could come from no other source than a divine one, which is a testimony to the divinity of the Savior. We can't do the work alone, he is with us every step of the way, I know that to be true.
I love you all, and know that God is always watching over us, every step of the way.
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