JUST A PEBBLE IN THE ROAD OF LIFE

LYING THERE IN THE DARK OF NIGHT

NO BUILDING DO I HELP SUPPORT OR HOLD

UNABLE TO CARRY LIFE’S HEAVY LOAD

BUT WITH MY SAVIOR AS MY ROCK I STAND

UNABLE TO BE MOVED BY PRINCIPALITIES OR MORTAL MAN

FOR HIS STRENGTH IS SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY ALL MY NEEDS

BY THE POWER OF JESUS SHED BLOOD HE SAVED AND LIFTED ME

ON HIGHER GROUND IN A CITY SOMEDAY

I’LL BE ONE OF CHILDREN IN THE KING’S FAMILY

WHILE HERE ON EARTH I MUST HELP TO GUIDE

WONDERING SOULS TOWARDS HIS KINGDOM ON HIGH

ALONG WITH MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS I HAVE FOUND MY USE

IN PREPARING THE PATHWAY TO GOD’S WORDS OF TRUTH

HIS STORY MUST BE TOLD TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

BY NO OTHER NAME THAN JESUS IS THERE ANY HOPE OF OBTAINING THE NEW BIRTH

JESUS SHED BLOOD IS THE MORTAR THAT HOLDS AND BINDS

EACH PEBBLE IN PLACE THROUGH THE AGES OF TIME

NO LONGER A COLD AND LIFELESS STONE LYING THERE

NOW BECOMING A JEWEL, SO LOVELY, SO PRECIOUS, SO FAIR

LIFE’S TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS SMOOTHING MY ROUGH AND JAGGED EDGES

WITH THE HEAT OF CHRIST PASSION MY HEART IS REFASHIONED

WE EACH HAVE BEEN CREATED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE MOSAIC OF LIFE

ITS THEME BEING OUR CORNER STONE, JESUS CHRIST 

AUTHOR, BY GOD’S GRACE

SHARON ROSE LAWLESS

I HAD STARTED THIS POEM ONE DAY WHILE THINKING OF HOW CHRIST WAS OUR ROCK OF SALVATION.  AND HOW I WAS NOT EVEN SO MUCH AS A STONE, JUST A SMALL PEBBLE, NOTHING MORE IN THIS HUGH SCHEME OF LIFE.  SO INADEQUATE FOR THE WORK OF MY LORD.  I HAVE NOT CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO THE LORD’S WORK, AND HAVE FAILED SO MISERABLY, SO OFTEN, SO POORLY.  I HAD STARTED THE FIRST TWELVE LINES PRIOR TO HAVING WENT TO THE WOMAN’S RETREAT IN TENNESSEE.  THERE WE WERE INFORMED OF A TALENT EVENT TO BE HELD THE NEXT NIGHT. 

I THOUGHT ABOUT SINGING A SONG,  BUT I WAS NOT SURE IF THAT WAS WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.  I ONLY KNEW THAT I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE LORD.  I WAS CONCERNED IF THE INCENTIVE WAS TO BOOSTER MY EGO OR TRULY TO PRAISE GOD.  I HAD A CD I HAD BROUGHT ALONG, NOT KNOWING THERE MIGHT EVEN BE A CHANCE TO USE IT TO SING DURING THE WEEKEND MEETING.  I JUST THOUGHT THAT I MIGHTY LISTEN TO IT.  BUT I KNEW I WAS NOT THE BEST VOCALIST AND THOUGHT THEREFORE I SHOULD TRY SOMETHING ELSE.  

I HAD NOT BROUGHT MY POEM ALONG THOUGH.  SO, I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO ASK HIM TO REPEAT IT TO ME ON THE PHONE.  BUT I STILL FELT THAT I NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE POEM, SO I PRAYED AND TRUSTED GOD TO ALLOW FOR THE POEM TO BE COMPLETED ON TIME FOR THE TALENT EVENT. 

THE NEXT NIGHT I WAS STILL WORKING ON THIS POEM, AND THE POEM WAS COMPLETED ONE MINUTE PRIOR TO THE LADY CALLING ME BY NAME TO COME AND PERFORM MY TALENT.   

THAT NIGHT I WAS BACK IN OUR CABIN, THINKING OF LISTENING TO MUSIC CD I BROUGHT ALONG.  I OPENED THE CD HOLDER, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE CD ITSELF WAS NOT IN IT. 

I THINK THAT GOD WANTED TO LET ME KNOW THAT I HAD DONE SOMETHING RIGHT, FOR THE RIGHT REASON.  I COULD HAVE EASILY OPENED THE CD AT ANYTIME PRIOR TO THE TALENT EVENT.  AND KNOWN THAT I COULD NOT DO THE SONG BECAUSE THE CD TRACK WAS NOT WITH ME.  BUT GOD KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO KNOW I HAD DONE SOMETHING FOR THE RIGHT REASON, FOR HIM, UNSELFISHLY.  SO OFTEN, TOO OFTEN, I AM SO SELFISH, SO FULL OF ME.  GOD KNOWS WE NEED TO BE ASSURED THAT HE IS IN OUR HEART.  THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN  NEVER REST,  HE IS EVER TELLING US WE ARE NOT TRULY REPENTANT, TRULY TRYING, NOT CARING, NOT FORGIVING, NOT EVEN FORGIVEN.  AND WITHOUT THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUIDE AND UPLIFT US, IT WOULD BE ALL TOO EASY TO BELIEVE SATAN’S FALSE TESTIMONY.  THAT WE ARE NOT TRULY REPENTANT, FORGIVEN AND A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST. 

I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW A LITTLE OF THE HISTORY THAT THIS POEM ENTAILED.  GOD IS GOOD AND WAS GRACIOUS TO HAVE PROVIDED THE WORDS NEEDED FOR THIS POEM.  I AM MY MOTHER’S CHILD, UNABLE TO EXPRESS MYSELF ADEQUATELY IN A ONE-TO-ONE CONVERSATION.  BUT, WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.  I KNOW, HE PROVIDED THIS POEM, I AM NOT GOOD WITH WORDS. ALSO, THE THEME OF THE LADY’S MEETING WAS ABOUT MOSAIC, THERE WAS A LARGE MOSAIC IN THE BUILDING, AND WE MADE SMALL MOSAICS AS WELL. 

ALSO, THIS POEM HAD NO TITLE WHEN WRITTEN, BUT THE THOUGHT OF SMALL INDIVIDUAL PEBBLES BEING USED TO CREATE A PICTURE LEAD TO IT’S TITLE.

     I BELIEVE NAMES WERE DRAWN FOR PRIZES. MINE WAS ONE OF THOSE DRAWN. GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS. I HAD NEVER WRITTEN A POEM BEFORE THIS ONE. I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN POEMS. BUT I HAVE FOUND I LOVE WRITING POEMS GIVING PRAISE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF GOD. GOD IS SO GOOD.

Maybe you might be asking the same question. I’ve been away for about two and a half years! I thought I’d be up and posting on this site. And just as often felt a sea of emotions. Fear, overwhelming fear, got the best of me. How do I get myself in these situations? I don’t know anything about this web posting. Even with my son’s help I am inapt about computers. I don’t mean to be “belittling” myself; it is just not something I am knowledgeable about.

So, these past years, I lost the chance to reach out to those I had intentions of sharing the love of God with. At least through this site that is. Then I thought, maybe I was not ready myself, for public scrutiny, for criticism and whatever might come my way.

But here I am, praying without ceasing, that with God’s grace I can do what I feel I should have been doing all this time.

Maybe you have been in a similar situation in your life. We all have “ruts” we dig ourselves into now and then, don’t we? Some deeper and wider than others at times. I hope together we will be able to give one another the gentle push, the strong but loving nudge needed to take off running the race God has created each one of us to run, for the glory of God. That is our reason for living, serving God and fellow mankind.

Past mistakes are not useful if we let them bring us down permanently, rather than teach us a valuable lesson. I’ve heard the old saying that time is money. Time however is more precious than money. Time is something we cannot buy, beg, borrow, or steal. It is God’s gift to each one of us. The clock keeps going forward, regardless of whether we do or not.

So, today is the beginning of the “rest of our life”. I hope each day forward will see both you and I making progress in our daily lives. We only have one race to participate in. It is a daily race, but still one race, lasting our lifetime, and I want both you and I to win! God wants us to win! By God’s grace, it is possible.

If we should fall, just reach out and touch the hem of Jesus garment and ask God’s help. The Holy Spriit is our comforter and will guide you and I throughout our race. May God speed and keep you in the palm of His hand.  Lord, please help us to have the patience we need in our journey here on earth. And thank you for another day of life. In Jesus name we pray and thank you. Amen.