For Daniel
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
God's Lent Child.
I'll lend you for a little while,
A child of mine, God said,
For you to love the while he lives,
and mourn for, when he's dead.
It may be six or seven years,
or forty two or three,
but will you till I call him back,
take care of him for me?
He'll bring his charms to gladden
and should his stay be brief,
You'll always have his memories
as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise he will stay,
since all from Earth return,
but there are lessons taught below
I want this child to learn.
I've looked the whole world over
in my search for teachers true, and from the folk that
crowd life's lane,
I have chosen you.
Now will you give him
all your love
and not think the labour vain,
nor hate me when I come to take,
this lent child back again?
I fancy that I heard them say,
Dear God, Thy Will be done,
For all the joys this child will bring,
the risk of grief we'll run.
We will shelter him with tenderness,
we'll love him while we may.
and for all the happiness we've ever known,
we'll ever grateful stay.
But should the Angels call him
much sooner than we'd planned,
we'll brave the bitter grief
and try to understand.
