Faith Through the Eyes of a Child

When I was attending college, I recall going to school and listening to a fellow student as she talked about a young child in her family with a terminal illness. Being a parent myself, I began considering the far-reaching effects of this on a child and parent. And as I considered, I decided that if I had only one gift to give my child, it would be the belief that life goes on after death. Thus, my poem of Faith breathed life.

I watch my son sleep peacefully
Too young to know such pain
Sometimes he questions why he hurts
And this I can't explain.
At times I'd beg you take him
There's so little I can do
To ease him of the aching
His body is going through.
The doctor's say he'll soon go
His body can't take much more.
Yet every day he wakes again
To agony, no peace for him.

One day while perched upon my knee
He said he had to know
Why Jesus doesn't talk to us
As He did long ago.
"Why don't Jesus help me to walk
So I can run and play.
I try to hear him at night
When I say my bedtime prayers."
I told my son that He
Still walks and talks and visits us
But you have to listen real hard
And pray 'bout twice as much.

It was tonight
Before the sleep completely covered him
He smiled into my tear-dimmed eyes
And said he'd talked with Him.
I really saw Jesus, mommy.
He said He soon would come.
And he said I'll go home with Him
Where I can finally run.
Was it just a dream I ask you
Or has my precious son
Reached out to touch the hand of God
As long ago was done.