When It's Over! Poem by Brother Jonathan Gardner

When it's over and the pieces on the board are put away,
I ask myself, 'Did I do good? '
'Did I live my life as I should? '
And do I look forward to more than just decay?

When it's over and the pieces on the board are put away,
I ask myself, 'Have I lived life to the full? '
'Did I live a life that's worthy and one that's just not 'cool'? '
And do I look forward to more than just what people, about me, say?

When it's over and the pieces on the board are put away,
'I ask myself, 'Have I made the world a better place? '
'Did I live not just for myself, but in community as part of the whole human race? '
And do I look forward to a new and bright-dawning day?

When it's over and the pieces on the board are put away,
I ask myself....No! I hear the voice from the distance that asks of me...
'Are you the one who struggled, cried and laughed,
the one who called in your darkest night when you couldn't see? '
I bowed my head and shed a tear.
And replied, 'Yes, Sir, I called. That was me! '
The voice, now closer, said,
'Then you can look forward to a new bright day, a throne by mine and life anew,
Life that's full and never ending, too.
You came when I called, for it was I who called you! '.


[Brother Jonathan Gardner]
Copyright © ®2008, Brother Jonathan Gardner. All rights reserved.

Note: The 'You' in this poem is 'you' the reader (and me! but not just me) . I'm assuming we all want to live life to the full, and it's good to do good! But, that 'new bright day', ever-lasting life is determined not by our good deeds, but by our response to His call. We can be so pre-occupied with non-essentials, appearing moral etc that we miss God speaking to us in events, mundane as well as spectaculor.