Was I Listenin'? Poem by Edith Niemeyer

Was I Listenin'?

Of all the days within my remembrances,
which would I call the most significant?

Would it be the day
my Savior and Redeemer
died for me?

What was my reaction there?
Did I cry out in despair?

Seein' Him carry that cross for me,
did I understand the weight
of the gesture He made?

Did I know
He carried more than timber—

that upon His shoulders
rested the possibility
of my return
to the place of my eternal birth?

Did I stand for truth and right?

Did I scream?
Did I cry?
Did I hide?

Did I wish to take His burden,
if only for a moment,
to ease my Master's
pain and agony?

Or did I keep my place in line?

Did I turn away,
unable to bear the sight?

Could I forgive
those who trespassed
against my Savior dear?

And somewhere
among the voices,
the footsteps,
the sorrow—

did I know
that He knew my name?

Before I ever walked this earth,
before these hands had made their choices,
before my sins had found their way
into the keeping of His sacrifice—

He knew my name.

And when the hour came
for Him to carry my sins
upon His chest...

Was I listenin'?

Was my soul somewhere remembering
what my mortal mind
would someday forget?

For the importance of that day
within eternity's design
cannot be measured
by the passing of time.

He descended.

The stone waited.

Earth held its silence.

And what appeared to be an ending
was eternity
preparing its answer.

May we never forget
what He willingly gave
so that we might return—

so that death
would not have the final word,

so that we could...

As HE
Rise Again.