Ben's Song

This is dedicated to a very special young man that I never had the opportunity to meet.  He passed into Heaven on May 7, 2009 at the age of 24 and I have met many people who have been touched by his joyful spirit.  His family was amazed when over 1300 people came to his funeral service.  I met one lady in particular who never understood God's love until she realized that God loves unconditionally, just like Ben had loved her.   His testimony has greatly impacted my life as well.  I shared this song in Church this past Sunday as a way of honoring his life.  I hope that you are blessed by the words God gave me to write about this loving young man.

Ben’s Song

Little boy in grown man’s shoes,

Never that spark of wonder did lose.

Living and laughing and loving so much,

So quick to give a caring touch.

Little boy with a grown man’s smile,

You shared with us the laughter of a child.

You couldn’t help but love everyone,

Not just a little, but a great big ton!

Little boy with grown man hands,

Building castles in the sand.

Having fun like little boys do,

Yet knowing you’re a grown man too.

Little boy in a grown man’s shell,

It didn’t always go so well,

But with love and tender care,

The life you lived was pure and rare.

Little boy with grown man’s years,

You knew the God who always hears.

He loved you and you loved Him well,

And of His love, your life did tell.

Little boy with a grown man’s legacy,

Bringing those to Him who couldn’t see.

But through the love of a little boy,

Their lives were filled with eternal joy!

(If you want to know more about his story you can visit www.heyiknowyou.org.  His parents started the Ben Yorgey Foundation to help other special education students in our area as they start their postgraduate lives.)

Today I was Born

Today I was born.  I didn't ask to be born.  I wasn't ready to be born.  Yet, I was born.

I didn't get to choose my mother, my father or my siblings.  I didn't get to choose the color or texture of my hair.  I didn't get to pick the color of my eyes or the lightness of my skin.  I came with blue eyes, curly brown hair and fair skin.

Today I was born.  I don't remember being born.  I don't remember being held.  I don't know if I cried or was quiet.  I don't know if I was beautiful or shriveled.  I just know that I arrived.

I came into this world with nothing.  I have no clothes or shoes.  I have no money of my own.  I am penniless and naked and completely dependent on whoever will take care of me.  I have no expectations.  I have no hopes or dreams.  I  know only how to breathe, eat and sleep.

Today I was born.  I have no idea what my life will hold.  If I will be loved and cherished or used and mistreated.  I don't know if I will have good friends, a nice home, a husband or a family of my own.  I don't know if I will get good grades in school, love to sing or have a dry sense of humor.  I just know that I am here.

I am tiny and frail.  I am hungry and needy.  I want only to be held, fed and loved.  My heart beats for these simple things.

Today I was born.  May 6, 1969.  I look back and ponder my birth.  I have lived with a lot of sorrow and regret.  I have had joy and laughter too.  I wish I could re-live some moments and completely banish others.  I don't yet understand my life like I want to.  I just know that I was born and that I now live.

I have hopes and dreams.  I have strengths and weaknesses.  I have accomplishments and failures.  I am who I have become over these past 42 years.

Today I am alive.  I breathe, eat and sleep.  I see my curly brown hair & blue eyes.  I know that I love singing and am a deep thinker.  I love me and dislike me.  I am learning to accept me as I am.

I will trust God to take care of me.  I know that He has been for all these years.  He knows everything about me up to this point and until my final breath.  He knows more about me than I know about myself.  So I will trust Him.

Today I was born.  May 6, 1969.  Today I am alive.  May 6, 2011.  Today I will live and continue to become who I was always meant to be.

Left-over smiles

This is a poem that I wrote a few years ago.  It must have been something I was feeling at the time and needed to process.  As the last of 8 children in my family, I think I've always felt a little invisible - like an after thought somehow.  I know that I am not the only one with these feelings.  So many people have them.  I hope that this poem blesses you today.

Left-Over Smiles

Have you ever received a left-over smile,
One meant for someone else then just held over for awhile?
Has someone every waved at you then quickly stopped
Because you weren't the good friend they had thought?

Have you ever felt invisible, unsought & unseen
Like the last kid picked to play on the team?
What would it matter if you weren't even there -
Would anyone notice?  Would anyone care?

You know what it's like to feel abandoned, alone.
You've felt the sting of rejection - it cut to the bone.
But you weren't all alone - it was a big lie.
For if you weren't important then why did He die?

Jesus, God's only son, left heaven to come to earth -
Heaven's darling come to us through a virgin birth.
He was born in a dirty stable in the town of Bethlehem,
The reason that He came was to die to save all men.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son;
For God so loved you - you are His precious one.
You are important and you are cherished.
If you simply believe this, you will never perish.

You will never look at Him and see a left-over smile.
His gaze is fixed on you.  You are His precious child.
So when people around you don't seem to notice or care,
Remember your Father, who adores you, is always right there.